Counting down the 10 Best Star Wars games isn’t easy, with so many good games out there…
There are dozens of Star Wars games, and weeding out the best of them is difficult. Historically, LucasArts’ and now Lucasfilm Games’ oversight has ensured that developers and publishers put time and effort into crafting enjoyable Star Wars titles that don’t tarnish the IP’s reputation.
All the games on this list are some of the best pieces of Star Wars merchandise out there, and I can safely recommend every single one to Star Wars fans. However, not all stars gleam with the same brightness, and there are games on this list that outshine their competition. Here are the ten best Star Wars games of all time, ranked by a few humble fans.
#10: Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017)
Despite experiencing arguably one of the worst launches in gaming history (thanks to the game’s ridiculously excessive monetization, severe game balance issues, and an overall lackluster amount of content,) EA’s second entry in the rebooted Battlefront series made a surprisingly strong comeback in its short post-launch lifespan. With the removal of pay-to-win elements like burn cards, hero unlocks, etc., and new maps and modes, Battlefront 2 finally redeemed itself in the eyes of casual players and hardcore fans alike.
While EA’s decision to abandon the game so soon after removing loot boxes (and reducing in-game monetization overall) seemed conspicuous, the developers at DICE did an excellent job redeeming a game that only months before would have been unsalvageable. Unfortunately, this goodwill has not prompted the announcement of a new sequel.
#9: Star Wars: Galaxies
While sadly no longer accessible in its original form, the legacy of Star Wars Galaxies lives on in the hearts and minds of Star Wars fans across the globe. While many other Star Wars games placed players in the action-heavy roles of Jedi, smugglers, and other roles that harken back to the films, Star Wars Galaxies presents you with the opportunity to live in the universe
Social interactions, server-wide roleplay, and collaboration were just as crucial to the gameplay as the lightsabers or an E-11 blaster rifle. Whether you wanted to be a starfighter pilot Wookie, an intergalactic Twilik entertainer, a Bothan medic, or many other combination of species and profession, you could do that. Given the passionate yet relaxed attitude of the game and its player base, it’s a little wonder that Star Wars Galaxies has continued to live on in an unofficial, community-run capacity.
#8: Star Wars Episode I: Racer
Whether you played it in the arcades or on a home console, Star Wars Episode I: Racer captures the frantic high-speed energy of sci-fi racing like a few others before or since. The frenetic speed and intensity of each race, combined with aggressive AI bots always more than happy to bump you out of the race, will give your hand-eye coordination a run for its money.
Whether you’re racing across the desert plains of Tatooine or along the Mon Gazza speedway, you better be prepared for all the twists and turns coming your way or you’ll find your producing career brought to a sudden, messy end. While the controls might be a bit jank, the hilarity of exploding and being reduced to a heap of mechanical rubble as your character’s heavily compressed voice screams in agony is enough to make one burst out laughing with masochistic glee.
#7: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
While a few other Star Wars games let players choose between the light and dark sides, usually from a light or neutral position, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed explicitly explores the darker side in greater depth. The Force Unleashed has the player take on the role of Star Killer, Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, who sets out to prove himself to his dark master.
The hack-and-slash combat system and the detailed physics system allow players to use their lightsaber and the Force in new and unorthodox ways. Star Killer’s journey lets you explore a variety of iconic Star Wars locales as they progress through a captivating narrative about the birth of the Rebel Alliance. With a Nintendo Switch port released just last year, there’s no better time to jump in and unleash the power inside you.
#6: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Given its over thirteen-year lifespan, it’s hard to argue that Star Wars: The Old Republic hasn’t stood the test of time. Where it might lack, such as its merely passable graphical fidelity and generic art style, it mostly makes up for the vast amount of story and gameplay content. Whether you prefer to play solo, fight alongside other players in PVE missions, test your mettle in PVP, or all of the above, you can do so in this title. Including new expansions and updates over the years makes Star Wars: The Old Republic one of the best Star Wars RPGs.
#5: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Respawn Entertainment’s first foray into the universe far, far away, with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, luckily proved to be a smashing success because of the game’s deep story campaign, challenging but not necessarily unforgiving boss battles, and invigorating puzzles and platforming sections. While the consulted navigation and chunky performance hold the game back, the game soars more often than it falls.
#4: Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Many Star Wars games to date have allowed players to experience the heroic fantasy of wielding a lightsaber against a wide range of foes. However, few have incorporated lightsaber combat mechanics as intricately as Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast.
The fluid responsiveness of the combat system allows players almost limitless options in terms of swing angles and directions, making you truly feel as if the force is with you. While the story-driven campaign is competently told, and its levels provide players with ample challenge, the multiplayer component truly stands out. I’ve played many Star Wars games, and none have made me feel as much like a Jedi than I did when I was playing Jedi Outcast.
#3: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
While the title itself now might be a bit inaccurate, owing to the addition of the recent sequel trilogy, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga presents a tempting bundle of content, with a few sprinkles of new content thrown in for good measure. The fresh inclusion of “Arcade Mode” allowed players to engage in 1-on-1 deathmatchs with adjustable modifiers such as time limits and maximum lives. Likewise, “Bounty Hunter” missions allowed players to revisit previously completed levels to locate specific targets as a timer ticked down menacingly.
This enhanced re-release also saw the implementation of a “Power Up” mechanic, where the player could randomly find blue glowing orbs that would multiply their damage output, granting temporary health recovery and boosting their damage output. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga is the model example of what a re-release can, and should, offer: A decent number of quality-of-life improvements and just enough bits of new content to sway existing fans into recommitting their time and money toward it.
#2: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Even now, almost twenty years after its release, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remains the best single-player Star Wars title to date. While diehard fans can point to many contributing factors, the game’s extensive dialogue options left the deepest impression on me. Tied into the morality system (by which players’ actions would be judged as good or evil,) the player always has to be mindful of not only what they are saying but who they are saying it to.
Choosing the “good” path may not always lead to a “good” relationship with that NPC character. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic clarifies that while both the Jedi and Sith orders may traditionally deal in absolutes, you may find yourself walking a slightly murkier path. Between the stellar voice acting, the richly sophisticated combat system, and the incredible worldbuilding, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remains an out-of-this-world RPG that no Star Wars fan should overlook.
#1: Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)
It’s a little ironic that Battlefront II appears twice on the same list, but in both cases, the selection is easily justified. (This entry is not to be confused with the first on this list, a 2017 sequel to the reboot of the Battlefront series.) While the original Star Wars Battlefront (released in 2004) was a resounding success, its sequel expanded the potential for what players could hope to see in a multiplayer Star Wars game to intergalactic proportions
From its thirty-two-player multiplayer capacity to its drastically improved AI bots, there was, and still is, a lot to appreciate here. The addition of space combat gave veteran Battlefront player something a new form of gameplay to experiment with, and the strategic Galactic Conquest mode is an addictive war-simulator that tests your resource-management and decision-making skills. Top this off with a surprisingly-enthralling single player campaign that follows the rise of the Galactic Empire through the eyes of your average Stormtrooper, and you’ve got the best Star Wars game ever made.
