Virtually everyone in the world has at least heard the name “Star Wars” once or twice since we got our first glimpse into George Lucas’ soon-to-be legendary universe in May of 1977 when the franchise burst forth onto the silver screen as a fantastical epic space opera with the original title of just simply ‘Star Wars’.
Now, over 40 years later, the Star Wars name has expanded from the original three films into a series of prequel films, sequel films, novels, comic books, TV show spinoffs, a couple of standalone films outside of the main series, mountains upon mountains of toys, and finally, the subject of what you and I will be discussing here today: video games.
Since there are roughly over a hundred different video games based on the Star Wars universe, there are going to be many readers whose opinions on this list of games will range from thinking the list has a fair selection of games, to thinking I should be burned at the stake for leaving out their childhood favorite, to anything else in between. That’s why I’ll preface this by saying that this particular Top 11 list of Star Wars games is made up of my picks from the highest-rated selection of Star Wars games.
Because getting the world to decide on a definitive eleven out of hundreds is practically impossible when there are so many gems to choose from, right? So let’s cease these formalities and just jump right into my list regarding eleven of those gems.
#11: Star Wars Battlefront II 2017 (PC/PS4/Xbox One)
Star Wars Battlefront II: Battle of Geonosis Official Trailer
I know I’ll likely get some flack for including this title on this list at all, but I feel it’s worth putting Battlefront II 2017 on this list in this sort of bonus ‘honorable’ #11 position due to the untapped potential that the game genuinely did have.
Barring the controversial launch, the game at its core did have genuinely fun and engaging multiplayer gameplay across its vast cast of ground troop classes, vehicle options, and of course iconic heroes and villains from across the films to dominate the battlefront with. On top of having fun gameplay, the stunning graphics and incredible voice work for the characters really made you feel like you were shooting it out in a Tatooine junkyard or the beautiful streets of Naboo.
It’s a bit funny that I included this game. Because the only reason I ever got it was because it was a Christmas gift back just after the game was released, and while I gave appreciation for the thought I did express how it wasn’t that great of a game at all. But seeing as I now had it, I did give it a try… and over two hundred hours later, I found myself time and again having to admit that I was wrong, as over time the team at DICE did the best they could to turn the reputation of this game around through solid new content updates.
And they did salvage things to a degree with many new updates, such as new maps, skins, and a new BB-8 playable hero to coincide with the release of Rise Of Skywalker in theaters, then adding more content from the Clone Wars era such as new Clone and Separatist special units, more new skins, more maps, and additional heroes like Obi-Wan Kenobi, General Grievous, Count Dooku, and Anakin Skywalker. Even the Original Trilogy heroes started getting new skins too, and chances are we would have gotten far more than that had EA Games not decided to cut content updates altogether in a sudden surprise back in 2020, which effectively killed the steady stream of growing momentum the game was starting to achieve
To me, Battlefront 2 2017 is a curious ‘what if?’ sort of scenario. While yes, the game’s launch, generally lackluster campaign, and irritating microtransaction system that it originally came with were incredibly off-putting for most, something EA is well known for by this point, those who stuck around and gave it a chance were well rewarded with brilliant new content updates, incredible ground combat as well as intense space battles, and all around fun gameplay to spend a few hours in every so often.
Chances are the game would be even bigger now had EA not decided to cut content updates, likely either to save the costs going into the game at the time or to begin working on a new Battlefront instead. Most players have moved on from Battlefront 2 2017 now, even if the multiplayer servers are still active, but those who stuck around during its peak can at least look back to it with fond memories.
From a controversial launch and the most downvoted comment in Reddit history, Battlefront II 2017 slowly started to win back franchise fans with a steady stream of updates and free content, before suddenly being cut down before it could fully rise.
#10: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PC/Mac/PS2/PS3/PSP/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii/Nintendo DS/Nintendo Switch/iOS/JSME/N-Gage)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Trailer
In the early days of the Empire, Darth Vader led an Imperial invasion to find a Jedi survivor of the Great Purge on Kashyyyk. Immediately after his arrival, Lord Vader cuts through waves of Wookie resistors and eventually finds the lone Jedi Kento Marek, and faces him in a duel to the death. During their fight, Vader senses a much more powerful Force user nearby, who at first he believes to be Marek’s Master, but instead is revealed to be his son, Galen.
