The games that saved my love for Star Wars

Like many kids in the 90s, I grew up Star Wars. For a while it was all about playing VHS tapes because it was available, and comics and books didn't appeal, although I had a few friends who loved them. The video games based on the movies were also fun to play, as were the SNES games, which were incredibly challenging. In the mid 1990s and early 2000s, things changed for video game fans as the quality leveled off.

I was able to heal myself during bad times with good video games Star Wars droughts when there were no movies, or times when movies just didn't live up to expectations. While not all of these games hold up today, they helped me through some tough times in the fandom.

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Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire

A big event for the franchise

Star Wars: Episode 6 – Return of the Jedi was released in 1983 and another film, Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menacewouldn't come out until 1999. That meant Star Wars fans had to wait ages for a new movie and meanwhile the books satisfied them. It wasn't until 1996 that there was a huge, almost movie-level event involving an N64 game Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. Action figures were released for it along with the book, so it was a big deal for LucasArts to make it seem like a big deal, and it certainly was for a lot of kids during the first year of the N64's life cycle.

I didn't have an N64 growing up, but as a Star Wars fan, luckily I got to fully experience it Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire at a cousin's house and my mind was impoverished. The new hero Dash Rendar was like the new Han Solo, the third person shooting was good and the vehicle segments were a real treat. It was short so it wasn't hard to finish but that gave it credibility as if it was new Star Wars a film with a beginning, middle and end. Looking back, after a short playthrough the game doesn't hold up today, but the memories live on as an important step in realizing that Star Wars can exist outside of movies. For those curious, it's very cheap on Steam and works on Steam Deck.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

A prequel that worked

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was released in 2003 and at this point in Star Wars history, the first two prequel movies were out. Many fans were disappointed with them and the games that came with them, which were based on the movies and in some cases were actually more fun. he said that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic it was amazing. It managed to distance itself from contemporary lore by being set thousands of years before the movies, and proved that and Star Wars a prequel could be good. This was an age where the Jedi thrived alongside the Sith. Players could create their character to wake up with amnesia before being rescued and brought to the Jedi Temple to explore their Force-sensitive nature.

The game clearly encouraged players to become Jedi, but they could also have their say in where they wanted the story to go, including turning to the dark side. It was an incredibly open-ended game and the first true RPG in the franchise. With brilliant writing, great supporting characters, and simple yet effective combat, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic still holds. This is another example of a game I couldn't play alone growing up, instead I had to play it at a friend's place, which I finished on his Xbox. Fortunately, he never messed with my save file. It also made me appreciate BioWare as a developer that I have since followed religiously.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Conquering the galaxy and my heart

From everyone Star Wars there is no game ever made that I obsess over Star Wars: Battlefront 2. There are technically better games out there, but this one just hit the spot for me and my friends back in 2005. It came out months after the last prequel film, Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sithwhich was somewhat related to it. Overall, it focused on the one thing the prequel movies did right: The Clone Wars. The very nature of this war made it easy to adapt to video games because the lore was so loose between the second and third films. The Clone Troopers were the heroes, and since they were clones, it made sense that there was so much canon fodder for a video game to play with.

While Star Wars: Battlefront 2 the clone wars saga was great, it was also full of original trilogy content as players could also join the forces of the Rebels or the Empire. The mode I was obsessed with the most was Galactic Conquest, which was kind of like the board game Risk. Players could take their army across different regions and try to save or conquer the galaxy one planet or space battle at a time. Fortunately for my sanity, the game was re-released in 2024 Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection. Sure, there are old aspects, but as an arcade experience, it still fills me with warm nostalgic feelings of late nights on my PS2, both alone and with friends fueled by Code Red.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

The Dark Side of the Force

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Released

September 16, 2008

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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was the next big game that took the franchise to new heights in 2008, long after the prequel films and long before the sequel trilogy. While it wasn't perfect, it couldn't do anything else Star Wars game you've tried before: it put players in control of an incredibly powerful Jedi with loose morals. Players could play as dark Jedi in games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republicbut since it was an RPG with MMO-style combat, it was harder to create that power fantasy without direct feedback.

IN Star Wars: The Force Unleashedplayers control Starkiller, a secret apprentice whom Darth Vader is eventually ordered to kill. Instead, Starkiller escaped, and while on the run he could use his dark Jedi powers to cut soldiers in two, throw them off buildings, or use mind control to create allies along with other abilities. It was a short ride but thrilling and I appreciated it on PS3 but not so much for the sequel that muddied the waters. by itself Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a good action game that managed to bridge the gap between the prequel and the original trilogies nicely for its time.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Cal's journey continues

Like the prequel trilogy, the new film trilogy has been mixed, and while reviews of the first two films have been relatively positive, the final film in 2019, Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalkerfans like me want more. Concurrent with this film was Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order later that year, even though it received praise from the press and fans, I came away with an overall negative feeling about it. The concept was good, with Jedi apprentice Cal Kestis learning the ropes before the original trilogy took place, but the execution left something to be desired. Between that and the movie, my love Star Wars decreased in 2019.

The color surprised me when it is 2023 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor it got me out of my rut and solved almost all the problems I had with the first game. Each planet was now more open, the gameplay was less rigid and hard to learn, and Cal as the protagonist was less whiny and more confident in his Jedi abilities. It was the perfect balance between a great action game and an adventure game that allows players to discover secrets the more they explore. A third entry, if it ever happens, can't come soon enough, as Cal is easily one of the best Jedi in modern times Star Wars video game canon.

Star Wars Outlaws

Underworld in an open world

Star Wars Outlaws fell off his heel Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in 2024, which caught me at a time when I was still excited about the franchise, at least in the video game world. While Dash from Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was technically a villainous character, the game itself was a shooter, like many others Star Wars the games are. They're either shooters or Jedi action games, which is why Star Wars Outlaws he struck a chord with me. It successfully performed on the idea that stealth-based Star Wars a criminal underworld game could work.

Like many, I'm still pretty upset about the cancellation Star Wars 1313which was also going to take place in the criminal underworld. Star Wars Outlaws she was like the next best thing in years. Most of the planets were open world to some degree, and the alliance system with big crime bosses to ally with (or against) gave players open access to missions and exploration. It was also great because the main role of va Star Wars game, which rarely happens. I would even say that the crime drama was more impressive Solo: A Star Wars Story tried to achieve on film, so overall I hope Ubisoft gives this game a sequel.