Star Wars is a series that needs no introduction. It’s one of the most popular science fiction franchises of all time; at time of writing, Star Wars stands as the fourth highest-grossing media franchise ever, behind Mickey Mouse & Friends, Pokemon, and Winnie the Pooh. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that Star Wars has also birthed a huge amount of successful and popular video games, so without further ado, let’s take a look at the 25 best Star Wars games of all time.
1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II
Many would point to BioWare’s original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic as the best Star Wars game, but we’re going to fly the flag for this sequel, which deconstructs the very notions on which the world of Star Wars is built. Obsidian’s storytelling is peerless, and here, it finds its natural point of evolution.
2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
BioWare’s original Knights of the Old Republic is a classic Star Wars tale, a spin on the standard hero’s-journey format that makes it timeless and compelling. It doesn’t have the jaw-dropping subversions of the sequel, but it has a strong cast of characters and a great range of Star Wars locales to visit and explore.
3. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
After years in the hinterlands, EA decided to step up and simply make a single-player Star Wars game with no microtransactions, no multiplayer component, and no cheap cash grabs. It worked. Fallen Order is a 3D Metroidvania platformer shot through with Soulslike combat and plenty of puzzles, and it’s an excellent game.
4. Star Wars: Battlefront II
Naturally, we’re not talking about the newer Battlefront II here. That game is in a reasonable state right now, but its launch was a total mess, and in any case, it doesn’t hold a candle to this 2005 sequel. With more characters, more gameplay modes, and more iconic Star Wars battles to take part in, Battlefront II is still a multiplayer mainstay for many.
5. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
No list of the greatest Star Wars games is complete without a visit to the Lego franchise, which really kicked off with the release of the original Lego Star Wars. The Skywalker Saga packages all of the mainline Star Wars movie into one gargantuan game, full of puzzles to complete, areas to explore, and studs to collect.
6. Star Wars: Jedi Knight II – Jedi Outcast
It’s a shame that almost the entirety of the extended Star Wars universe was made non-canon for the release of 2015’s The Force Awakens, because it means we lose stories like Kyle Katarn’s. Jedi Outcast truly taught us what it meant to be a Jedi; the varied combat and inimitable Star Wars feel make this an enduring classic.
7. Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader
This GameCube launch title showed off what could truly be done with the sixth generation of consoles. Rogue Leader is a space dogfighting game that offered a meaty campaign and some truly addictive vehicular shooter gameplay; it’s a simple, straightforward title that nevertheless provides hours of fun.
8. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Don’t bother with the lacklustre sequel; instead, apply here if you want to experience the Dark Side of the Force. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a third-person action-adventure game that casts you as Starkiller, Darth Vader’s apprentice. You must sally forth to wipe out what remains of the Jedi, but things quickly get complicated.
9. Star Wars Episode I: Racer
Many people believe that the only “salvageable” part of the Star Wars prequel trilogy is the first movie’s podracing sequence. If you’re one of them, then you’ll probably get a lot out of Episode I: Racer, which foregrounds the podracing action and mercifully omits a lot of the prequel movies’ more sketchy storytelling.
10. Star Wars: Squadrons
Another great space shooter in the vein of Rogue Leader, Squadrons puts the emphasis on a more tactical, more “simulation”-style experience. You’ll pilot a “real” starfighter, twiddling controls and doing everything a real pilot would. Try this one out in VR for the true nerdy Star Wars pilot experience; you won’t be sorry.
11. Star Wars: Republic Commando
Released just as Halo was beginning to cement itself as the king of first-person shooters, Republic Commando isn’t a million miles away from Bungie’s series. You play as a squad of four diverse personalities as you blast your way through a varied and interesting set of Star Wars-based levels.
12. Star Wars: The Old Republic
BioWare is well-known for making Star Wars RPGs, so the news that it would be creating an MMORPG to rival World of Warcraft was somewhat concerning for many. They needn’t have been worried; The Old Republic is a great MMO that doesn’t quite reach the heights of WoW, but offers some thrills nonetheless.
