Hello everyone. Justin here and welcome to the Otaku Mind. It’s May 4th my young padawans so Happy Star Wars Day. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Star Wars like myself or part of the new generation who got into it from the sequels and streaming shows, there’s no denying that Stars Wars is heralded as one of the greatest sci-fi adventures of all time. Whatever your thoughts may be about the prequels or sequels, Stars Wars as a whole changed the way people viewed movies and inspired multiple generations of people over the years. With its large fandom, it only made sense to make video games based off the series. Over the years there have been a number of Star Wars games that have sucked but there have also been great ones to play. I’m Justin and these are the Top 11 Star Wars Games.
#11. The Star Wars Trilogy Arcade Game
An arcade exclusive sure but was so much fun to play I couldn’t leave it off. Seriously, I spent so much money playing this game at the arcades. A first-person shooter which sees you play in some of the most iconic moments from the original trilogy. Whether it’s blowing up the Death Star from New Hope, escaping from the Empire in Empire Strikes Back, or destroying the Death Star’s shield in Return of the Jedi. The game also puts you in the place of Luke as you take on Boba Fett and Darth Vader in duels as a bonus. While the game is short and the product of a bygone era it was still a fun game that saw kids lining up to play it or standing around to watch.
#10. The Star Wars Lego Games
Legos has had a number of games based off of popular series, but their best by far has to be the Star Wars games. It started with the prequels in 2005 which was a hit and then did the original trilogy in 2006 which was another hit before they repackaged them into one game in 2007. In 2011 they would go on to make a game based off the hit Clone Wars cartoon along with another one in 2016 that focused on the first sequel and then finally giving us a complete series in 2022 that covers all 9 episodes. What made these games so fun was their creativity, attention to detail, and humor. The games reimagine all the characters as Lego figures and tell the story from beginning to end adding in their own sense of humor and events that put a whole new spin on the series. Along with being multi-player, having a wide selection of characters to choose from, and a number of secrets to discover, there’s plenty of replay value and fun to be had with these games.
#9. Star Wars: Episode III the video game
Say what you want about Episode III but you can’t deny that the game was good. In order to cash-in on Episode III they made a game that sees you play as Obi-Wan and Anakin during the end of the Clone Wars as you go off on missions overlapping with the movie. While the game is a little tedious, game designs are solid for the time, the voice acting is good, and the extra add-ins they give us here and there are welcomed. If given the choice between the game or watching the actual movie, I’d gladly choose the game. Much more fun and doesn’t have the bland or boring dialogue to slow it down.
#8. Star Wars Starfighter/Jedi Starfighter
I decided to put these two together because they’re basically the same game. Similar to Star Fox, the game sees you take to the skies in dogfights against the Trade Federation. Starfighter takes place during Episode I as you take control of a young Naboo pilot who partners up with a ragtag team to reclaim Naboo. The sequel, Jedi Starfighter, sees you take control of Jedi Master Adi Gallia testing out the new Jedi Starfighters during the events of Episode II. The games featured a pretty good cast of characters with some good banter between them. My favorite characters are Nym the space pirate and Reti a Toydarian. The game also has a good assortment of ships you can unlock throughout the game as well as some good challenging missions. While the stories aren’t masterpieces it was cool to see what else was going on in the galaxy from our main story and increased fan interest on wanting to explore the galaxy more with different characters.
#7. Star Wars Dark Forces
The first Star Wars game I ever played and let me tell you, I had no idea what I was doing half the time. With Golden Eye being such a big hit on the N64, LucasArts decided to make a first-person shooter game that focuses on Kyle Katarn. A mercenary who hates the Empire and takes on jobs from the Rebels to take them down. The game sees Kyle go on a number of missions throughout the galaxy to uncover Empire secrets as well as interact with some iconic characters from the franchise. By today’s standards, the game is rather clunky but at the time it was quite popular and still considered one of the best games on the N64. This game would also introduce the fanbase to Kyle Katarn who would go on to become a fan favorite in the franchise and gave you more incentive to check out the books and comics. If you can believe it, this won’t be the last time we see Katarn on this list.
