For over a single generation, LucasArts was the guardian of excellent games in the Star Wars franchise. Before the dark times, before the Disney acquisition.
Yes, LucasArts developed some of the best games in the Star Wars franchise, but Disney ultimately scrapped it, creating a new entity called Lucasfilm Games. To be fair, under the new company, Electronic Arts and Disney Interactive Studios have created some fantastic games, but they’re not in the LucasArts library. That leaves the Jedi Survivor and Fallen Order games out, though many excellent titles remain. We’ve combed through the dozens of Star Wars games released by LucasArts between 1990 and 2021, and found the top ten.
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10) Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was released on the Super Nintendo in 1993, following the 1991 release of Super Star Wars. The game features different characters and is based on the movie as well as its predecessor. It differs by allowing the use of a primary and secondary weapon, as well as a double-jump mechanic. The game was praised for its level design and superior gameplay over its predecessor. A sequel was released, though The Empire Strikes Back is widely considered to be the best of the trilogy and the best Star Wars game on the SNES.
9) Star Wars Episode I: Racer
While the first prequel movie has its detractors, there’s no denying that the pod racing scene was perfect for a video game adaptation. The result was Star Wars Episode I: Racer, released in 1999 on all available systems. The game is set on Tatooine and features all the racers and the course from The Phantom Menace, as well as several new ones. Jake Lloyd and Lewis MacLeod reprised their roles of Anakin and Sebulba for their characters. The game is as fun as you’d imagine flying about on a pod racer would be. It’s also the best-selling sci-fi racing game of all time, and has been re-released on various modern consoles.
8) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed hit the major consoles in 2008 and blew everyone away. It introduces the character of Galen “Starkiller” Marek (Sam Witwer), a secret protégé of Darth Vader. The game is set between the Prequel and Original trilogies, serving as a narrative bridge, and it allows players to use the Force in ways previous games couldn’t due to technical limitations. This makes The Force Unleashed an incredibly fun and engrossing game, and it spawned an equally good sequel. The Force Unleashed sold more than 7 million copies and is renowned for its impressive physics, story, graphics, acting, soundtrack, and more.
7) Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)
While there is a 2017 game of the same name, it wasn’t released by LucasArts. Still, many would consider the original the superior title, despite arriving a dozen years earlier on relatively limited hardware. Star Wars: Battlefront II is the second installment in the series and was released on every available system in 2005. It features new characters, vehicles, mechanics, maps, and missions. It has a story-driven campaign that tells parts of the franchise’s story from the perspective of a veteran Clone Imperial Stormtrooper. Battlefront II sold over 6 million copies, and its servers remain online as of writing despite several periods where they were disabled.
6) Star Wars: Empire at War
Star Wars: Empire at War is a 2006 real-time strategy game set throughout the Star Wars galaxy. The game centers on the fight between the Empire and the burgeoning Rebel Alliance, and includes three game modes: a story-based campaign, skirmish, and galactic conquest. Battles take place on planet surfaces, but they can also take place in space, using a variety of ground units and starfighters as well as larger capital ships. Star Wars: Empire at War was incredibly successful, selling nearly 7 million copies, and it also spawned an expansion pack, Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption.
5) Star Wars: Republic Commando
In Star Wars: Republic Commando, players take control of RC-1138 “Boss,” the squad leader of a unit of Clone Commandos. The squad is composed of four genetically enhanced Clone Troopers, and the gameplay is a first-person shooter in which players must complete missions set during the Clone Wars. The player can direct their squadmates by issuing commands, enabling broader tactical options to accomplish missions. Republic Commando was widely praised for its story, combat mechanics, and characters. It’s easily one of the best classic Star Wars FPS’ ever made, and an enhanced port has found its way onto modern systems.
4) Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 is the sequel to Dark Forces, released two years earlier in 1995. While the first game is excellent, the second game ups the ante significantly, adding a variety of gameplay and technical improvements over its predecessor. In the game, the player takes control of Kyle Katarn, a New Republic mercenary who sets out on a quest to confront his father’s killer while unwrapping a wider mystery surrounding the Force and the so-called “Valley of the Jedi.” The game includes branching paths and FMV cutscenes, which were impressive for the time. It adds lightsaber and Force combat to the series alongside multiplayer, and remains a beloved classic from the 1990s.
3) Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
The second of the Rogue Squadron games, Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, was released in 2001 on the GameCube, and it is a massive improvement over an already impressive title. The game spans the storylines of all three Original Trilogy films, focusing on two pilots: Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles. As the game progresses through the storyline, the pilots face increasingly challenging Imperial opponents as the Rebel Alliance takes shape and overcomes the Empire. Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader features impressive graphics, gameplay, and sound, and is easily the best Star Wars game on the GameCube.
2) Star Wars: TIE Fighter
Star Wars: TIE Fighter is the second game in the Star Wars: X-Wing series, and it’s an improvement over its predecessor in several ways. In the game, the player takes control of an Imperial TIE Fighter and fights for the Empire rather than against it. This switches the perspective from the Rebel Alliance to the Empire, which many players appreciated. Its gameplay is superior, as are its graphics, which appear dated today but were an incredible achievement in 1994. It’s widely considered one of the best games of all time and is easily the best Star Wars game released on early ‘90s computers.
1) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
If you’ve ever played it, you probably knew that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was going to take the top spot on this list. The game is set 4,000 years BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), and is a role-playing game that introduces a variety of features and options to the Star Wars franchise. The game’s overarching story is one of the best-written of any Star Wars game, and it’s easily the best that LucasArts ever made, though it didn’t do so alone, as BioWare developed KOTOR. A sequel followed, which was also excellent, but many fans consider the first to be the best.
What’s your favorite LucasArts Star Wars game? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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