irst announced in January 2021, Star Wars Outlaws is the galaxy’s first true open-world game. While that has had gamers understandably excited, it’s the latest in a long line of video games that have let us explore our favorite fictional galaxy.
Over the years, there have been a series of incredible titles. As we welcome Kay Vess and Nix to a list of unforgettable characters, including Kyle Katarn and Darth Revan, let’s take a trip down memory lane to revisit some of our favorites.
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and Star Wars: Racer
Two titles that capture George Lucas’ well-documented love for speed and racing are 1998’s Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and 1999’s Star Wars: Racer. They also demonstrate how well Star Wars translates to different styles of gaming. Both games were also perfectly timed to capture the attention of a whole new generation of fans at the dawn of the Prequel Trilogy.
Each offers a different way to experience the speed and excitement of some of the franchise’s most memorable vehicles:
- Rogue Squadron places the player in the cockpit of a legendary X-Wing fighter in a series of battles against TIE fighters, probe droids, and other enemies. It won the Origins Award for Best Action Computer Game of 1998.
- Racer puts you in one of the most iconic scenes in The Phantom Menace and gives you the chance to try many different racers.
There were first-person shooter Star Wars games before Jedi Outcast and games with lightsabers, too. But this 2002 game took both concepts to new heights. Acclaimed by critics and loved by fans, the game earned high marks for its graphics and lightsaber mechanics.
- Kyle Katarn, a beloved character with an arc stretching back to 1995’s Dark Forces, returns to fight the Imperial Remnant after the Battle of Endor.
- The game established a new standard for lightsaber combat and Force powers, letting players experience “being a Jedi” in a way they had not been able to before.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
For some gamers, no list would be complete without this 2003 title. Taking Obi-Wan Kenobi’s comment about “a thousand generations” as a challenge, Knights of the Old Republic takes players to a time almost 4,000 years before the films. This game was one of the most important moments in Star Wars gaming history and the history of the mythos. There may even be a remake in the works (or then again, maybe not… always in motion, the future is).
- Knights of the Old Republic features expansive lore and a diverse cast of fascinating companions. Some concepts from the game became parts of Star Wars Canon.
- Players choose between light and dark side alignment, and how they interact with nonplayer characters in the game influences the narrative.
Star Wars Galaxies
2003's Star Wars Galaxies was the franchise’s first foray into MMORPGs. Hitting the scene a full year before World of Warcraft, Galaxies transformed the way fans could interact with the mythos. The game offered an expansive array of worlds to explore and seemingly limitless flexibility in customizing characters and developing their skills.
- Play On: Though officially closed in 2011, player-maintained servers continue. Just ask Legends Lookback co-host and renowned Galaxies enthusiast Freddy C.
- Galaxies included fan-favorite characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Building on the lore (and popularity) of Knights of the Old Republic, BioWare released The Old Republic in 2011 (almost immediately after Galaxies shut down). With thousands of hours of stories, several different character classes, and many references to other Star Wars material. While BioWare has handed the title off to Broadsword Online Games, The Old Republic is still actively supported.
- The Old Republic includes amazing cinematics packed with incredible action. You'll still enjoy checking them out, even if you’re not a gamer.
- Legends live on in The Old Republic. Even though it predates the continuity reset, developers have continued to produce expansions. That makes the game the only source producing new content in the Legends continuity.
Star Wars: Republic Commando
A tactical first-person shooter released in 2005, Republic Commando puts players in the shoes of Delta Squad, an elite unit of clone troopers. Republic Commando combined a successful gaming genre with fascinating Prequel-era lore.
- Karen Traviss’s series of Republic Commando books tie in to the game.
- Republic Commando’s legacy lives on with the inclusion of one of the game’s popular characters, Scorch, in the animated TV series Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
Star Wars: Battlefront
The Battlefront series includes four separate (though potentially confusingly named) entries. The games put players in the middle of battles in different eras of galactic history and have featured some of the best multiplayer combat in Star Wars gaming. Alexander Freed’s novel Battlefront: Twilight Company is based on the 2015 Battlefront reboot.
- 2005’s Star Wars: Battlefront II may well be the definitive entry for many gamers, including the Clone Wars-era and introducing story campaigns.
- 2017’s Star Wars Battlefront II incorporates content from all three trilogies and features Iden Versio, the main character of Christie Golden’s novel Battlefront II: Inferno Squad.
Star Wars: Empire at War
A real-time strategy game released in 2006, Empire at War offers a different perspective of galactic warfare. Instead of playing as a single soldier, scoundrel, or Jedi, players direct entire fleets and armies. Well received by players, this game is generally considered the best Star Wars strategy game yet.
- Empire at War continues to receive occasional updates and bug fixes for its Steam release.
- Embracing the game modding community has contributed to its longevity and has enabled the addition of new factions.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
2008’s The Force Unleashed takes players to the dark side of the Force. As you might expect, that means an astounding amount of pure Force power at players’ fingertips as Vader’s secret apprentice. The award-winning game has a lasting legacy, and its main character remains a fan-favorite.
- The Force Unleashed included an early version of facial capture technology and introduced Sam Witwer to the Star Wars franchise. Witwer would later voice Darth Maul (and others) in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.
- Ground-breaking technology enabled the game to push the boundaries of realism, especially for realistic non-player characters.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Released in 2019, Fallen Order is a single-player game that puts the player in the position of Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan who has survived Order 66. After years of hiding, you come to the attention of the Inquisitors. Advancements in gameplay add nuance to lightsaber combat and Force powers, and the game’s overall combat system earned critics’ praise.
- The game features stunning and immersive graphics, and The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a book of annotated concept art was published a few days after the game.
- A sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, came out in 2023. Sam Maggs’ novel Jedi: Battle Scars takes place between the two, connecting the games’ storylines.