13. Star Wars Dark Forces
If you’re more of an old-school first-person shooter fan and you like your shooter action simplistic, then Dark Forces will more than suffice for you. It’s a 90s FPS reminiscent of games like Doom or Wolfenstein 3D, albeit set amongst the sci-fi corridors of the Star Wars universe. Kyle Katarn makes his first appearance in this one.
14. Star Wars: TIE Fighter
What is it about the Star Wars universe’s dogfights that makes them so effortlessly compelling? The answer might lie in Star Wars: TIE Fighter, which blends the kind of simulation gameplay Squadrons would go on to espouse with simple arcade-style shooting to great effect. This is an excellent shooter that’s ripened with age.
15. Star Wars
This, arguably, is where it all began. The Star Wars arcade cabinet game from the early 80s boasted colourful vector graphics, and while it didn’t look a whole lot like the movies, it sure felt like them thanks to its simulation of full 3D. If you’re into retro gaming, this is a truly beautiful and unique Star Wars game to try out, if you can find it.
16. Super Star Wars
If there was one thing that the old-school SNES era of gaming did well, it was run-and-gun side-scrolling platformer-shooter hybrids. That might sound like a highly specific niche, but if you play Super Star Wars, you’ll understand exactly what we’re talking about. A retro gem through and through.
17. Star Wars Battlefront II
No, this time we’re not talking about the 2005 original, but rather the 2017 version we disavowed mere paragraphs ago. Sure, Battlefront II is nowhere near as good as its PS2 counterpart, but this multiplayer Star Wars-’em-up is still great fun, especially if you can recruit a friend and head into its multiplayer modes together.
18. Star Wars Galaxies
Sadly, Star Wars Galaxies isn’t supported by its creators anymore, but it was a fascinating and intriguing MMO experiment in the Star Wars universe. It shut down when The Old Republic was released, but Galaxies was a more experimental proposition that didn’t hew to the same design philosophy as other MMOs of its time.
19. Star Wars: Empire at War
If you prefer a more cerebral Star Wars gaming experience, then you don’t have a lot of options, but thankfully, there is Empire at War. This RTS was set between the prequel trilogy and the original movies, boasting plenty of deep strategic action that allowed you to move lots of familiar units around a series of iconic maps.
20. Star Wars: Rebel Assault II – The Hidden Empire
Mark Hamill famously starred in the Wing Commander series of FMV games, but he should be grateful he didn’t take part in this atrocity. We’re including this game on this list solely because we think it has a lot of entertainment value; if it’s possible for games to be “so bad they’re good”, then Rebel Assault II definitely fits that bill.
21. Star Wars: Battle for Naboo
If you’ve ever wanted to see Jar Jar Binks crushed beneath a giant N64 logo, then here’s the game for you. The prequel trilogy’s problems definitely run deeper than just everyone’s least favourite Gungan, but luckily, Battle for Naboo doesn’t share them; it’s a great Star Fox-style vehicle shooter developed by the folks behind Rogue Squadron.
22. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
This underrated N64 game cast players as the roguish Dash Rendar, a smuggler with more than a dash (ahem) of Han Solo about him. Shadows of the Empire is a third-person shooter that somehow managed to circumvent the graphical limitations of the N64, making the Battle of Hoth feel just as big as it did on screen.
23. Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
The X-Wing series is famous among flight sim aficionados, and X-Wing Alliance is a fitting sendoff for the sub-franchise, although it doesn’t have the world’s greatest story or voice acting. Still, the space dogfighting is on point here, and the multi-objective missions add some complexity to proceedings.
24. Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Did you play Super Star Wars, which we included on this list earlier? If so, did you like it? If you answered yes to both of those questions, then you’ll probably like The Empire Strikes Back, which is another run-and-gun shooter that serves as a sequel to the original Super Star Wars.
25. Star Wars Battlefront
Again, we don’t mean the newer Star Wars Battlefront from 2015, but rather the 2004 original created by the ill-fated Pandemic Studios. Star Wars Battlefront was the first taste we got of large-scale Star Wars warfare, and it worked so well that it warranted one of the greatest sequels of all time.