Sensing the boy’s incredible connection to the Force, Vader proceeds to cut down Kento along with an Imperial squad who tries to execute the boy, and takes the young Galen under his wing to begin training him in secret as his apprentice…
The Force Unleashed lets you run through an Imperial fortress slicing down Stormtroopers with your Lightsaber in one hand while throwing entire squads of Imperials through the air using the Force with the other. Your rampage leads to a mini-boss fight against a towering AT-ST, which you single-handedly lift into the air to crush into a ball of churned metal, before throwing it down into a cinematically pleasing explosion with the overwhelming power of the Dark Side. The Force Unleashed certainly lives up to its title with the various overpowering abilities that you have at your fingertips when playing through the game.
At its core, The Force Unleashed has a similar gameplay loop as the original God Of War games, which when combined with the world-building elements of Star Wars, along with all the potential that comes from being a Sith Lord in training, makes for an incredibly fun experience. Across the various console versions of TFU that exist you wreak havoc as Starkiller, Darth Vader’s apprentice, who uses incredible Force abilities and Lightsaber skills to cut through Stormtroopers, wild Rancors, entire Star Destroyers, and everything in between. The Force Unleashed is one of the many examples of the fantastic quality LucasArts and the many dev teams they worked with managed to achieve when making Star Wars games throughout the 2000s.
It should also be mentioned that Sam Witwer’s performance as Starkiller and The Emperor in TFU laid the groundwork for him to later play Darth Maul and The Son in the Clone Wars series, as well as Maul and Palpatine again in the Rebels series, among other appearances.
If you can manage to get your hands on one of the many versions of TFU, I more than recommend you give it a playthrough, since few other games can really feed that secret geek dream of being an all-powerful Force user better than The Force Unleashed.
In 2008 we were introduced to Starkiller, Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, as he wreaked havoc across the galaxy with his incredibly powerful connection to the Force.
#9: Star Wars: Republic Commando (PC/Xbox/Xbox Backwards Compatibility/PS4/PS5/Nintendo Switch)
Star Wars Republic Commando trailer
It’s the beginning of the Clone Wars. You step into the boots of Clone commando RC-1138 (Nicknamed Boss) as his squad begins their first mission in the Battle of Geonosis, where he must regroup with his fellow squad members, RC-1140 (Fixer), RC-1262 (Scorch), and RC-1207 (Sev), so they can infiltrate a Separatists base and eliminate a high-value Geonosian target. Republic Commando pits you against countless enemies in the form of Separatist Battle Droids and hostile alien lifeforms, and it is up to you to lead your fellow commandos throughout the Clone Wars to complete your objectives, and hopefully, survive the war.
Republic Commando places you in three expansive campaigns across multiple years of the Clone Wars, where you and your squad fight through various gritty missions that only commandos like you can get done. The entire game is viewed through a first-person perspective of Boss, putting you right in the middle of the action as you face armies of droids and squads of hostile aliens, including the bug-like Geonosians or groups of ruthless Trandoshan bounty hunters.
It’s up to you and your squad to successfully traverse numerous hostile environments, from the tunnels beneath Geonosis, a seemingly abandoned Republic cruiser adrift in space, and the forest planet of Kashyyyk. Each world you’re sent to comes with another high-stakes mission for the Republic, missions which send you face-first into blood-pumping shootouts, giving the whole game a grounded(for Star Wars standards), militaristic feeling to it, as it puts you and three of your clone brothers up against the entire galaxy in a way that feels extremely satisfying to sit down and play through.
I’ve played Republic Commando time and time again since I first got my hands on the game in a collection bundle alongside the first two Battlefronts. From the way you and your squad engage in combat, the various kinds of enemies you will face off against, the immersive environments that successfully make you feel like you’re actually fighting through the grime and dirt of an abandoned Republic space cruiser, and even the little details like how the Battle Droids will come apart at numerous different areas depending on how you fight them, I can confidently say that Republic Commandos gameplay still holds up over fifteen years later.
