Best Star Wars Games Ranked
The galaxy far, far away is no stranger to the world of video games, as the Star Wars franchise has had frequent releases ever since it debuted on the big screen back in 1977. There have been Star Wars games in a number of different genres over the years, with each major console typically getting a few big releases.
The games allow us to get different viewpoints on events we've seen from the films or television series, such as taking part in the First Battle of Geonosis, or flying through the trench of the Death Star. They also expand the already giant universe, introducing us to new characters, factions, and even whole new eras - letting us see the history that led up to the Skywalker Saga. So here's our list of the ten best Star Wars games, ranked from worst to best.
Best Star Wars Games: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (#10)
Click to enlargeTt Games has long been making LEGO titles, with their first bash at it - LEGO Star Wars - releasing back in 2005. After a tonne of experience and 15 years of game evolution, they undertook the task to bring all nine mainline Star Wars films into one LEGO package, and it's all the fun you would expect.
It brings the LEGO-themed action-adventure formula forward, with a heap of new mechanics, ideas, and content, meaning you'll have a lot to do if you want to go beyond just finishing the main story. It's frequently silly, and endlessly charming, so for some fun alone or with friends, you can't go wrong with LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
Best Star Wars Games: Star Wars: Empire at War (#9)
Click to enlargeFor the chance at expansive galactic conquest and large-scale warfare, Star Wars: Empire at War is your best bet. It's getting on now as it was released back in 2006, but it still stands as the best Star Wars real-time strategy game.
Set between the events of Episode III and IV, it sees you take control of the Empire or the Rebels, with two separate campaigns for each faction, a standard skirmish mode, and galactic conquest, in which you attempt to take all the planets in the solar system. It features all the fan-favourite vehicles and soldiers from the Empire era, and lets you battle it out in space or on the ground, making for a wildly varied and strategic experience.
Best Star Wars Games: Star Wars Battlefront II (#8)
Click to enlargeDespite the recent Battlefront titles from DICE not receiving the greatest fanfare, nothing can hold a candle to the scale of the first-person warfare in Battlefront II. With the flashy Frostbite 3 engine, and tight shooting and vehicle controls, jumping into the middle of all-out war never felt so fun.
The multiplayer is where this game really shines, allowing players to take part in massive battles across the three main eras of Star Wars, and even control the legends from those stories such as Yoda, Darth Maul, and Luke Skywalker himself. The class-based gameplay makes it feel team oriented, so you can jump in with a squad of friends and do a lot of damage, while having a lot of fun.
Best Star Wars Games: Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II (#7)
Click to enlargeDespite being the oldest game on this list, don't mistake Rogue Squadron II with being outdated or past its time, as it's still the pinnacle of dog fighting and space combat in the franchise. It was a Gamecube launch title that managed to rival legendary Nintendo games with its quality, and it still looks, sounds, and feels great to this day.
It gives you the chance to take part in some of the most iconic moments in the franchise's history, and due to the solid experience of piloting a star fighter with all its manoeuvres and tricks, no dogfighting game has managed to overtake it.
Best Star Wars Games: Star Wars: The Old Republic (#6)
Click to enlargeIf a massively multiplayer Star Wars experience is what you fancy, then The Old Republic has more than enough of what you'd expect from the franchise. It's been doing pretty well for over ten years now, despite some periods of player decline, but with its numerous expansions and content updates, there are hundreds of hours of questing, activities, raiding, and PvP fighting to do.
It takes place thousands of years before the Skywalker Saga, giving us a unique look into the history of the Republic, the Sith, and the turmoil in the galaxy as a whole. Like any MMO, you're also allowed to pick your own class, letting you progress through some surprisingly solid stories as Smugglers, Bounty Hunters, Sith Warriors, Jedi Consulars, and much more.
Best Star Wars Games: Star Wars: Republic Commando (#5)
Click to enlargeStar Wars: Republic Commando brought the universe into the world of tactical first-person shooters by putting you into the shoes of a Clone Commander who leads a team of special forces. It showcased a grittier side of Star Wars and let you get to know four distinct Clone Troopers on their dangerous spec-ops missions.
As the boss of the group, you're able to dictate commands to the soldiers and use their unique abilities, giving you options for approaching different scenarios based on your reading of the situation. It's a short but immersive single player FPS that showcases a side often forgotten in Star Wars, and with the recent Switch release, it's easy to jump right in.
Best Star Wars Games: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (#4)
Click to enlargeDuring EA's time as steward of the Star Wars franchise in gaming, we got the fantastic Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from Respawn. Set between the events of Episode III and IV, it puts us in the shoes of a former padawan, Cal Kestis, as he attempts to survive the Imperial Inquisition, and complete his Jedi training.
Throughout the levels, you will explore various planets and unlock the secrets of the Jedi Order, learning new lightsaber moves, force abilities, and more to take on the Inquisitors and the Empire's soldiers. It also adapts a Metroidvania level structure, which pairs with the solid combat and showcases a clear Dark Souls influence that raises it to a new level.
Best Star Wars Games: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (#3)
Click to enlargeStar Wars Knights of the Old Republic is one of the most faithful Star Wars titles ever made, adapting almost beat-for-beat the hero's journey that we see Luke go through in the original trilogy. Instead though, it takes places 4000 years before the formation of the Empire, putting us in the shoes of a Republic soldier as a Sith armada led by Dark Malek begins its attack.
It benefits greatly from its CRPG design, taking a lot of inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons with its mechanics and combat. While this can make some aspects of it feel dated, the quality of the story and roleplaying still holds it high in peoples minds to this day. It understands the heart and soul of Star Wars, fervently bringing that to the forefront of the experience, which is why it's still a classic.
Best Star Wars Games: Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (#2)
Click to enlargeOne of the coolest and most iconic aspects of Star Wars are the lightsabers, and no game does lightsaber combat better than Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. At the time, it had a revolutionary combat system that focused on the finesse and grace of using the lightsaber, allowing you to deflect shots, select three distinct lightsaber styles with their own combos, and differ things up with force powers.
It has a fantastic single player campaign that allowed you to live out the power fantasy of being a Jedi, and the multiplayer mode was iconic for its lightsaber duels and hectic deathmatches. It's a game with an incredibly high skill ceiling due to the intricacies of the combat, and no Star Wars game can match its intensity.
Best Star Wars Games: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords (#1)
Click to enlargeThe fight between KOTOR I and II is serious for some people, and while the first game found its quality in evoking Star Wars through and through, its sequel shines by being admirably anti-Star Wars in its narrative and thematic approach. It has many of the same mechanics and systems as KOTOR I, but it brings to life an honest and thoughtful deconstruction of the Star Wars mythos, its morality, and the role of the Force within it all.
It takes places five years after KOTOR, with you playing a Jedi exile who is rediscovering their connection with the Force, while on a mission to find the remaining Jedi and fight back against the forces of the Sith. KOTOR II is one of the most unique portrayals of Star Wars media that you can find, and that's helped it stay fresh nearly 20 years after the fact, making it our choice for the best Star Wars game of all time.
