But you know what I say to all that? Fuck it. I know that Star Wars is getting a bit of extreme coverage and talking about at the moment so people will probably be getting tired of it at this point if it isn't their sort of thing but with how much of a huge year this was for Star Wars I thought it appropriate to touch off the year with a top ten list of my favourite Star Wars games.
Admittedly some Star Wars games can be pretty shite like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2 (2004) or Shadows of the Empire (1996) but for the most part I think they are pretty good or at least try to do something inventive and enjoyable with the tried and tested Star Wars formula. Speaking to the point, Star Wars is so tried and tested in its story and universe and is so open that the franchise is open to having any number of genres being made out of it in the video game world. So without further ado, lets get into this varied fruit salad of a top ten and count down what, in my opinion, are some of the most admirably and passionately made games I've ever played.
Number 10 - Star Wars Jedi Starfighter (2002)
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OK so this one is easily the weakest game on the list (which is why its at only number 10 you fucking simpletons) but even in the scene of free-flying combat flight simulators created in the late-1990s and early-2000s many of course which were Star Wars games. Jedi Starfighter easily outpaces its 2001 predecessor Star Wars Starfighter not only by having a much fairer rate of difficulty progression in the single-player campaign and bonus missions but also having notably more varied space ships with which to blast about the place in.
The story isn't really much to write home about but that's never really been the main emphasis with the Star Wars flight-sims I find. To be honest this fits as your attention is drawn to the mad manoeuvres you can pull of with different starfighters from across Star Wars canon. Jedi Starfighter manages to have at least a moderately investing story with a wide variation of objectives in each single-player mission and some bonus levels that offer truly gripping action scenarios. True, the game's story is somewhat limited by being linked to the film Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) which many would argue is one of the weaker Star Wars features especially in the story department. Thankfully if this would turn you off then I can gladly say that the plot from the film takes the back seat to a sometimes harrowing plot about a team of jedi and pirate mercenaries desperately trying to stop a separatist general's plot to destroy the republic clone army with a biological super-WMD.
Add to this the varied starfighters and gameplay albeit with less of a sense of adventure of previous starfighter games and yet you still have a highly compelling flight-combat simulator that I would highly recommend to anyone into this genre and who owns a PS 2.
Number 9 - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
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Despite how varied the ventures of the Star Wars franchise have been into the many realms of video game genres its ventures into fighting games have been very few and far between and very small on commercial success. Probably the most prominent Star Wars fighting game aside from this one is Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi (1997) which has been reviled by many as both one of the worst licensed and fighting games of all time. Fortunately, while the tie-in game to the film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) is no Tekken 5 (2004) or Super Street Fighter II (1993) its still a nicely balanced fighting game with a small but varied character roster and some of the most satisfying uses of a lightsaber I've ever had in a video game.
Like I said though, this isn't one of the greatest fighting games ever made but the small size applied to wide variation of play-styles in the character roster helped to make this feel like something of an unappreciated gem in the over-saturated scene of fighting games in the mid-2000s. To be fair, there are characters that feel somewhat overpowered in duel mode (Old Obi-Wan and General Greivous I'm looking at you two) but the lightsaber combat in all its simple fluidity more than makes up for this. Admittedly, performing elegant lightsaber clashes with button pressing on the PS2 controller may not account for the most apparent and immediately immersive lightsaber combat but its certainly better than the alternative found in motion controls such as in Star Wars Kinect (2012).
As for the story it isn't too much to write home about. You play through alternative scenes from the actual movie from different perspectives as either Obi-Wan Kenobi or Anakin Skywalker (thankfully with his whining and emo hair fringe toned down considerably) and with two different endings and a reasonably lengthened campaign at 17 missions you feel like you get your moneys worth. Definitely not as good as many fighting games out there but a decent one and a great Star Wars experience all the same.
