The Star Wars franchise has produced some of the most entertaining games dating as far back as the years of Atari and classic arcades. There have been over 80 video games made over the years but while some may be forgettable, there are a plethora of releases that have been go-to classics across all platforms that still hold-up to this day. Sometimes, escaping to a ‘Galaxy Far, Far Away’ can be a challenging, yet rewarding experience as far as the gaming world is concerned. Whether taking control of my favourite Starfighters or becoming a digital version of my favourite heroes and embracing the power of the Force itself, it was indeed hard to pick just five of my favourites. Without further ado, here’s the Top 5 Best Star Wars Games.

5. Rebellion

(LucasArts, 1998) PC

Rebellion is a real-time strategy game that puts you in command of Rebel or Imperial fleets, heroes, regiments and planetary defenses across the span of the entire Star Wars Galaxy. Although lesser known, there are countless hours to be played trying to dominate your opposition in this one. The object is to recruit as many heroes and planetary systems to your cause as you can, build an unstoppable fleet of ships and fighters, defend your assets and eliminate the enemy before they destroy your side. What made this game was the ability to use every known ship and hero available to the Star Wars Expanded Universe for the first (and only) time and experience a truly authentic intergalactic war from beginning to end. The added bonus was that if you played as the Empire, you could eventually build your very own Death Star and destroy anything in its path.

4. Battlefront

(Electronic Arts, 2015) PC, PS4, Xbox One

The latest Battlefront game came out a little prematurely and didn’t include a proper single player campaign like its predecessors. However, the game is extremely intense and visually mesmerizing. In the game, you experience the hardships of a frontline soldier in the battle for the dominance of the galaxy. Choose to relive classic events from the Original Trilogy or embark on new adventures, spanning from the land to the air in numerous, different environments. It may be noted that this one is for the experienced online first-person shooter gamer.

3. Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

(Raven/Vicarious Visions, 2002) PC, Xbox, GameCube

Based on the life story of fan-favourite Expanded Universe character, Kyle Katarn, this game is actually the third of four in the Dark Forces franchise. Like its predecessor Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight, it was one of the first times you could wield a lightsaber freely and demolish your enemies by using the Force in a video game environment. This series of games may not have been tied to the original movies but was extremely important to the original extended storyline and this was by far the best chapter in it.

2. TIE Fighter

(LucasArts, 1994) PC

A sequel to 1993’s X-Wing, there was something extremely satisfying about these games (and the two that followed) that no release has been able to be compare to it since. This open space, free flight simulator put you in control of almost every type of TIE Starfighter. A pilot for the fleet of the intimidating and powerful Grand Admiral Thrawn, your mission is to destroy the traitor Zaarin and his arsenal of ships. TIE Fighter not only has some of the best gameplay in the Star Wars Universe, but it’s one of the best storylines as well.

1. Knights of the Old Republic

(LucasArts/Bioware, 2003) PC, Xbox

KoToR was the first massive role-playing games in the Star Wars Universe and it’s still the greatest to date. Full of twists, it told the incredibly compelling story of Darth Revan; one of the most powerful Force users ever. The game was also the first to explain the history of the Jedi and Sith, their war and the struggle for the Republic. From a variety of armour to blasters, Force powers to lightsabers, and from choices in dialogue to the ability of turning to the dark side; it wasn’t only an amazing game but it was infinitely customizable, immense and long, as well. It made you feel completely invested and the shocking ending made you want to play it all over again.

~~Chris Swift~~