The history of video games set in the Star Wars universe dates back to 1982 and the release of the legendary The Empire Strikes Back. Forty-one years later, the franchise still evolves, gaining new generations of loyal fans.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the new sequel to the fantastic game from 2019, revealing the further fate of Cal Kestis fighting the Empire forces.
This grand return arouses nostalgia and invites us to relive the complex storylines of previous games set in the SW universe. That’s why we think it is the perfect time to take a little trip into the past and explore the worlds of some of the best Star Wars video games.
- Jedi Knight: The Game That Started It All
- The Jedi Knight Sequels: Expanding on the Series
- Battlefront: The Best Star Wars Game for Large-Scale Battles
- The Battlefront Reboots: Bringing the Series to the Modern Era
- Other Standout Star Wars Games: Knights of the Old Republic, The Force Unleashed
- Jedi Survivor
- The Best Star Wars Games of All Time
Jedi Knight: The Game That Started It All
Although it is the beginning of the Jedi Knight series, this game exists under an entirely different name. Star Wars: Dark Forces is the first official first-person shooter in its universe, released on MS-DOS, Macintosh, and the first PlayStation. This 1995 title marks the beginning of Kyle Katarn’s turbulent adventures and had canon status until 2012. However, after Disney purchased Star Wars, the game was renamed to the Legend – meaning a non-canon story.
The Jedi Knight Sequels: Expanding on the Series
Kyle Katarn’s tale expanded into three more parts and one expansion pack. Playing Dark Forces II as an aspiring Jedi, players could fight with a lightsaber and use the Force – which has always been a dream come true for all fans of this universe. The story began to hurry, providing many plot twists and activities to complete. But it was Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast that perfected the lightsaber combat making it even more dynamic. The game has garnered praise for its excellent level design, authentic franchise vibe, engaging storyline, and fabulous graphics.
Not for long, as soon – in 2003 – came the sensational Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. And this is where the real fun began. The game made designing a customized character possible by selecting details like gender, appearance, or clothing. It also enabled the construction of a personalized lightsaber, including a dual version used by Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace. Plus, players could use the dark or light side of the Force as Luke Skywalker’s students and visit the most memorable locations known from movies or comics. This game is exceptionally popular on Steam for its eminently satisfying combat system.
Battlefront: The Best Star Wars Game for Large-Scale Battles
With the first Star Wars: Battlefront from 2004, players could finally lose themselves in a strategy multiplayer competition set in various locations known from the movies. By choosing one of the four playable factions, they could pick one of the six unique soldiers to spice up their first-person shooter fun. Battlefront II was released just a year later and had surprisingly similar gameplay features with slightly tweaked mechanics. Developers fixed many bugs, which brought praise – especially for many classic vehicles from this universe.
The Battlefront Reboots: Bringing the Series to the Modern Era
While Battlefront was and is a fantastic video game, it’s finally time for a reboot. The 2015 DICE’s title focuses on the conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire forces. The plot is less significant, and the gameplay focuses on an impressive selection of multiplayer modes. But it was the improved audiovisuals that made the game an enormous success.
Its sequel – Star Wars: Battlefront II from 2017 – captured the hearts of players and fans of the series worldwide. It introduced epic space battles and an immersive single-player story campaign featuring famous SW characters. Accompanied by atmospheric music and detailed visual designs, such gameplay was doomed to success.
Other Standout Star Wars Games: Knights of the Old Republic, The Force Unleashed
When reviewing the best Star Wars games, we could never forget one of the legendary series – Knights of the Old Republic. The first part and the sequel gathered masses of fans thirsty for role-playing adventure in their beloved universe. From the creators of Baldur’s Gate, the series delivers an immersive storyline, excellent character development, fantastic locations, and a Star Wars vibe like no other game. And although it was only single-player, soon players could fulfill their dreams of having fun in multiplayer thanks to the SW: The Old Republic MMO from 2011.
But how long can one play solely on the light side of the Force? With the release of SW – The Force Unleashed, there was a chance to discover the story from a pretty unique point of view. Playing as Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, players could side with the dark side, battle Luke Skywalker himself, and thwart the Rebellion’s plans. Bad boys are cool too!
Jedi Survivor
It took four years for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor to see the light of day. But it was worth the wait as Cal Kestis’s sequel is a gripping story set in high-quality visuals for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. Cal is now the last Jedi in the galaxy, and he will do whatever it takes to defeat the oppressive Empire might. Even from a short description, such gameplay sounds extremely interesting!
The Best Star Wars Games of All Time
History spawned many bad titles set in the Star Wars universe. But there were also some good ones like Star Wars: Republic Commando, the Lego Star Wars series, or SW: TIE Fighter. And, of course, the games mentioned in this article! For one of the most famous franchises ever, it’s a pretty promising result. And we can be sure that the future will bring more addictive reboots and new games, allowing us to enjoy the Star Wars universe to the fullest.