Number 8 - Lego Star Wars: The Video Game (2005)
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While none of the Star Wars films (with somewhat exception to episode VII) are not that dark, its kind of inevitable that, whatever franchise will be turned into a Lego game, that the tone will be lightened by being set in the kid-friendly world of these iconic plastic building blocks. I suppose there is a bit of bias in putting this game on here because Lego was one of the central pop-culture pillars of my childhood and Star Wars is one of my top three film franchises of all time (alongside James Bond and the Marvel cinematic universe) but it still isn't as good as the games coming after it on this list. The explanation is simple as I simply just enjoy those games a bit more but even still, this is one of the most user-friendly and expansive action/adventure games released in the mid-2000s. And given the success of the Jak and Daxter and Rachet & Clank series' around this time (2001-2013 and 2002-present respectively) that's saying allot.
Overall the action/adventure gameplay in this entry into the Lego games saga is quite simple but with the added dimension of lightsaber combat and no hokey voice-acting in sight it acts at least as a great intro for little kids or first-time gamers into the world of Star Wars and adventure games. Like I said, arguably the biggest strength of this game is its open endedness to the gameplay coupled with the simple and user-friendly interface, menus and gameplay. Nothing is too heavily expositioned or explained the fuck out of but the game explains everything just enough and primarily through character expression and gameplay, arguably just the way it should be for these kind of games.
This is easily one of the most underrated adventure games of the mid-2000s and a great game for little kids as its nice and light in tone and user-friendly but challenging enough that its still a fun experience and more than worth your money especially as it covers the plots and settings of all 3 of the prequel films.
Number 7 - Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (2002)
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OK so I'm not purposefully trying to repeat myself over and over again but I feel like I am unintentionally am doing so by saying that this is easily one of the most under-appreciated 3rd-person shooters and action/adventure titles of all time. Again, its not the most refined out of these two genres but the way that Bounty Hunter smoothly melds together these two gameplay genres is nothing short of encore-worthy. I never really got that into this game when it first came out as I was more preoccupied by the likes of the original Star Wars Battlefront and the aforementioned Jedi Starfighter which were released the same year and to a considerable degree overshadowed the fledgling 3rd-person shooter cousin of these two games.
I was however introduced to this game with great gusto and enthusiasm by my best friend who to this day tells me that its either one of if not his very favourite video game of all time. In all fairness I can see why as despite some clunky interfaces here and there and some spotty graphics, Bounty Hunter seamlessly merges intense tactical 3rd-person combat encompassing multiple weapons and gadgets with a sense of exploration and adventure seen not all that often in 3rd-person shooters of the time. The gameplay here isn't as user-friendly as in the previous entries and is also considerably harder on a basic level but the difficulty for me is a highly rewarding factor of this gaming experience as we see famed and feared Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett make his way to the top of the bounty hunting food chain and gather together all of his iconic gadgets and weapons.
Add into this a suitably dark narrative and an interesting sense of moral ambiguity in the single player along with one of the most intense and terrifying video game final stages I've ever played. Seriously, don't pass this one up. Especially if you like intense final stages that make you shit yourself.
Number 6 - Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance (1999)
Number 6 - Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance (1999)
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Out of all the games on this list, X-Wing Alliance is probably the one I've played the least but is also one of the most varied and definitely the most expansive. Coming out years before other space -flight/combat-free-flying-sims like Freelancer (2003), Darkstar One (2006) or Elite Dangerous (2014), Alliance defined itself by being possibly one of the most expansive and free-roaming games ever made up until that point and a cornerstone of the Star Wars X-Wing games starting way back in 1994 with Star Wars X-Wing.
All of the X-Wing sub-series feels expansive and free-roaming and were all years ahead of most other combat/flight-simulators of the mid to late-1990s. They didn't bog themselves down too much with story like the Starfighter series did and instead focused on making the expansive world feel bigger with larger environs and more varied gameplay with each successive entry into the series. In a way I feel that the release of Alliance in 1999 being the last one in the series is kind of sad because while the series as a whole was very culturally influential on flight-sims and other alternative adventure games, the games themselves were all very good flight-sims indeed. Perhaps it was because, at the time, this was a niche market in the video-game industry or perhaps the X-Wing series couldn't compete with the growing popularity of a then-little-known series called Ace Combat (1992-present).
