The 20 Best Star Wars Videogames

When Disney revived the Star Wars franchise yet again with The Force Awakens, it came with a new LEGO game focused on the film's characters and storyline. But critics noticed that a single movie isn't a lot of material for the LEGO franchise: The LEGO titles further down on this list, for example, each cover at least three movies.

Even so, reviewers appreciated some of the interesting new wrinkles that TT Games introduced in The Force Awakens, like cover-based combat. And the glow from the new movie hadn't worn off yet, so folks were still enthusiastic about the new characters and factions.

"We'll accept that there's some filler and that some of the gameplay's getting long in the tooth, but if TT Games keeps churning out games with this much charm and humour, we'll keep on buying them. As it is, the new combat and puzzle mechanics keep things fresh, while the lure of new stories set around The Force Awakens is hard to resist." —Stuart Andrews, Digital Spy

Spaceflight sims used to be one of the most common genres of Star Wars games back in the '90s, but then they just stopped making them for a long time. So 2020's Squadrons was the first new attempt at a Star Wars flight sim in decades.

That fact alone earned the game some meaningful goodwill from critics and players alike, and it didn't hurt that Squadrons actually was fundamentally just fun to play. But there wasn't quite enough structure to the whole experience, according to reviewers, leaving it feeling a little bit like an empty shell.

"Star Wars: Squadrons certainly has a few issues. Its enjoyable campaign has some dull moments outside of the cockpit and the multiplayer, as stupendously thrilling as it is, is a bit too barebones at the moment. But it's also the most fun and immersive Star Wars flight sim experience we've ever had thanks to its immaculate gameplay and incredibly polished production." —Kervyn Cloete, Critical Hit

There haven't been very many Star Wars strategy titles, and almost none of them were ever particularly well liked. But Empire at War, created by veterans of the Command & Conquer franchise after EA shut their studio down in 2003, was the lone exception.

Empire at War straps a grand strategy framework, in which players manage the course of the war between the Empire and Rebellion, on top of real-time strategy gameplay in which players lead their forces into battle on both the ground and in space. But, as critics pointed out, the overall experience tended to be uneven—indicating that its creators may have bitten off a little more than they could chew with the game's large scope.

"In short, to make the game more accessible to Star Wars fans, the RTS elements -- while innovative and fun -- lack the depth that can define genre greats. Nevertheless, the Force is strong with this one." —1UP

From the creators of Titanfall and Apex Legends came this challenging hack-and-slash adventure about a lone Jedi trying to stay alive after Darth Vader nearly purged the Order completely.

Critics were enthusiastic about Fallen Order's compelling story, challenging combat, and exploration gameplay, which combined to form a Souls-lite experience that was actually accessible for normal gamers. And protagonist Cal Kestus instantly became the most popular Star Wars video game character in a decade. Most of the minor complaints from reviewers were about bugs and other technical issues that impacted the game at launch but which have largely been fixed.

"It's true that Fallen Order borrows liberally from other action games, but those elements work together with Respawn's combat and environment design, and a story that finds humanity in the Force and in its characters, to hone in on what makes the world of Star Wars worthy of revisiting again and again. Even with some rough edges, Fallen Order represents one of the most compelling game additions to the Star Wars franchise in years." —Phil Hornshaw, GameSpot

Star Wars is a natural fit for competitive multiplayer, but it wasn't until Battlefront in 2004 that the franchise got its first game that primarily had a multiplayer focus. Battlefront pits players against each other in large-scale, team-based battles featuring factions from across the saga—which at the time was just the original movies and two of the prequels—along with a solo campaign that largely consisted of playing the multiplayer mode against bots.

The lack of a real story was the main criticism of Battlefront, as there had never been a Star Wars game like that before. But the online modes received enthusiastic acclaim.

"Doesn't feel as complete as it should. But the sheer intensity and scale of the battles, as well as the expertly crafted environments and diversity of characters, make it work better than you'd expect." —Official Xbox Magazine

*A different game with the same title was released in 2015.

The fourth game in the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series has players take on the role of a trainee at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. There, you'll battle against, or join, an upstart Sith cult bent on galactic domination.

Jedi Academy was the first game in the series to allow players to customize their lightsaber and even wield two of them at the same time, and it's the lightsaber—both the combat and the customization—that drew the most praise from critics, who noted that Jedi Academy was otherwise a fairly short game.

"A Jedi Outcast follow-up that feels more like an expansion pack than a whole new game... [It] won't bake your noodle or drop your jaw, but it's certainly a fine answer for those of you looking for more Jedi Knight." —GamePro

This arcade-style flight sim was a sequel to the nearly identical Starfighter that came out a year earlier. It was the similarities between Jedi Starfighter and its predecessor that drew the most criticism from reviewers, who were frustrated that the only major shakeup to the formula was the addition of Force powers for one of the starfighters. But the pain of that sameyness wasn't too terrible, since they liked the first game plenty—it's just not as much fun the second time you have to pay for it in just a year.