If you ever think you have what it takes to lead an elite squad of clones throughout the Clone Wars, you should pick up Republic Commando right away.
Infiltrate. Dominate. Annihilate. You take control of Delta Squad, an elite squad of clone commandos through their high-stakes and intense missions set across the Clone Wars.
#8: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S/Stadia)
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order — Official Reveal Trailer
Five years after the Jedi Order was destroyed and the first Galactic Empire was formed, former Padawan and Purge survivor Cal Kestis lives a quiet life on the planet Bracca, where he works as a scrapper salvaging ships from the Clone Wars while hiding from the eyes of the Empire. One day while scrapping an old Venator-class Star Destroyer, an accident occurs that causes Cal and his friend Prauf to fall from the ship, and though Cal gets safely caught by some hanging cables, Prauf continues to fall into the newly exposed maw of a Sarlacc Pit. In a split-second reaction, Cal suddenly calls upon the Force for the first time in years, using it to catch Prauf mid-fall and bring him to safety.
Unfortunately for Cal, however, a nearby Imperial probe droid catches him in the act, and soon Cal’s quiet life is upturned with a series of events that forces him into a new adventure, where he must survive while being hunted by the Empire, reconnect himself to the Force, and become the full-fledged Jedi he never had the chance to become before the fall of the Jedi Order…
Jedi: Fallen Order is a game mixed with both familiarity and new ideas. For lack of better phrasing, the game utilizes ‘Metroidvania’ elements as you explore across multiple planets in a vaguely linear style, not unlike anything we’ve seen before in Star Wars games, while mixing it with a new ‘Souls-like’ game style when facing either hordes of weaker Imperial enemies or more powerful Boss encounters in the form of Imperial AT-STs, Inquisitors, and much more.
The game was released to generally favorable reviews, with many praising the game for being a self-contained single-player story, along with praise for successfully combining distinctive elements from multiple game genres into one, along with being nominated for and winning many awards.
While I will be the first to admit that I’m not too big a fan of the ‘Batsaber’ style of combat, where even a regular Joe Schmoe Stormtrooper can take a few whacks from your saber before dying instead of being cut down immediately like in other Star Wars titles, I will also admit that I heavily enjoyed the game’s story, characters, various ways you can customize your lightsaber, and the exploration element across the available planets.
Jedi: Fallen Order was a highly enjoyable addition to the Star Wars gaming lineage, and it’s no wonder that the game got a sequel, Jedi: Survivor earlier this year. Pick it up if you can, because Fallen Order’s overall story is a warm welcome if you enjoy all things Star Wars.
In Jedi: Fallen Order, you play as a Jedi Padawan who survived the Great Jedi Purge named Cal Kestis five years after the Formation of the Empire, where Cal must reconnect to the Force to survive against the Inquisitors hunting him down.
#7: Star Wars: Empire at War (PC/Mac)
Star Wars: Empire at War PC Trailer
In 2006, Star Wars: Empire at War was released and put us in charge of commanding entire armies of Rebels or Imperials, giving a new spin to the standard RTS genre style as we did. Instead of creating workers and gathering resources, players are granted resources based on how many planets the player controls, with different planets providing unique bonuses depending on what you control.
You can either send your troops and vehicles to fight in thrilling ground-based combat, or you can take it up to the stars and fight in fast-paced space battles with entire fleets of ships big or small at your disposal, and with over 40 worlds to explore and conquer over the three main game modes, the storyline-based Campaign, the Galactic Conquest mode, and the Skirmish mode, you’ll have to be just as cunning a leader as you are a strong warrior if you want to conquer the galaxy.
Empire at War might be one of my personal favorite RTS-like games, and not just because of the Star Wars paint job either. The gameplay is fast-paced all around whether it is on land or in space, the unit selection available is vast as well as creative, and the game is filled with incredible details across the board. If you’re in a space battle in a system with an asteroid belt, your ships could end up being damaged or even destroyed if they fly carelessly into any stray asteroids, just for one such example of the depth this game displays.