Either way and whatever this cause may be, I strongly recommend Alliance and the other X-Wing games if you're one for flight-sims and especially if you're not that into the more streamlined gameplay of something like Starfighter.
Number 5 - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)
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Most gamers will undoubtedly heard of this one. Released in 2003 to wide acclaim and applaud, Knights of the Old Republic is considered by many to not only be one of the best Star Wars games of all time but possibly one of the best RPG's of all time as well. Its not hard to see why really as what was then becoming a genre about as stale as 10-year old Christmas cake covered in moulding flour was reinvigorated somewhat by the sheer scope, replayability and fascinating world, characters and dialogue that this legendary RPG had to offer. Add to this a large amount of character customisation and specialisation and one of the best plot twists in video game history and you have a quintessential Star Wars gaming experience tied up in a neat little RPG package. Is small the proper adjective though? I feel that with how much dialogue, exploration and customisation there is on offer here that my choice of words is somewhat flawed.
Either way, I've talked about this game before at length in reviews of other sci-fi games I've done not to mention my worst sequels top ten list where I lambasted Knights of the Old Republic's inbred and mentally challenged brother of a sequel released barely a year later with somehow worse graphics and gameplay variation. But don't let that get you down. I highly recommend this one although people who may not be so into RPG's and are more partial to quicker games with friendlier interfaces like Lego Star Wars may not like this one all that much. Not for everyone, but still a classic for me.
Number 4 - Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (2003)
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I could just call this 'banter central-the video game' for how many mental circumstances one might get into while playing this well-customisable multi-person lightsaber & shooting action game. To pin Jedi Academy down to one genre is truly difficult as it is essentially a game glued together of bits of RPG, FPS, 3rd-person platformer and shooter, adventure and mod simulator. This is arguably the greatest strength of Jedi Academy in that it merges together multiple genre aspects and factors and easily comes out as the best game in the Jedi Knight series (1995-2003). You can have a massive number of varied action set-pieces and running battles with your mates on the games' highly-moddable multiplayer and explore and break the games' laws of logic in a crazy number of ways. Add to this a straightforward and simple but still rewarding single-player campaign which itself allows you to create an in-depth customisation of a main character and you get a very replayable game with more customisation and modding opportunities than you can shake a double-bladed lightsaber at.
This is arguably the most simple game on the list at its core and at its most un-modded though so I can't really say too much about the multiplayer without repeating myself or about the singleplayer without spoiling it. The campaign does however elevate itself by bringing back some characters from the previous Jedi Knight games like the ever-dickish and awful teacher Kyle Katarn (aka that useless face-beard-wearing dickhead who never helps me out the bastard). This game may be a bit simple in places particularly with the force powers and might not be as refined as Knights of the Old Republic but with its great replayability, modding capability and longevity thanks to being immensely forward and backward-compatible I would not only recommend this to any action-game lover but would do so wether or not they have a computer from 2005 or 2015. It's also very cheap on digital format from most online stores so if you only have a few quid to spare I'd still say to give it a shot or swing.
Number 3 - Star Wars: Republic Commando (2005)
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I mentioned this game before as well on my top ten list of favourite FPS games as a simple but robust and immensely enjoyable and satisfying shooter in which lightsabers are ditched for clone war-era tactical squad-based combat. Therefore I'll try and not ramble too much about this under-appreciated classic of an FPS which melds together squad-based single-player with fast-paced multiplayer to create a satisfying experience that I would recommend to most FPS fans.
There are two major issues with this one that I deigned to mention in my top ten FPS list which is regards to the games' unlockables and multiplayer variation. The secrets and unlockables are fun to find and achieve but feel all to easy to achieve and apart from some concept art and a half-decent music video, really aren't worth much. There's also the issue of how the tactical-squad-based combat present in the single-player isn't present in the multi-player and that the game modes on multiplayer seem a bit copy and pasted from other popular multi-plauer FPS games of the time and even now. However. this is made up for by the games' aforementioned solid gameplay along with its punchy gunplay, simple but satisfying melee combat, challenging and fast-paced combat and immersive settings throughout the planets of Kashykk and Geonosis as well as a Republic Acclamator-class war cruiser.
