As anyone might be able to guess, Star Wars has had a ton of video games. And in a similar vein, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I, a big Star Wars fan, have played and enjoyed many of these games. So many, in fact, that I can make a Top 10 article just on my favorites in this huge sea of Star Wars video game adventures.
Let’s go ahead and get into things!
10) Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
While it might not seem like it at first glance, this is an extremely strange game. It might actually be one of the few times I’ve ever played a game that willing allows itself to be two completely different genres. In the story mode, it’s a third-person action RPG about taking down baddies and leveling up your skills. And then there’s a multiplayer mode that is just a straight-up fighting game, with move lists, combos, and special attacks. And that’s not even addressing how, despite ostensibly being an adaptation of the same-name film, it’s got a ton of unique content and characters. But hey, it’s a blast!
9) Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The biggest elephant in the room is wondering why this game even exists in the first place. It’s a fair question. Why make an entire Lego game about only a single movie? I don’t have a great answer, but what I do know is that this game is great. Maybe the story mode is a bit padded, but the levels are still fun. The hub areas are big, but not mind-breakingly huge like modern Lego games. The humor is on-point without just lamely regurgitating recycled voice clips from the movie without pizazz. And a ton of cool DLC levels and characters were added. I mean, you can play as Barriss! What’s cooler than that?
8) The Force Unleashed
If there’s any random non-canon Star Wars game that gets brought up a ton, it’s this classic action game. And there’s obviously an appeal to a game that leans as heavily into power-fantasy as this, with you just dominating anyone and everyone as Starkiller. And that’s definitely a lot of fun, I can’t deny. But what actually stood out most to me in this game is the characters and the story. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but I found myself really invested in everything that was going on, to the point where I’m almost a little sad that this game is non-canon, because there’s some cool stuff there. And hey, just because it might not be canon, that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a good story and a fun game that can be enjoyed for all time!
7) Jedi: Survivor
While I was a bit upset that this game wasn’t as much of a masterpiece as its predecessor (oh, uh…spoilers, I guess?), it’s still a really good game. They leaned a bit too heavily into open-world design for my tastes, but the core gameplay is as impeccable as ever. In lieu of lightsabers not being real, the Jedi series of games is still the closest anything has come to really making you feel like a lightsaber-wielding Force user, and that fun factor never gets old. Add in a nice story with a fantastic late-game twist, some unforgettable moments, and tons of cool easter eggs and references, and you get a very solid singleplayer adventure.
6) Episode One: Racer
Mario Kart is the king of multiplayer racing goodness, but that doesn’t mean it was the only entry in the genre on the N64. If you want your racing games with a bit more Star Wars flavor, some classic John Williams orchestral goodness, and a heaping helping of uncanny/liminal level design, then by golly is this the game for you! The sense of speed in this game is it’s biggest quality, though I do also appreciate the moments that vary the gameplay (like how you can drive sideways to fit through gaps, or a few brief moments where you fly around through space tunnels). A lot of the tracks have this empty, desolate, and (fittingly) alien quality to them, which has really burned many of them into my memory.
5) Battlefront 2 (Modern)
The absolute disaster that this game was when it launched is something that is still joked about to this day online. And it really does deserve all of that ribbing. That being said, the game also deserves to be recognized for how far it has come since then, and you might be surprised to find how fun this game is if you boot it up these days. Tons of levels, a whole bunch of soldier classes and iconic heroes and villains, and engaging and hectic player-versus-computer matches to satisfy people like me who aren’t big fans of fighting other real players. It’s an extremely enjoyable experience that, while it makes one wistful for the world where this was the state the game launched in, still makes you happy that the developers got there eventually.
4) Clone Wars
Perhaps because of its unfortunate name, or perhaps because of its unique gameplay styles, Clone Wars is a game that tends to go overlooked. And I’m not about to show up and announce that it’s a secret masterpiece, but I do think it’s quite good and I feel it needs more recognition that it gets. The 90% vehicle-focused gameplay is a super unique way of designing a game, but it really works, especially due to the huge variety of vehicles and ships you take control of. And having it all framed within a completely original story really leans into the fun and creativity inherent in the Clone Wars era of the Star Wars timeline. Toss in a shocking number of multiplayer modes (like arena battles and tower defense matches), and you’ve got a game with a ton to offer.
3) Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
There was no way that this game could avoid showing up on this list. It’s the game that launched an entire genre (Lego games) after all! If there’s a single game on this list that literally anyone could pick up, play, and have fun with, it’s Lego Star Wars. It’s a timeless formula that is still as entertaining, relaxing, and cathartic as it was when it first released. Watch silly cutscenes that re-tell the story of the Star Wars franchise through silent slapstick, explore Lego-ified versions of iconic locations, punch bricks to spawn glittery studs which you then pick up to add to your banked total…and then rinse and repeat in each level. It’s one of the most evocative video games ever made in terms of a simple philosophy of fun.
2) Battlefront 2 (Original)
No matter how many updates the modern game with the same name might get, it’ll simply never live up to how fantastic the original release was. No post-release updates and changes, no extra DLC added on top. Just a single, obscenely-content-rich package dropped all at once, providing hundreds of hours of high-octane excitement.
A comprehensive and uniquely-emotional story mode. A dense and competitive galactic conquest mode. Standard player-versus-player across a wide variety of maps, factions, and classes. Unique mechanics such as reward weapons and vehicle slicing. Ground battles and ship battles, the latter of which allowing you to fly to an enemy’s capital ship, board it, and blow it up from inside. The infamous heroes and villains brawl, alongside other modes where you can play as Ewoks, Wampas, and more. Just a truly fantastic game.
1) Jedi: Fallen Order
Viewed from a distance, I’m not sure I would’ve believed that a third-person, narratively-driven, relatively grounded action game that borrows heavily from the Dark Souls franchise would’ve worked within the Star Wars universe. It’s a design philosophy that is so drastically different from the previous game closest in style, The Force Unleashed. And yet…it just works.
I was tempted to put the classic Battlefront 2 in this top spot, but I ultimately just can’t change who I am as a person. While there are some multiplayer-focused experiences that I greatly cherish, I have always been and will always be a primarily singleplayer-focused gamer. Jedi: Fallen Order is the cinematic, richly-written, emotional, and near-perfect singleplayer narrative adventure that I never knew I wanted from the Star Wars universe, and I’m so glad it exists.
The gameplay. The acting. The visuals. The soundtrack. The exploration and the combat. It’s all just so good, I can’t stress that enough. And the world took notice too. Jedi: Fallen Order was HUGE on the internet when it came out, in a way that not too many Star Wars games (especially non-multiplayer ones) end up becoming, and not even the sequel generated a fraction of the hype. And trust me, this game is worth all of that hype!
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 