Image courtesy of EA and Respawn Entertainment
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is officially here and in celebration, we’re taking a look into the history of Star Wars games. There’s been tons of them over the years, dating all the way back to the Atari. So today, here’s the top 5 Star Wars games of all time.
5. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
This one would also probably do well on a list of Star Wars games that have not held up over the years. To understand the beauty of this game, you need to remember that this was revolutionary. Star Wars in first person, on a console, piloting vehicles, and fighting an AT-ST?! And that was on the first stage! Did I mention you get to fight a wompa? I do have to take points away for the horrific draw distance even for that era, but overall, Shadows of the Empire is a classic.
4. Star Wars: Dark Forces
Wow, what is there to say about Dark Forces that hasn’t already been said a thousand times? It’s probably the first truly great Star Wars game. The Super Star Wars games on SNES were pretty good, but this one was great. Dark Forces was an early first person shooter for MS-DOS and Macintosh (when’s the last time you said those words?). You play as Kyle Katarn, investigating the secretive Dark Trooper project on behalf the empire.
3. Star Wars: Jedi Outcast
This one actually takes place in the same story as Dark Forces. Kyle Katarn has forsaken the force, and the early parts of the game require you to play without use of your force abilities. This could have ruined the game, except you do get them back after the second mission. Instead, Jedi Outcast goes on to be one of the most beloved Star Wars titles of all time.
2. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Rogue Squadron is the pinnacle of N64 Star Wars, and almost the pinnacle of Star Wars in general. Space and planet-side combat are both huge selling points of this game. It hits that perfect mix of difficulty, where completing the main objectives is pretty doable and the bonus objectives are murderously hard. The story is a strong selling point, but it’s the combat that people remember most fondly about this one.
Honorable Mentions
We had a few more games we couldn’t leave off the list. Our honorable mentions go out to:
Pod Racer – The best Star Wars racing game, for whatever that’s worth.
Battlefront– The original battlefront, not the new one. The original boasts some of the best multiplayer Star Wars of all time.
Force Unleashed – You pull a star destroyer out of orbit. Nuff said.
And our number 1 Star Wars game of all time….
1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Of course it’s KoTOR! Not only is it peak Star Wars, it’s also peak Bioware. In an era where branching story and character options were few and far between, Knights of the Old Republic really let us feel like we were a part of the Star Wars universe. We got to live out the fantasy of not only training as a Jedi, but being an incredibly powerful one. We made friends, we felt like our decisions really affected the greater universe, and had a ton of fun along the way. If you haven’t played KOTOR, go do it now. It’s on Steam.
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