"The excellent reward system almost makes up for strange feeling of deja vu, and the two-player mini-games are better polished than last year, but you won't find anything terribly new in Jedi Starfighter." —Douglass C. Perry, IGN

LEGO video games based on big franchises are pretty common these days, but it all began with the first LEGO Star Wars in 2005—though it may have been in the sequel, LEGO Star Wars II, where the idea really clicked.

Much like the prior game, which drew from the prequel films instead, The Original Trilogy is a puzzle-oriented action/adventure game that takes players through all the iconic moments of A New Hope , The Empire Strikes Back , and Return of the Jedi. But it delivers a funny retelling that's full of affection for the source material, instead of parodying it. Critics enjoyed the gameplay, too, but it really was the clever interpretation of beloved source material that made it work.

"And while the gameplay and puzzles are streamlined, the unlockable content massive, and the flying modes excellent, the best part about the game is its snarky humor and feel-good satire." —Game Revolution

This most recent LEGO Star Wars title takes players through all nine of the numbered Star Wars films, but The Skywalker Saga is not a remaster or updated version of the old LEGO Star Wars games. Instead, Saga offers a wealth of original material, with new levels built from scratch, new jokes, and new open-world sandboxes you can explore when you're not playing through the episodes.

Critics praised The Skywalker Saga for being a fresh take for a LEGO game in general, and for managing to pack so much material into one game.

"LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a meaningful step forward, smartly evolving the gameplay without losing that fun-loving core. Kids will love the slapstick humour and colourful sights and sounds, grown-ups will appreciate all the elbow-in-ribs jokes, and both will enjoy just how much there is to do. Despite some very minor issues, it's gram for gram the best LEGO game in a long time, and it's up there with the top Star Wars games to boot." —Stephen Tailby, Push Square

It's not usually good news when a sequel comes out super quickly after the original game, since it usually means the second game was rushed and probably pretty janky. But Battlefront II is one of the rare exceptions to that rule, adding some major new features just a year after the first game came out, like the ability to participate in battle from the cockpit of a starfighter instead of being forced to fight on foot.

All told, Battlefront II added enough fundamental new features while still maintaining the quality of the rest of the experience that it was tough for critics to complain too much.

"At least three new gameplay features makes Battlefront II feel far more rounded compared to the first title. Perhaps this is what Battlefront I should have been." —Will Tuttle, GameSpy

*A different game with the same title was released in 2017.

After the success of their previous game, Rogue Squadron, the developers at Factor 5 skipped doing a sequel and pivoted to this spiritual successor set during the events of The Phantom Menace.

Battle for Naboo is an arcade-style flight sim that follows the efforts of the Naboo military to undermine the Trade Federation's blockade and occupation, and it introduces its own new wrinkle to the Rogue Squadron formula with the addition of ground and water vehicles. Despite that, critics noted that it still played very similarly to Rogue Squadron —maybe too similarly.

"With new vehicles, new gameplay features, and more impressive graphics, there is very little to complain about here-except for the lack of a multiplayer mode." —Zach Smolinski, Core Magazine

Like Battle for Naboo above, Starfighter is an arcade-style flight sim set during the events of The Phantom Menace. But Starfighter is not stuck in the atmosphere like Battle for Naboo was, instead letting players take part in space battles—including the big, climactic one from the end of the movie.

Critics thought Starfighter had incredible graphics and a control scheme to die for, with the storyline getting more mixed reviews. But it was just so fun to play that most weren't too bothered that the plot didn't blow them away.

"Starfighter has won back my trust with pretty visuals, controls as smooth as a baby's freshly powdered ass and an highly enjoyable play structure which welcomes replay." —Mike Smuland, GamerWeb

Bioware, the studio responsible for the number 1 game on this list, also built one of the most expensive games of all time with this MMORPG that continues the saga set thousands of years before the events of the movies. The Old Republic is a strange marriage of different gameplay priorities, with World of Warcraft -style combat wrapped in Bioware's storytelling and choices.

While critics didn't find The Old Republic's gameplay to be particularly innovative, they felt that the overall product, with its unusual combination of features and focus on storytelling, offered a surprisingly fresh experience for an MMO. The fact that it included eight unique story campaigns (one for each player class) certainly didn't hurt.

"Star Wars: The Old Republic's unabashed resampling of the prevailing MMO model offers a valid and in many ways more approachable alternative to Blizzard's juggernaut. It's a great starting point for those curious about the genre, as well as a refreshing change of pace for seasoned MMO veterans." —Game Trailers

This classic flight sim was one of the most memorable games released for the Nintendo 64, allowing players to fly the full roster of Rebel Alliance starfighters in a series of story missions that take place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke was in charge of the title squadron. (That means we don't go through any famous movie sequences in this game.)

Unlike the X-Wing and TIE Fighter games for the PC, Rogue Squadron had more accessible arcade-style action. The relative simplicity of the battles was considered a drawback by some critics who were looking for a more involved experience, but others found that accessibility charming.

