Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
The Lego Star Wars games were what helped push Lego games into popularity, and their brand of slapstick and spoof humor is still genuinely hilarious.
The Complete Saga lets you play through Episodes I-VI, providing plenty of content whether you want to play alone, or with someone else.
Each game takes you through a variety of missions based on the respective movie. Some of these are open roaming levels that let you search for secrets and bricks, while others are more linear, letting you take control of various ships or vehicles.
There are a whopping 160 playable characters, meaning no matter what you’ll probably get to play as your favorite Star Wars hero or villain.
There are few video games out there that let you play through every film (excluding the sequel trilogy), making this Lego title a must-play.
Star Wars Battlefront 2
Yes I know what you’re going to say; Star Wars Battlefront 2 was infamous for its invasive microtransactions and the fan blowback that ensued from that.
However, two years after its release DICE has painstakingly updated the game, streamlining the card system, and adding a wealth of new content. Battlefront 2 has become one of the very best Star Wars experiences in gaming, and the only one that lets you experience all three trilogies in one place.
The core gameplay of Battlefront 2 was always strong, letting you take part in massive bombastic Star Wars battles, both on land and in space. Content updates have added on new heroes like Obi-Wan Kenobi, General Grevious, Finn, Count Dooku, and more. We’ve also received a wealth of new planets and modes to play, along with tons of new customization and trooper options, like the Republic Commandos.
Gone are the invasive microtransactions, as it’s drastically easier to unlock cards and customize your characters. Plus if you want a break from multiplayer there’s the fun, if a bit simple, campaign to play through.
Beyond everything though, there’s no video game out there that’s done a better job than Battlefront 2 at capturing the look and sound of Star Wars.
Republic Commando
Republic Commando is the best shooter to ever come out of Star Wars, and it’s a quintessential title for anyone that’s a fan of the Clone Wars time period.
The game casts you as a leader of a Clone Commando squad, soldiers with much more agency and individuality than your typical Clone. The story takes you through the opening years of the war, as the Commandos complete ultra dangerous missions on Kashyyyk, Geonosis, and more.
Tight shooting is backed up by a surprisingly competent squad system that lets you give order to your squad mates, or ask for backup when you’re downed.
Republic Commando has a much darker and more violent tone than your typical Star Wars story, and that’s part of what makes it stand out so much in the long line of Star Wars games.
The story is unfortunately fairly short, but if you’re a fan of the prequel timeline then you need to experience it at least once. Now here’s hoping we get a sequel someday.
The Force Unleashed
The Force Unleashed perfectly lives up to its namesake, letting you destroy enemies and environments alike with destructive Force powers.
Although it may not be canon, the game tells a fascinating “what if” story about the secret apprentice of Darth Vader, Starkiller. The action-adventure title has fantastic combat that gives you a ton of options, both in terms of lightsaber attacks and powers.
Starkiller can effortlessly pick up and throw enemies, and crazy physics make things literally blow into pieces when you use force blasts.
The action only gets more over-the-top as you go, with a particular highlight being the moment Starkiller pulls an entire Star Destroyer out of the sky.
Sure, Force Unleashed can be a bit janky and unwieldy at times but it’s still an absolute blast to tear through Stormtroopers and weird creatures. It also helps that the story is fairly interesting, involving the rise of the Rebel Alliance and Vader’s quest to end the Jedi.
Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Before a certain 2019 game, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast was known for having some of the best lightsaber combat out there. Although, it features quite a bit of shooting as well.
You play as Kyle Katarn eight years after the events of Return of the Jedi. Katarn is a former Jedi who cut himself off from the Force after nearly succumbing to the Dark Side.
The story takes you across the Star Wars galaxy and prominently features film characters like Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian. At the time, Jedi Outcast was one of the most mature Star Wars stories you could find, and it still holds up to this day.
While the shooting may not be the best by today’s standards, it still holds up at least relatively well. Lightsaber combat, on the other hand, still feels tight and responsive.
As you progress you’ll unlock more Force powers, diversifying your arsenal. Single player is good enough on your own, but if you can find a way to play multiplayer, there’s some fantastic lightsaber duels to be had.
Knights of the Old Republic
Knight of the Old Republic (KOTOR) is one of the greatest role-playing games ever made, and helped give us a look at a brand new time period in the Star Wars universe.
Taking place thousands of years before A New Hope, KOTOR details the massive war between the Jedi and Sith orders, with the Sith Lord Darth Revan at the heart of everything.