My absolute favorite thing in the game is the Cinematic Camera, which when toggled removes the HUD and lets you watch from various new angles, up close and far off, of your units on the ground charging the enemy base or of the starfighters in space as they rapidly loop around capital ships. I find this addition to the gameplay to be a stroke of pure genius, as nothing sells Star Wars more than being right in the action during the massive battles that can take place.
Empire at War, and by extension the DLC expansion campaign Forces of Corruption, is an intelligently designed RTS that throws you into the chaos of civil war on a galactic scale in the timeframe between Episode III and Episode IV. Even though the game is going to be 18 years old next February, the game still sees love and support today through revived online via Steam servers and a vast modding community that continuously seeks to add onto and improve the base game, with some mods like the ‘Empire at War Remake’ mod being as big as full-blown title launches in their own right. If you’re a fan of all things Star Wars or just want to try a uniquely structured RTS title, I fully recommend that you give this game a try.
From the lives of soldiers to the deaths of planets, you are the supreme galactic commander in Empire at War. It’s up to you whether you decide to fight for freedom alongside the Rebellion, or if you wish to rule with an iron fist alongside the mighty Empire.
#6: Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (PC/Mac/PS3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii/Nintendo DS/iOS/Android)
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga Trailer
From Darth Maul to Darth Vader, Padmé Amidala to Leia Organa, Emperor Palpatine to… Jar-Jar Binks, apparently? Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga brings you into the familiar world of Star Wars in an entirely new fashion, letting you journey through the first six films as all of your favorite characters from across the galaxy, this time in Lego form! Each film is divided into multiple different levels, each one having new puzzles to solve and secrets to unlock, and a “Free-Play” mode that unlocks after beating the level the first time, allowing any character from any film to show up anywhere you want.
In response to the success of the original two games, developer Traveller’s Tales doesn’t only combine the two separate trilogy games into one with The Complete Saga, but also adds additional content into the game with over ten entirely new levels, along with redesigned and expanded versions of old levels, scrapped levels from the first game being added back in, bonus customization options for the custom character creator, new power-ups, a new Challenge Mode, and enhanced Force abilities, all wrapped together with new enhanced graphics.
While yes, it’s clear that this game is arguably the one with the youngest marketed-to audience of the games on this list, what you might not know is that it is also the best-selling Star Wars game of all time, with sales reaching 15.29 million copies sold in 2018, and was also the best-selling Lego game of all time until surpassed in 2017 by Lego Marvel Super Heroes. Just goes to show, never judge a game by its cover.
I opted to put The Complete Saga on this list over the latest installment of The Skywalker Saga due to this game having both been around much longer, and also due to the first two Lego Star Wars games setting the groundwork that has led to so many different memorable and beloved brands getting their own humor-filled Lego spinoff games over the years. It set the tone and the pace for many Lego titles to come, and perhaps more selfishly, I just find myself drawn in more to the original games thanks to good old childhood nostalgia.
If you’ve never touched these titles yourselves, I hope that you won’t let the “family-friendly” branding put you off, as The Complete Saga’s uniquely humorous take on the Star Wars story is a highly enjoyable experience all around, and when paired with the genuinely fun level designs throughout, along with everything else that I don’t have time to describe in detail, it’s absolutely a game you should give a try at least once. And hey, if it’s not for you, then maybe your kids will love it.
In this 2007 release that combines the prior two games and both Prequel and Original Trilogies, the Star Wars saga is retold in a humorous and charming new way through the world of Lego.
#5: Star Wars Battlefront II (PC/PS2/PSP/Xbox)
Star Wars Battlefront 2 - Trailer E3 2005 - PS2
I’m sure many will be happy to see that the #5 slot has been filled, deservingly so, by the game that was touted as “the sequel to the best-selling Star Wars game ever” at the time, 2005’s smash hit: Star Wars Battlefront II. The “Classic” version, as it’s called nowadays.
