It’s almost here. After ten years since the end of the prequel trilogy, and a massive thirty years since the end of the original movies, Star Wars returns to theaters this week with the release of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
Star Wars is, of course, a cultural phenomenon, a behemoth of a franchise that extends beyond just being movies to a part of our collective social consciousness. A lot of this has to do with just how ever present the series is, everywhere you go. Star Wars is the original merchandizing king, and it’s got tendrils extending into everything– there are the movies, yes, but Star Wars has extended itself into all media- from TV shows to music concerts, from comics to trading cards, from tabletop RPGs to LEGO sets, and yes, to video games of all kinds.
There have been over one hundred Star Wars games- these have ranged from direct movie tie ins to proper expansions of the canon and lore, from shallow mobile games to full fledged AAA releases with in depth gameplay, from shooters to strategy games to role playing games, to everything in between. It’s a staggering variety of games, to be honest- how do you even wade your way through all of that to find the games that are great?
The answer- we’ve done it for you. Ahead of the launch of Star Wars Episode VII, here’s a list of the fifteen very best Star Wars games that you should look into trying out for yourself.
STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER (PS2/XBOX/PC)
Remember the Star Wars flight action games on the Nintendo 64? Star Wars Starfighter was like a spiritual successor to those on the PS2, Xbox, and PC. The game’s story is set after the Battle for Naboo (which got its very own game on the N64!), and features the player taking control of multiple spacecraft to fend off an impending invasion of the planet Naboo. Generally, Battle for Naboo for the N64 may have been considered the superior game at the time of its release, but Star Wars Starfighter holds up better (particularly the Xbox version) thanks to its superior graphics and multiplayer options. It was re-released on Steam in 2008, so it’s not easy to track down.