"Rogue Squadron is truly a great game. It has almost everything going for it, graphics, sound, gameplay, & the whole Star Wars theme. Only the semi-repetitive missions and the occasional slowdown mar it. If you are a Star Wars fan or an arcade shooter fan, this is a must buy." —Chris Harvey, Games Domain

Fun fact: Jedi: Survivor is the only Star Wars game released in the past two decades to make the top 10 on this list. That's a pretty clear testament to what Respawn was able to pull off with its sequel to 2019's Fallen Order (see above) , which critics said was an improvement in most areas while not shaking up the formula too dramatically in any direction.

Jedi: Survivor picks up five years after its predecessor and continues the dramatic tale of Cal Kestus as he keeps up his clandestine resistance against the Empire. Keeping it from scoring even higher: Technical problems were also once again a common topic among reviewers.

"If I was simply grading Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in a straight comparison with its predecessor, it would already be a great game. However, Respawn took a hard look at what worked and what didn't, and they've polished, fixed and expanded on virtually everything. From the robust combat suite, upgraded movement system, detailed world, and exciting story that not only rivals the best Star Wars games, but the major triple-A titles out right now, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is simply one of the best videogame sequels released in recent memory." —CJ Salcedo, GameCritics

It may be hard to believe, given its score and place on this list, that the sequel to Knights of the Old Republic was put together by the developers at Obsidian in just over a year and shipped with a big chunk of its ending missing (since restored with a mod). It just goes to show how interesting the rest of this old-style RPG was to critics and players alike that it's able to pull off this high ranking anyway.

Morality isn't so black and white in this story, which is a pretty rare thing for Star Wars, and the player character has a companion who will make you consider the greater context and potential negative consequence for every decision you make—and she's always right. Knights of the Old Republic II has a lot more thematic complexity than you'd normally expect from any Star Wars story, much less a video game.

"The first Knights of the Old Republic was a breath of fresh air among console RPGs. The sequel is more of the same excellence, but with a few new failings. It's unquestionably a great game, and certainly the best RPG on the Xbox this year, but the aging game engine and patchwork ending make it fall short where its predecessor excelled." —Matt Keil, G4

The third game in the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series catches up with series protagonist Kyle Katarn years after his previous Jedi adventure, having sworn off using the Force only to run afoul of a new Dark Side cult.

But while critics did seem to enjoy the story quite a bit, it was the action gameplay that really got everyone's attention—especially the lightsaber combat and Force powers, which were dramatically improved over the last game. There was, however, some grumbling about the time it took to get to the good stuff, since Kyle doesn't have his lightsaber or abilities for the first few missions, but most reviewers thought it was worth the effort.

"If you can make it through the uninspired first third, you'll be treated to one of the prettiest, coolest, most compelling shooters released in the past year" —PC Gamer

This sequel picks up where Rogue Squadron left off, with the Rebels heading to snowy Hoth, and takes us through the end of the original Star Wars movie trilogy, complete with a playable version of the Battle of Endor over the second Death Star.

Critics found Rogue Leader to be the absolute best attempt at a Star Wars arcade flight sim, both for its looks and in terms of how fun it is to play. They also noted that the sequel was occasionally very difficult, much more so than the previous game—some reviewers found that bothersome, while others thought it was a good thing.

"The combined package of beautiful graphics, intense action (including force-feedback rumble support in the controller!) and familiar Star Wars ditties all work together to create an immersive, outstanding experience from beginning to end." —Marc Saltzman, Playboy

Series protagonist Kyle Katarn, who was just a soldier boy fighting for the Rebellion in Dark Forces, discovers that his dead father was secretly a Jedi, and that Kyle himself has immense potential for the Force. But he only learns about his heritage because a new Sith warlord started snooping around, and Kyle ends up sucked into an adventure with galactic stakes.

Critics found Jedi Knight to be an all-around winner, with excellent gameplay, level design, and storytelling—and they devoted particular attention to the online multiplayer modes, which ran very smoothly for a game that came out in 1997.

"What Jedi Knight lacks in spark, it compensates for with the oodles of money that a giant like LucasArts can throw into the development process. Add to that good environments, great music, tons of options, solid gameplay, and smooooooth net connections and I can certainly say that fans of the genre won't be disappointed." —Josh Campbell, Gamezilla

Set thousands of years before the events of the movies, Knights of the Old Republic tells a grand story about a Republic soldier with a huge secret who rises to the moment in the midst of a galactic war.

It's an epic work of space fantasy that critics compared favorably with the maligned Star Wars prequel movies— Knights of the Old Republic came out in 2003, between the second and third films—with extra praise going to the story, which featured an intricate branching plot full of difficult choices, and also came with what is still one of video gaming's all-time greatest plot twists.

"KOTOR is like the movie we all hoped Episode I [The Phantom Menace] would be - enthralling plot, marvelous visuals and voice acting, deep immersion in the galaxy's many worlds, with all that noble Jedi malarkey lightened up by old-school Episode 4-style humor." —Electronic Gaming Monthly