My Picks For The Best Star Wars Games Of All Time
As we speculate about whether other companies will be able to succeed where EA failed with the Star Wars IP, it’s got me reminiscing about the best Star Wars games of all time. There’s been tons of them over the years, dating all the way back to the Atari.
The earliest games for the franchise were on Atari, and while some of them were okay, none of them would hold your attention for very long in the modern era. As we move into the age of Nintendo, we got a series of weird and brutally difficult Star Wars titles. And to be clear, I love difficult games. These were just plain unfair.
The Super Nintendo era is where the series really started to hit its stride. While the Super Star Wars titles were also hard, they were at least fair and fun to play and look at. Around that time, some of the more famous arcade titles were also starting to become popular. But most people agree that it’s the PC and N64 where the franchise truly took off. And so that’s where we’ll begin this list.
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 Jedi: Fallen Order
As happy as I am to see more companies getting to take a crack at the Star Wars IP, no list of the best Star Wars games would be complete without this one. After the disappointment of Battlefront 1 and 2, Jedi: Fallen Order had a lot of pressure on it to deliver.
And in my opinion, it delivered big time. While the story of Cal Kestis does struggle with the fact that it can’t do anything so earth-shattering that we should know about it in the movies, the gameplay is what sells this title. On higher difficulties, this game is Dark Souls with a Star Wars skin. On lower difficulties, it’s a Jedi power-trip fantasy on par with The Force Unleashed.
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 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 that galaxy far, far away. 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.
The hardest thing about writing this list is constraining myself to just five entries. I could have easily done a top 15 list although some of the ones on the tail end of that might have gotten pretty ugly. Something about this franchise has always succeeded in making me feel like a kid again.
Maybe it’s just the idea of being able to pick up a lightsaber and control my own destiny as I learn the ways of the force. Maybe it’s the belief that life can be broken down into a simple battle of good versus evil. Or maybe it’s even just that getting into a spaceship and flying around shooting stuff is a recipe for fun.
Whatever the reason, this franchise will remain near and dear to our hearts for the foreseeable future. Let’s face it. If EA bombing most of their games the last decade, and the last 3 movies being lackluster at best couldn’t kill our excitement for Star Wars, then nothing is going to.
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Image courtesy of EA and Respawn Entertainment