Battlefront II comes with over five times as much map variety as its predecessor, new class types for all four playable factions, a slew of new vehicles, and the most notable and perhaps important new additions, the inclusion of galactic space battles and the beloved new ability to play as heroes and villains from across the Star Wars films. Tying it all together is thrilling combat mechanics and gameplay that can be played in both first or third-person perspectives, a solid selection of maps and game modes, and many highly memorable trooper voice lines which all undoubtedly show that this game still holds up almost eighteen years later.
On top of the main multiplayer modes, the game comes with a highly-praised campaign, the 501st Journal, a retelling of famous battles and events from Episode III, Episode IV, and the beginning battle on Hoth from Episode V, with numerous events taking place in between, all retold from the perspective of a veteran clone Imperial Stormtrooper and member of the 501st Legion of clones as the narrative backdrop for the numerous missions you’ll be playing through.
I’m nostalgic for this game, as I’m sure many readers here are as well. I put hundreds of hours into the game, starting with when I discovered it via a cousin showing it to me at his house on a whim one day, a happenstance occasion soon after led me to buy the game myself and play it for many years to come. The gameplay is still incredibly fun to play, even when putting nostalgia aside, and despite this game’s age it still gets a couple hundred daily players on Steam to this day.
But even if you can’t find any players, the AI enemies in single-player battles serve just as well to help you scratch that Battlefront itch whenever you might get it. Star Wars Battlefront II ‘Classic’ is a must-play for any Star Wars fan out there, and if you haven’t played it already, don’t waste any time in rectifying that as soon as possible.
“Watch those wrist-rockets!” shouts a Clone Trooper, as he and his squad fight to secure a highly contested command post in the middle of a firefight with a legion of CIS Battle Droids.
#4: Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (PC/Mac/PS4/Xbox/Xbox Backwards Compatibility/Nintendo GameCube/Nintendo Switch)
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast Xbox Trailer
In Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, we rejoin the series protagonist Kyle Katarn, a former Jedi who cut his connection to the Force after nearly falling to the Dark Side, as he continues to work as a mercenary for the New Republic alongside his partner and lover Jan Ors. During his escapades, he encounters a mysterious plot that leads him to discover Imperial Remnants are mining crystals that can store the power of the Force.
Digging deeper, Katarn eventually encounters a Dark Jedi named Desann, who plans to take control of the galaxy with an army of maliciously trained Force users. Kyle is then put on a path where he must reconnect his link to the Force, with the occasional help from Jedi Master Luke Skywalker among other familiar faces, and stop this sinister cabal of corrupt Force wielders who threaten the entire galaxy…!
Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast gives you a wide range of weapons to use as you combat the forces of the Imperial Remnant across the galaxy, from standard blasters and energy weapons, projectile weapons, and a healthy selection of explosive weapons, but perhaps the most exciting form of combat is the upgraded Lightsaber combat system that takes center focus in this title, along with an array of additional Force powers to choose from.
Using id Software's memorable Quake III Arena engine and the GHOUL 2 animation system, Jedi Outcast has some of the most ‘realistic’ and satisfying Lightsaber combat to date, allowing you to deflect blaster bolts in one moment and then sever the hand of the enemy firing at you in the next. With a stellar single-player campaign following Kyle Katarn’s journey and a highly enjoyable multiplayer mode that still has a player base today through certain modding communities, Jedi Outcast was released to universal acclaim and stands the test of time as one of the greatest Star Wars games ever released.
Kyle Katarn is hands down one of my favorite Star Wars characters outside of the mainline films, from the way he looks to the way he talks, to the way he carries himself in this vast and dangerous galaxy, there’s just something about him that I can’t get enough of personally. It also helps that the world of Jedi Outcast is so well written with that classic Star Wars charm and campiness we all know and love, along with brilliantly exciting gameplay and interesting ways to go up against the enemy forces presented to you. As such, Jedi Outcast performed so well and gained so much acclaim that LucasArts tasked Raven Software with releasing Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy a year later, another incredible 2000s-era Star Wars title that continued to carry Jedi Outcast’s torch.
