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A long time ago, but very much in our galaxy, the first Star Wars film arrived on the silver screen and became an instant sensation. Almost immediately, new Star Wars games started releasing, with an electronic tabletop game called Star Wars Electronic Battle Command landing in 1979. However, it wasn’t until 1982 that we’d get the first Star Wars video game with The Empire Strikes Back. This would go on to be quite the trend, though it wasn’t until the release of the Prequel Trilogy that the Star Wars video game industry truly exploded.
We’ve seen countless games released with the Star Wars license, both to tie into movies and just because people want to exist in that galaxy far, far away. The sheer number of Star Wars games can be bewildering, and the list also happens to include some of the best space games and best classic PC games out there, too. To help you find your way, we’ve put together this list of the best Star Wars games of all time.
- There have been Star Wars games almost as long as there have been Star Wars movies.
- Most of the best Star Wars games of all time are still available to play.
- Some of the most engaging Star Wars games are known to focus on the feeling of being a Jedi.
- Other Star Wars games take a step back, looking towards galactic conquest or piloting challenges.
- Star Wars games must often choose between connecting with the established canon or forging their own destiny.
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2 Jedi Outcast
Available on: PC, MacOS, Gamecube, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PS4
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2 Jedi Outcast is the third installment of its series, but the first time they really wanted to make you feel like a Jedi. Once you get past the opening shooter segments, the game rewards you with a lightsaber that will form the core of the experience going forward, alongside a generous plethora of force powers.
Combat is fast and fun as you fight against hordes of Stormtroopers or red lightsaber-wielding baddies in an original story that places itself after Return of the Jedi. Being an older game, there are plenty of quality-of-life pieces missing. Jedi Outcast can be frustrating and obtuse to navigate, but the Jedi power fantasy it offers squarely places the title within the pantheon of best Star Wars games.
Star Wars The Force Unleashed
Available on: PC, MacOS, Switch, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, PS3, PS2, Nintendo DS, N-Gage
Star Wars The Force Unleashed defines itself with a memorable opening, putting players in the shoes of Darth Vader and giving them the ability to fling enemies all over the place with overblown force powers. After you take control of the true protagonist of the game, the edgily code-named Starkiller, you’ll still find the game wants to make you feel like a master of destruction.
The main focus for Star Wars The Force Unleashed is the dramatic setpieces, between putting you in a Jedi duel in part of a space station, plummeting towards a planet, or using the force to rip a Star Destroyer from the sky. The story tries to awkwardly place itself into the Star Wars canon. If you can turn your brain off and simply enjoy the action, then Star Wars The Force Unleashed will offer you an experience to rival the very best Star Wars games.
Star Wars TIE Fighter
Available On: PC, MacOS
Star Wars TIE Fighter is as much a piece of gaming history as it is a full game. It is quite feature-light compared to modern titles, focusing mainly on the cycle of going out as an Imperial pilot and blasting any rebel scum opposing you out of the sky. The controls are more like a hardcore flight simulator, usable on a keyboard, but better with a joystick.
What really makes Star Wars TIE Fighter stand out among the best Star Wars games is how well it integrates into the Star Wars galaxy. You’re fighting for the Empire here, and as part of that, your mission statements are full of half-truths, and the cutscenes are full of knowing winks to the true villainy of the order you’re protecting. The game pulls you in with its charm and keeps you there, as seductive as the dark side itself.
Star Wars The Old Republic
Available on: PC, MacOS
Star Wars The Old Republic isn’t the first Star Wars MMO, but it is the most enduring. It is also one of the most interesting MMORPG experiences you can get, as it tries to combine the choices of a single-player BioWare RPG with the wide scope of an MMO.
Each class comes with its own unique story in the base game, from the class heroic tale of the Jedi Knight to the darker rise to power of the Sith Warrior. However, the Imperial Agent tells what I think might be the best Star Wars video game story, as you navigate trying to save the Sith Empire from itself as a spy. It’s full of intrigue across the game’s varied planets, and it’s so fun trying to play the only sane group in a dark empire of magical weirdos.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2 Rogue Leader
Available on: Gamecube
It might be quite the mouthful, but Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2 Rogue Leader is probably the most fun you can have piloting a ship in a Star Wars video game. It’s set up as an arcade action game, with multiple missions to play with different objectives and completion rankings, giving you reason to go back out into the field and try to do better next time.
