Star Wars is one of the biggest media franchises in the world, with that original 1977 scrappy sci-fi film inspiring a string of blockbuster movies, ambitious TV shows and sprawling books alongside comics and toys that span thousands of years of intergalactic history.
Each new addition to Star Wars lore is always fiercely debated, but it’s almost universally accepted that the best films are part of the original trilogy, while the best Star Wars TV shows are either early seasons of The Mandalorian, the animated The Clone Wars or recent Disney+ hit Andor.
When it comes to video games though, Star Wars fans are truly spoilt for choice. From intricate strategy games, lightsaber-wielding fighters and high-octane first-person shooters to intense sci-fi racers, there are what seems like an endless range of games to choose from. Fear not, young Padawan. We’ve cut through the noise to create a list of 16 essential games that reflect the best of a galaxy far, far away.
16. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
One of the last video games from the era of constant movie tie-ins, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith put players at the very centre of Anakin Skywalker’s downfall from plucky Jedi hero to brooding Sith mass-murderer. Sticking closely to the narrative of the movie, players could even slash their way through younglings at the Jedi Temple but, if playing as Anakin, they could also take out Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu to claim the galaxy as their own.
Release year: 2003
Our favourite bit: Multiplayer duel mode, where you can make Darth Vader and Ben Kenobi do battle
Play it today: Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One via the digital store
15. Star Wars: Galaxies
This Star Wars-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game really made players feel like they were part of the Star Wars universe. When it initially launched, players could choose from a number of different species and professions to scratch out an existence in the galaxy, with ten different planets to explore and call home. With success reliant on a fair division of labour, the game built up a fierce community before two major reworks in 2005 disrupted that happy balance. The servers were eventually shut down by Sony in 2011, a few days before their new game The Old Republic was released.
Release year: 2003
Our favourite bit: The initial thrill of finally seeing a Jedi after months of work as a Wookie trader, specialising in droid and vehicle crafting
Play it today: Afraid not – servers were shut down in 2011
14. Star Wars Episode I: Power Battles
It’s easy to get caught up in the complexities of the Stars Wars universe, but sometimes you just want to leap about and kill droids with your lightsaber. Enter Episode 1: Power Battles. With five Prequels-era Jedi to choose from, players could bounce and slash their way through 10 different levels in this colourful beat-‘em-up platformer that ignored all that boring talk of trade deals. It took real skill (or a notebook with all the button combos written down) to master the many lightsaber attacks.
Release year: 2000
Our favourite bit: Finally nailing the lightsaber combo attack of your dreams
Play it today: Not officially
13. Star Wars: Battlefront II
A sequel to the 2015 reboot, Stars Wars: Battlefront II explores the period between Return Of The Jedi and The Force Awakens, with players taking charge of a former Imperial special ops commander who is now fighting for the freedom of the galaxy. Pretty cool, right? The initial launch was criticised for the sheer amount of loot boxes on offer but once EA removed all microtransactions, players were left with an intense shooter that had real moments of brilliance.
Release year: 2017
Our favourite bit: Seeing a confident Luke Skywalker at the height of his power
Play it today: It’s available to download for Xbox and PlayStation as well as PC via Steam
12. Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic II
The follow-up to the critically acclaimed, beloved Knights Of The Old Republic had an awful lot to live up to. Set thousands of years before Episode I, developers had to create a range of original characters to flesh out the universe including Kreia, who remains one of the most well-rounded, believable video game characters ever. KOTOR II echoed the best moments of the original, but a rushed launch meant a series of expansions had to be released to get close to the brilliance of what had come before.
Release year: 2004
Our favourite bit: The big ol’ twist at the end of the main story
Play it today: Steam
11. Star Wars: Battlefront
The original Star Wars: Battlefront was a wickedly addictive conquest game, that allowed players to live out their dreams of either enslaving or liberating the galaxy as commander of one of four different factions. With a variety of different soldiers, heroes, vehicles and indigenous forces to contend with, the original Battlefront was a fast-paced epic, with a 2005 sequel adding more elements of strategy to the franchise.
Release year: 2004
Our favourite bit: The Battle Of Hoth in all its icy glory
Play it today: A remastered version was recently released for PC and PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo consoles alongside the sequel
10. Super Star Wars trilogy
A trilogy of side-scrolling Star Wars games developed for the shiny new Super Nintendo Entertainment System in the early 1990s, each Super Star Wars game saw players follow the same narrative beats of the original movies. Despite the limitations of the console, the world of Super Star Wars looked surprisingly vibrant while the sheer difficulty made defeating The Empire feel like a noble cause. Add in some technically advanced vehicle levels that included the giddy destruction of the Death Star, and it’s easy to see why an entire generation fell in love with the series.
Release year: 1992-1994
Our favourite bit: John Williams epic score, lovingly recreated in 16-bit form
Play it today: You’ll need to get on eBay, sorry
9. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
The Jedi Knight franchise is one of the longest running in the Star Wars universe. Beginning with 1995’s Dark Forces and concluding with 2003’s Jedi Academy, the series follows former Imperial officer Kyle Katarn as he learns the ways of the force and the struggles that come alongside that. Each instalment has its perks, but Jedi Outcast really nails both the hack-and-slash combat and the vicious effectiveness of using the Force, while the storyline takes players on a real emotional rollercoaster.