The Jedi Knight series of Star Wars games are some of my favorite games of all time, and if reading about Jedi Outcast wasn’t enough to convince you that you absolutely should give the series a playthrough as well, maybe the other Jedi Knight game on this list will convince you later on.
In the third installment of the Jedi Knight series, we rejoin Kyle Katarn, a former Jedi who has severed his connection to the Force. In Jedi Outcast, he encounters newly emerging forces of evil in the galaxy and must reconnect to his Jedi past to save his friends and protect the galaxy.
#3: Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (Nintendo GameCube)
Star Wars Rogue Leader Rogue Squadron II Trailer
Donning your very own Rebel pilot jumpsuit, you play as either Luke Skywalker or Wedge Antilles in this Starship flight simulator set in the time of the Original Trilogy. In this game, you fly into dangerous missions alongside the titular Rogue Squadron across ten levels, along with a handful of unlockable secret missions, that range from completing the iconic Trench Run during the attack on the first Death Star, to surviving the Imperial invasion of Hoth, and many more exciting scenarios where you truly get the full Rebel Pilot package.
The game launched to critical acclaim for the game’s stunning graphics, beautiful sound design, and gameplay with tight controls that still hold up today, as proven by sales of the game making it the 7th best-selling video game in November 2001, the game’s launch month, as well as making the game the best-selling third-party and second-best-selling overall GameCube game during the console’s launch.
LucasArts’ and Factor 5’s Rogue Squadron series is the quintessential Star Wars dogfighting experience and is virtually the closest thing there is to actually flying in the cockpit of an X-Wing starfighter or of an Imperial TIE Fighter in real life, even now over 20 years later. The game received high praise all around as it was released, with such examples as David Trammell of Nintendo World Report saying the game was “a visual and aural masterpiece.” and Alex Porter of Maxim stating “this is the closest a video game has come to recreating a Star Wars movie”.
The only notable negativity the game received was a few criticisms for lack of multiplayer modes, however two years later with the release of Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike, the devs rectified these complaints by porting over Rogue Leader’s levels into a multiplayer Co-Op mode.
While I haven’t played this particular Rogue Squadron game myself, I have sunk countless hours into Rebel Strike throughout my youth, and as this game laid the groundwork for Rebel Strike I can easily say that this game, and the series as a whole, has more than deserved its spot as one of the highest ranking games in the Star Wars game library. If you ever get the chance to play any of Factor 5’s Star Wars games, you should do so in a heartbeat, you won’t regret it. Just so long as you survive the battle over Yavin 4 first.
Released as a launch title with the Nintendo GameCube in November 2001, Rogue Leader puts players into the cockpit of a Rebel starfighter and sends them hurtling into one of the most immersive Star Wars experiences at Hyperspace speeds.
#2: Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (PC)
Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II (1997) - Official Trailer
In this sequel to Star Wars: Dark Forces, you return to the side of Kyle Katarn, the ex-Imperial turned New Republic Mercenary. Set a year after the events of Return of the Jedi, Kyle Katarn’s search for information regarding the murder of his parents leads him to discover a nefarious plot involving a cabal of Dark Jedi led by Jerec, the man who murdered Kyle’s father, who plans to reform the Galactic Empire using an ancient source of power from the mysterious and Sacred ‘Valley of the Jedi’.
Kyle Katarn embarks on a journey to confront his father’s killers, find the Valley of the Jedi, and save the galaxy from the ruthless plans of the sinister Dark Jedi, a quest that will ultimately lead him to fulfill his destiny of becoming a Jedi…
With its combination of well-put-together level design, engaging ‘corridor shooter’ gameplay, and innovative live-action cutscenes that are filled with that same Star Wars camp everyone knows and loves today, all combined inside the ever-expansive Star Wars universe, it’s no wonder why this game did as well as it did when it released nearly 26 years ago.
Jedi Knight was released on October 10, 1997, and by November 30 of the same year, the game already had sold 155,060 copies and earned $7.36 million in the United States alone, then in December it had achieved sales of 247,036 units in the country, making it the 21st-best-selling computer game of 1997.