It might not be the best or most refined FPS or even Star Wars game of all time but like Jedi Academy. this classic is well-compatible and usually very cheap on digital format so I would definitely recommend it to someone who needs a quick but challenging distraction.
Number 2 - Star Wars: Empire at War (2006)
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Whereas 2001-2003 was the age of 3rd-person action platformers, 2005-6 seemed to be the age of RTS gems as within 2006 alone we were treated to two gems of RTS gameplay. First was the World War II-set Company of Heroes and then came Star Wars: Empire at War. Empire at War sets itself out among mid-2000s RTS gems by having alternative single-player modes and multiplayer far stronger than the single-player campaigns on offer here. Now this isn't to say that the Rebel and Empire campaigns in the original game or the Zann Consortium campaign in the expansion pack Forces of Corruption (2006) are bad at all as all three are very varied in their mission objectives, are expansive and decently challenging but compared to the rest of the single-player content and multi-player content they just don't match.
The galactic conquest in single-player is, at least for me, a more satisfying experience than the single-player campaigns because while there isn't as much variation on the objectives, there is allot more freedom of movement within the parameters of each conquest setting which allows for much more freedom of choice in expanding your borders. The galactic conquest mode has resurfaced in multiple Star Wars games in different formats but it, without a doubt, reaches its zenith of quality in Empire at War as you are let free to roam and savage the galaxy as you see fit. As for the multiplayer, LAN is much stronger in the galactic conquest mode but it is immensely enjoyable if a little deadlock-prone to clash with your mates in single battles either on land or in space with a massive number of varied and unique units and turrets with which you can form a wide variety of mad strategies.
As a big RTS nut I can't recommend this one enough. Not only is this my second favourite Star Wars game but I would easily say that its my 3rd or 4th favourite RTS of all time as well. Any accolades given to this gem when it was released are very well deserved and despite a somewhat tiring single-player campaign and weak extra content I would give any other RTS enthusiast the thumbs up on this classic.
Number 1 - Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2005)
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When the 2015 FPS reboot of the Battlefront series (2002-2005) came out and was well optimized, beautiful to look at and had great gunplay but ultimately boiled down to one of the most generic and standard FPS games released over the last few years you can imagine, with the fact that Star Wars: Battlefront II is my favourite Star Wars game that I was more than a bit disappointed. Regardless, I respect the idea of moving the series in a direction it hadn't gone before because creating something new to a series even if it turns out to be a failure is about the bravest thing a developer can do.
It does bring back nostalgic memories however of when this much-awaited sequel to the 2002 classic Star Wars: Battlefront came out and blew the roofs and heads off of action-shooter fans and set itself out to be, arguably, the best game of 2005. Not only is this my favourite Star Wars game but its easily one of my top 10 favourite games of all time seamlessly sewing together interchangeable 1st and 3rd-person shooting with multiple set soldier sets for each army in the game, content for both the Clone War and original trilogy and multiple types of turrets, unlockable heroes and vehicles not to mention the, in my eyes somewhat over-hated space battle mode, This might not be the most graphically impressive game of all, time and certainly not on this list (that award would have to go to Lego Star Wars or Republic Commando) but with decent graphics for the PS2 era and a large variety of maps and settings you also feel like that this is a fun game to explore and run around in as well as shoot up the place.
There are some cons to this classic like how somewhat clunky the heroes V villains mode is or how some heroes on certain battle maps are a bit overpowered (Darth Vader on the Tantive IV I'm looking at you) and the space battles are a little bit copy/paste. But this is still one of those games that has just enough charm, design pros and gameplay panache and variation to outweigh the cons so much so that you have, in my personal opinion, THE quintessential Star Wars gaming experience.
Sorry if this was a bit late and if my upload schedule was a bit lax recently but I hope you all have a great new year and am looking forward to seeing you all in 2016!
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHmq7KX4Qc46VGhYzWqQfOg/videos
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