#6. Star Wars Racer Revenge
One of the best scenes from Episode 1 was the pod race. Next to the Darth Maul duel, this was the best scene in the movie. Apparently, LucasArts thought so as well and created an entire game around the sport for the N64. While that was fine its sequel, Revenge was where the series really shines. Racing games have never been my cup of tea, but I have to admit this was easily one of my favorites. Along with Anakin, you get to play as an assortment of characters who each have their own pod racer for you to choose from and race against. The locations we go to are fun, and you can even take out other competitors to make the race all the easier for you. I remember this one race where I just said screw it and killed all the other racers to win. It was a fun game to play and you bet I was happy when they brought it to the Playstore on the PS3. Even as an adult this game still holds up.
#5. Star Wars: TIE Fighter
Most of the Star Wars games see you play on the side of the heroes. However, TIE Fighter puts you in the seat of the villains. A flight simulator and sequel to the X-Wing game from the 90s, TIE Fighter sees you fight for the Empire and kill those rebel scums. You think the pilot is going to see the error of his ways and see just how evil the Empire is but nope, this pilot is a straight-up villain throughout the whole game. In a strange way it’s quite satisfying to play the role of the villain and have no remorse for your past actions. Honestly speaking, I think we could use more games like this in the franchise.
#4. Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
A sequel to the original Jedi Knight game. While the first game was decent, the second game is where the series truly shines. Kyle Katarn makes a return and we learn more about his past life as a jedi and him rediscovering the Force in order to protect the New Republic from a remnant of the Empire. It’s the first time the franchise allowed you to wield both a lightsaber and gun for the main character and it’s fun to switch between them. Seeing Kyle’s journey to rekindle his connection to the Force while holding on to what he cares for was great and the various characters we meet and interact with are good as well. Along with a story mode, the game also has multiplayer modes to give it that Golden Eye vibe we were denied in Dark Forces. A great game that has me asking: why doesn’t Katarn have a movie or streaming show? Get on it, Disney.
#3. Stars Wars Battlefront 2 (Pandemic Studios)
No, I’m not talking about the Battlefront games done by EA, I’m talking about the original Batllefront games from the PS2/Xbox era done by Pandemic Studios. For a time this was the peak of Star Wars games. It saw you take control of an army of your choice and battle against another army on various planets. The four armies included the Clones, droids, Empire troops, and Rebels with each army having their own special units to play as and hero/villain units that you could control in battle. While the game had a good story mode centered around the Clones and their evolution from soldiers of the Republic to soldiers of the Empire, Galactic Conquest was the main feature that me and my friends spent hours playing. Whether it was facing each other in battle to conquer the galaxy or setting the CPU to its highest difficulty this was the mode everyone enjoyed playing the most. Even the space battles were fun as you could sneak aboard enemy ships and destroy them from the inside. While the new Battlefront games have excellent graphics and are decent for the most part, the Pandemic games are still my favorites and I wish they got a remaster or remake for new platforms.
#2. Knights of the Old Republic
Often considered the best Star Wars game and for good reason. A true prequel to the series entirely, you take control of your own man-made character and go on a journey to either save the universe or conquer it. Will you become a jedi that restores balance to the universe or a sith lord who brings destruction to it? The choice is yours and that’s where the true fun of the series comes in at. The story is great and the new locations we get to visit throughout the game are a welcome addition. The game also gives us a good look into the war between the jedis and siths and just how dangerous the siths can be. With rumors of a possible remake in the future, I can see why this game is so loved by everyone and how I almost consider it the best. Key word being almost because-
number one…
#1. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor
Yeah, sorry to be so predictable but I really do love these games. The newest Star Wars to come out see you take control of a young jedi named Cal during the early years of the Empire. We see him discover hope and fight against the Empire despite the hard times and trust me there are a lot of hard times in these two games. It’s made even harder because we see him try so hard to fight against this seemingly unbeatable Empire and lose comrades along the way. We know he’s not destined to destroy the Empire, but we continue to play to see how his story and actions will shape the future. These two games are pretty much everything I ever wanted in a Star Wars game. Great characters to follow, amazing visuals and music, smooth gameplay, and an interesting story that keeps your attention from beginning to end. I’m still in the middle of playing Survivor but I’m totally invested in the game and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Star Wars Jedi managed to learn from all the past Star Wars games, built off of them, and created a masterpiece that leaves the prequels and sequels in the dust.
And that’s my list. What’s your favorite Star Wars game? Let me know in the comments below. Star Wars will continue to go strong in the years to come and they’ll definitely be making more games down line. Who knows, we may get a Mandalorian game. Perhaps a game that sees you take control of Darth Maul or Boba Fett as they expand their crime empire. The possibilities are endless. Until then, thanks for reading, I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj, and may the Force be with you.