Like most BioWare games KOTOR is all about player choice, letting you create your own character and steer them toward the Dark Side or the Light.
There’s a fascinating cast of characters that join you along the way, like the gruff Mandalorian Canderous Ordo or the hilarious assassin droid HK-47.
There’s a lot of complexity and customization to the game’s combat, letting you fine-tune your characters however you want, whether that’s a powerful Force user or a crafty smuggler.
There are tons of twists and turns along the way, and KOTOR tells one of the most engrossing tales from the entire series, all bolstered by a new universe to explore.
While it may feel different and new, compared to the normal Star Wars fare, it still intrinsically has everything that makes Star Wars what it is.
Rogue Squadron II – Rogue Leader
You can’t have a list of Star Wars games without talking about Rogue Squadron, the series that lets you jump into the cockpit of an X-Wing.
Rogue Leader takes place across the three original Star Wars films, letting you play through some of the most iconic space battles of the war, both ones that were featured in the films and ones that weren’t. The story follows the exploits of Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles during these battles.
The first Rogue Squadron was a surprise hit with its fast-paced gameplay, but Rogue Leader tightens things up even more for a quick and responsive space combat sim.
There are seven ships you’ll control from the X-Wing and A-Wing, to the Millenium Falcon. The ten levels of the game all feel incredibly varied and introduce unique objectives, like having to protect a shield generator.
Until Star Wars Battlefront 2 in 2017, there was no Star Wars game out there that did space combat better, but Rogue Leader still has a unique place in the franchise for how well it recreates these iconic battles.
TIE Fighter
While Rogue Leader had you jumping into an X-Wing, TIE Fighter was one of the first Star Wars games that let you play as the bad guys, and pilot your own iconic TIE.
As you might have guessed, TIE Fighter hasn’t aged incredibly well, but it’s still very much worth going back to, as it was one of the most impressive flight combat simulators in its time, and helped define later Star Wars games.
The story takes place after the events of The Empire Strikes Back, and sees you serving as a TIE pilot under the command of the tactical genius Grand Admiral Thrawn.
TIE Fighter is broken up into various missions, all of which have you piloting your TIE in first person.
You won’t just be fighting Rebels, however, as you’ll also have to engage pirates trying to steal the Empire’s resources and coups trying to overthrow Palpatine.
TIE Fighter is a great look at the Imperial side of things, and one that doesn’t end with your character switching over to the Rebels, like most of these stories do.
Galactic Battlegrounds
There are quite a few RTS Star Wars games out there, but the best of the bunch comes from the now-defunct Ensemble Studios, the creators of Age of Empires.
Galactic Battlegrounds honestly works just like Age of Empires, but with Star Wars layered in. You’ll choose from a variety of factions, like the Rebels, Wookies, Empire, Republic, and Trade Federation.
As you’d expect from Ensemble, Galactic Battlegrounds features fantastic strategic gameplay that makes you balance attack and defense, all while gathering resources and completing research.
Multiplayer is definitely where things are at, but the game and its expansion, The Clone Campaigns, feature some fantastic story missions. There are multiple campaigns that work like side stories in the universe.
The Wookie campaign sees Chewbacca fighting to save Kashyyk from Trandoshan Slavers and the Empire, The Rebel campaign sees the alliance trying to recover a valuable Jedi artifact, and the Trade Federation has you taking control of a Battle Droid commander named OOM-9 while trying to conquer Naboo. That’s just to detail a few.
Whether you’re playing the stories or multiplayer, Galactic Battlegrounds does a great job of recreating the scope of massive Star Wars battles.
Jedi Fallen Order
The latest game to join the Star Wars family, Fallen Order is one unforgettable experience. Taking inspiration from both Dark Souls and Metroidvania you play as Cal Kestis, a young padawan in hiding after the events of Order 66.
Cal meets a ragtag group of other heroes and sets out on a quest to find a sacred Jedi Holocron, which details the location of Force-sensitive children across the galaxy.
Fallen Order is a methodical experience that puts a heavy emphasis on exploration and puzzle-solving. This is juxtaposed against the intense lightsaber combat, where you’ll need to use timing and parrying to stave off enemies.
There’s never been a Star Wars game with more satisfying lightsaber combat, and one that makes you feel more like a Jedi.
Despite some technical hiccups, Fallen Order isn’t just the best Star Wars game in a decade, it’s one of the best ever made. An engrossing story, fun cameos, and stellar combat are just a few of the reasons for fans to jump in.
Published: Dec 19, 2019 03:09 pm