Release year: 2002
Our favourite bit: No other games makes lightsaber duels feel this epic
Play it today: Steam and both the PlayStation and Xbox digital stores have this one
8. Star Wars: Empire At War
Empire At War started out as an epic, real-time strategy game that took place in the relatively unexplored time between the rise of the Empire and Luke Skywalker’s exploits in A New Hope. It was already a great game, but a series of updates from original developer Petroglyph Games has kept the title alive – while the active, creative and passionate modding community has continued to take Empire At War to new heights, turning this game into something very special indeed.
Release year: 2006
Our favourite bit: Almost 20 years after it was first released, modders continue to pull Empire At War in brilliant new directions
Play it today: Steam
7. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Originally, Fallen Order was going to be completely removed from the established Star Wars universe, but EA saw the potential of the action-adventure game and encouraged Respawn to change direction. The result is perhaps one of the most compelling stories in the entire canon. Players take control of Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis after the events of Revenge Of The Sith as he tries to rebuild the Jedi Order and avoid assassination attempts from The Empire. Good luck, babe.
Release year: 2019
Our favourite bit: The gorgeous world of Fallen Order, or the adorable BD-1 droid
Play it today: Available everywhere you’d expect
6. Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader
Some of the best moments in Star Wars involve daring aerial battles or intense spaceship chases. Leaning into that, the Rogue Squadron trilogy puts the player in the pilot’s seat, as they take on enemy pilots or protect precious cargo through the depths of space. The original arcade-style game was released in 1998 but sequel Rogue Leader took the franchise to lofty new heights, thanks to epic graphics and fast-paced combat.
Release year: 2001
Our favourite bit: Taking charge of the Millennium Falcon in scrappy dog fights
Play it today: No – the original is available on Steam however
5. Star Wars Episode I: Racer
Say what you want about Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn, the absolute best thing introduced with Episode I was podracing. Barrelling through the desert in a racer made of spare parts was made to look like the most fun in the Galaxy, and LucasArts had the good sense to turn that one jaw-dropping sequence into an entire video game. With both Jake Lloyd and Lewis MacLeod reprising their roles as Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba, and a lovingly-recreated Tatooine landscape to rip through, it’s little surprise that Episode I: Racer went on to become the biggest selling sci-fi racing game of all time.
Release year: 1999
Our favourite bit: Any excuse to say: “Now this… is podracing!”
Play it today: It’s available on Steam, GOG and the Xbox store
4. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
It’s not the sort of thing you want to say too loudly but Star Wars is kinda silly. Sure, the films showcase a sprawling, interconnected universe and share messages of love, friendship and standing up for what you believe in, even in the face of planet-destroying space lasers, but Star Wars never takes itself too seriously. Lego Star Wars amplifies that, allowing players to follow the nine epic movies and poking fun at all the terrible decisions along the way.
Release year: 2022
Our favourite bit: Vader doing push-ups
Play it today: Take your pick of places to grab it from
3. Star Wars Outlaws
The most recent Star Wars game is also one of the greatest. Breaking away from the ties of The Skywalker Saga but still very much set in the world of Star Wars, the Ubisoft-published RPG takes heavy influence from adventure titles like Uncharted, Tomb Raider, The Witcher and Assassin’s Creed to create something cohesive, exciting and unique. Set between the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, Outlaws digs into the murky underbelly beneath the rebellion to uncover the grit behind those early, iconic films.
Release year: 2024
Our favourite bit: Cutesy new companion Nix
Play it today: PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S
2. Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
Based on Wizards Of The Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons-inspired Star Wars role-playing game (say that five times fast, why don’t you), Knights Of The Old Republic is an epic space western. Set 4000 years before Episode I, the game introduced countless fans to an entirely new era of Star Wars, and gave developers Bioware the freedom to craft the galaxy in their own vision. The result is an intense, menacing story that isn’t afraid of taking big swings. The turn-based gameplay also means every decision is an important one.
Release year: 2003
Our favourite bit: Finally becoming a Jedi after all those training levels
Play it today: GOG, Steam and the Xbox store have this classic
1. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
The sequel to another great Star Wars game (Jedi: Fallen Order), Survivor had a lot to live up to when it was released in 2023 but it smashed each and every expectation. Following the story of young Jedi Cal Kestis and his resistance to Empire rule, Survivor takes everything that was brilliant about the original action-adventure game and amplifies it. The worlds are bigger, and more populated. Attacks are more vicious, with blaster and lightsaber combos now part of a player’s arsenal, while Cal’s use of the force is even more impressive. The compelling narrative also makes Survivor impossible to put down. It’s the essential Star Wars game.
Release year: 2023
Our favourite bit: The well-crafted central father-daughter storyline is surprisingly moving
Play it today: It’s available everywhere you’d want it to be
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