You’re given a variety of different ships from the Original Trilogy to play with, each having its own specialty, whether that be objective destruction as a bomber or better performance when it comes to hectic dogfighting. What’s important is that each one of them is fun, handling smoothly against the fast-paced gameplay. This is one we’re really hoping will make its way to Nintendo’s Classics collection and become easily accessible again.
Star Wars Empire at War
Available on: PC, MacOS
Star Wars Empire at War lets you zoom out from the more focused Star Wars stories and instead look to the galactic conflict at the heart of the films. You have control over three factions with the added DLC. One of the best Star Wars games of its kind, Star Wars Empire at War lets you control the plucky Rebels, domineering Empire, or criminal Consortium, each boasting its own distinct units and playstyle.
What makes Empire at War special is the three layers to the gameplay. The galactic map is where most of your strategy takes place, as you decide where in the galaxy to focus your forces both offensively and defensively. From there, you have to launch a dramatic and exciting space battle to clear the way for a ground invasion, controlling limited forces at a time to keep things interesting.
Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga
Available On: PC, MacOS, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
While Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga might be the latest and flashiest installment in the series, it just can’t compete with the charm of the older games. Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga combined the first two games to take players across the Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy with added polish and fun. Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga is easily the best Star Wars game for cozy couch co-op. The gameplay is simplistic but satisfying as you break your way across six films, but the standout is in the cutscenes.
Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga is from a time before they added voices to the Lego games, so it had to tell the story through mime and visual comedy. Taking such a well-known property as Star Wars gave Lego so much to play with, and there’s little that can match the game’s charm as it conveys so much with so little.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005)
Available on: PC, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PSP. Also in the Classic Collection on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
It doesn’t have the same polish as its modern successors, but the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005) knows just what it’s doing. Straddling the two main eras of Star Wars gave four unique factions to fight as, each with its own unique twists to the formula. Battlefront 2 is easily the best Star Wars game when it comes to capturing the large-scale battles for which the series is known.
What was probably most memorable about Star Wars Battlefront 2 was its online multiplayer, with wide-open battlefields set in famous Star Wars locations with just the right number of choke points and killing fields to keep things interesting. Even better was the Hero Assault mode, which was just the equivalent of you taking your favourite action figures and bashing them together as you chose between any of the powerful heroes from any era to wade into an all-out duel.
Star Wars Jedi Survivor
Available on: PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Much like its predecessor, Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi Survivor puts you in the shoes of Cal Kestis, as you’re set up to fight against gauntlets of Imperial soldiers and stacked odds in the era before the Rebel Alliance. Both games have excellent gameplay and an engaging story, but Star Wars Jedi Survivor overtakes the original with some important tweaks that keep you playing.
With more abilities at your disposal, more expansive maps, and more replayability, Star Wars Jedi Survivor takes the souls-lite challenge of the original and ramps it up. It helps that the games are gorgeous, letting players explore parts of the Star Wars universe in a new light, and all without letting established canon bog things down too much. Star Wars Jedi Survivor amounts to a thrilling Star Wars drama and is well deserving of its place on our best Star Wars games list.
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Available on: PC, Xbox, MacOS, Nintendo Switch
Even with its dated graphics, Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) is just the most Star Wars game there is. Detached entirely from the usual Star Wars eras, it was able to tell its own story of fighting against an evil empire, while exploring hidden lore and putting the choice between light and dark side in the players’ hands.
Its sequel, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2, engaged more deeply with the meaning of Star Wars, but unfortunately, just wasn’t finished, relying on fan mods to become the game it should have been. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is a complete package, taking a classic Star Wars story and putting its own twist on it, as well as giving engaging and deep customisability with its tabletop-inspired RPG mechanics. Simply put, it is still one of the best Star Wars games all these years later.
FAQs
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is considered one of the best Star Wars games, with a great story and deep customisability.
Star Wars The Old Republic has the most replay value of any Star Wars video game, and not just because of the MMO grind it offers. Each of the eight playable classes has its own unique story to play out, and most of them are worth trying.
Absolutely, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best Star Wars games of all time. It still works all these years later, and it looks like the promised remake is some time off.
Star Wars Jedi Survivor and Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order are both souls-lite games that pride themselves on challenging bosses and the chance of death at all times.
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