It is hard to talk about iconic franchises without mentioning Star Wars, an intellectual property (or IP) so large that it's engraved itself into pop culture. Lightsabers, blasters, and a great mix of science fiction and fantasy make Star Wars a perfect setting for video games.
While not every Star Wars game is fantastic, the selection of Star Wars games that are worth someone's attention is vast. RPGs, shooters, and even pinball games have managed to take advantage of the Star Wars franchise's many strengths.
10 Star Wars: The Old Republic (85/6.0)
Star Wars: The Old Republic is regarded by many as a generic World of Warcraft clone, and that shows with its rather low user score of 6. What was once one of the most anticipated video games in development fell into obscurity within a few months.
What's unfortunate is how few players have given The Old Republic a second chance. BioWare might have missed the mark with SWTOR's MMO systems, but it absolutely nailed its narrative and main quests. Expansions such as Knights of the Fallen Empire have slowly shifted The Old Republic from a WoW clone to one of the best single-player experiences BioWare has made in recent memory.
9 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (85/8.5)
Owners of the Nintendo 64 will likely remember just how good Star Wars: Rogue Squadron was. In many ways, it still holds up as one of the best Star Wars titles ever made.
Players take control of Luke Skywalker as he assists the Rebellion's Rogue Squadron with defeating the Empire. Flying an X-Wing or Snowspeeder is any fan's dream, further amplified by the game's responsive controls and engaging combat.
8 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic II - The Sith Lords (85/8.5)
Obsidian's take on BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic was met with equal praise and confusion at launch. Many loved the game's writing and new abilities, but some felt that it was unfinished.
Turns out fans were right; Obsidian only had 14 months to create a fully-fledged sequel to the most critically acclaimed Star Wars RPG of all time. Considering the time restrictions, they did a fantastic job. Fans all praise the game's impeccable writing and themes that Star Wars rarely delves into. Every Star Wars fan should try this game out, especially if they play on PC as the Restored Content mod fixes many of Knights of the Old Republic 2's largest issues.
7 LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (86/8.1)
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy is one of the most enjoyable games Star Wars fans can play. The game does a great job recreating iconic scenes from the original trilogy while encouraging exploration and experimentation in its gameplay loop. Younger Star Wars fans can get just as much enjoyment out of this game as any diehard fan of action titles or the IP.
6 Star Wars Pinball: Balance Of The Force (88/6.1)
Pinball FX 2 has some of the best tables players can experience from a pinball video game. One of the most widely praised tables from this game come from Star Wars Pinball: Balance of the Force. Each table takes players through iconic moments in the original trilogy with fantastic visuals. Pinball and Star Wars fans alike will certainly get a kick out of this.
5 Angry Birds Star Wars (88/6.6)
By all accounts, Angry Birds Star Wars is a reskin of the classic Angry Birds, but it's a darn good one at that. The blend of Star Wars Lightsabers and Force powers coupled with the game's iconic physics puzzles is a treat on-the-go. Do note that the console versions of this game have significantly lower review scores on Metacritic due to the game's increased price tag with little extras. For iOS, however, this is worth every penny for fans of the Angry Birds formula.
4 Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (89/8.7)
Lightsaber combat hit its absolute peak with Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. Players get to control Kyle Katarn as he has to realign himself with the Force to defeat the Dark Jedi Desann.
While the game might be considered non-canon now, that should not dissuade any Star Wars fan from trying Jedi Outcast. This game has some of the best designed levels in a third-person action-adventure and has, by far, the best Lightsaber combat Star Wars has seen.
3 Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II (90/8.6)
How could the developers of Rogue Squadron possibly top the game? Moving it to a new generation of consoles is a start. Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II is the sequel to the iconic N64 title and improves on the formula in nearly every way.
This game took full advantage of the GameCube's power by having jaw-dropping visuals for the time that still hold up. Levels are just as replayable and addictive as the first game. New spaceships such as the Millennium Falcon were added some variety to the game's already solid ship roster. The main critique players had with the game was the lack of any multiplayer mode.
2 Star Wars Jedi Knight Dark Forces II (91/8.6)
Star Wars Dark Forces did a great job at separating itself from the myriad of "Doom clones" at the time with its amazing level design and inclusion of cutscenes. It was a radical shift from most shooters at the time, which would see yet another change with Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II.
Not much has changed in the sequel in terms of gunplay, but this game also included the ability for players to wield Lightsabers and the Force. This radically changed gameplay in the best way possible, letting players light up passageways with their Lightsaber or use the Force to assist in gunfights. It would set the foundation for the incredible Jedi Knight games to come.
1 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic (93/9.0)
This shouldn't be a surprise. To many, this is the best video game BioWare has ever made, and it's easy to see why. Knights of the Old Republic manages to take the mystery and scale of the original movies and translate it into a phenomenal RPG with its own unique setting. BioWare managed to use the Star Wars license as a springboard for many unique ideas instead of restricting themselves to pre-developed lore. What resulted was one of the most unique stories BioWare has ever told that is still revered to this day.