I’ll reiterate what I already said earlier in this list, regarding how the Jedi Knight series is some of the best material ever produced under the Star Wars video game brand, and if you’re a fan of Star Wars in any capacity you shouldn’t hesitate in picking up a copy of Jedi Knight, or any of the other Jedi Knight titles in this late 90’s to early 2000’s saga.
Kyle Katarn’s journey through the Star Wars universe is an experience you absolutely should give yourself if you have the time to do so. If my word isn’t enough for you, then perhaps the universal acclaim from multiple reviewers and fans alike will be enough to convince you that Jedi Knight is an amazing Star Wars experience all around.
In 1997, Dark Forces II stood head and shoulders above other ‘Doom Clones’ of the time with its creative level design and innovative usage of live-action cutscenes to further flesh out the story.
And speaking of universal praise and high reviewer acclaim, it’s time for us to shine the spotlight onto the #1 game on this Top 10 list…
#1: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC/Mac/Linux/Xbox/Xbox Backwards Compatibility/Nintendo Switch/iOS/Android)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic E3 2003 Trailer
Nearly four thousand years before the events of the Original Trilogy in the era of the ‘Old Republic’, the Jedi Order is under serious threat from the last surviving apprentice of the Dark Lord Revan, Darth Malak, and his invincible Sith armada which he has unleashed on the galaxy. The Jedi Order is left scattered and vulnerable, with many Jedi being killed, with others swearing their loyalties to their new Sith Master.
In Knights of the Old Republic(KotOR) each decision you make, whether it be an idle comment in a conversation or the way you face major plot decisions, affects your character’s alignment in the Force. In the first-ever computer RPG set in the Star Wars universe, every decision you make, every action you take, could change the fate of the galaxy forever.
The development team at BioWare managed to capture the grand scale and story elements from the Original Trilogy to transform the world of Star Wars into a brilliant RPG while still giving it an originally written world and setting. The setting of the Jedi and the Sith battling across the galaxy placed thousands of years in the past gives this familiar premise an entirely new sandbox for players to play in, and it does so masterfully through its well-written story and enjoyable characters set throughout the game. An absolute must for any RPG and the Star Wars brand alike, which BioWare developers at the time pulled off with flying colors.
KotOR received overwhelmingly positive praise when it was released, along with winning plenty of awards. Game Developers Choice Awards awarded it Game of the Year, BAFTA Games Awards awarded it Best Xbox Game of the Year, and Interactive Achievement Awards awarded it Best Console RPG and Best Computer RPG, along with being the Game of the Year from numerous sources like IGN, PC Gamer and GameSpot just to name a few. With critical acclaim given for the game’s memorable characters, story, and sound design, overall it’s not hard to see why Knights of the Old Republic is considered by many to be the very best Star Wars game of all time, thus putting it at #1 on this list.
The freedom that the game allows you to have, from the three starting classes you can choose from and the three Jedi classes you’ll choose later, along with the customization options given to your character and the open-world limitlessness that allows you to travel the galaxy as you see fit across this well-crafted story, all come together beautifully to give precedent to why KotOR is well deserving of its praise as one of the best RPGs you can play, even today 20 years later.
If you ask any Star Wars game fan from the past 20 to 30 years, it’s almost guaranteed that they’ll recommend you give Knights of the Old Republic a playthrough at least once in your life. With the glowing reputation that this game has, there’s next to nothing that should stop you from becoming a heroic Jedi or a villainous Sith during the age of the Old Republic today.
Darth Malak brings war to the Jedi with a nearly unstoppable Sith armada. In this time of chaos and death, you must choose whether to remain loyal to the Light Side of the Force or to fall into the clutches of the Dark.
Conclusion
And with that, we conclude this list. There are still plenty more Star Wars games out there that couldn’t all fit onto just a Top 10 list, so now I’m going to leave it up to you, the ones who have read through this entire post, to let me know what some of your favorite Star Wars games are!
Do you have a game you think deserves to be included on this list, or just want to talk even more about Star Wars games in general? Then you’re more than welcome to let us know what your thoughts are down in the comment section. I’d love to know what you all think.
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