by theygamesPicking the best Star Wars games can be tricky. There’s a wide range of different games to choose from, and the quality varies wildly. It’s safe to say that Star Wars has produced the most, and perhaps, the highest quality of licensed games, but which is the best?
From the deep, philosophical wrangling of Knights of the Old Republic to the breathless adrenaline rush of podracing in Episode I: Racer, we’ve managed to whittle down the huge amount of Star Wars games to bring you the best of the best. Even a half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder can appreciate that these are some of the best PC games ever made.
Here are the best Star Wars games on PC in 2023:
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
It would have been easy for TT Games to just mash previous Lego Star Wars games together and call it a day, but thankfully the studio has gone that extra mile with The Skywalker Saga. The fresh new content that covers the sequel trilogy has been paired wonderfully with other new sections inspired by previous Lego Star Wars games, making this one of the definitive Star Wars games available right now.
Sure, everything is Lego, but given the disparate fandoms across the different trilogies, what better way to experience the saga in one go then through the lens of a highly sophisticated interlocking brick system (not a toy)? Not only is this an excellent Star Wars game, but it’s also a pretty good co-op game as well if you’re looking for something new to play with your friend or partner.
Our sister website The Loadout has an excellent Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga review if you’re interested in finding out more.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
The first Knights of the Old Republic is a fairly traditional tale, despite the twists and turns. Its sequel, with Obsidian taking over from BioWare, is more ambitious. It has all the trappings of a good Star Wars PC game romp – lightsabers, the Force, and its Light and Dark dichotomy – but it’s all contained in a much bleaker, more philosophical narrative, making it an excellent story game.
And, as much as it allows players to dabble in the Light and Dark sides of the Force, it’s an exploration of the grey area in between them. But it’s exciting, too: with lightsaber duels, absorbing new companions to recruit or corrupt, and the chance to make new enemies at every turn make this action-adventure game quite the space odyssey.
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Proof that not everything that came out of the prequel trilogy was childish junk, Republic Commando is the Rainbow Six of the Clone Wars. Cast as special ops clone trooper RC-1138, you take on missions accompanied by three other commandos that can be bossed about with a variety of orders and context-sensitive commands. As influenced by Halo as it is Tom Clancy’s famous multiplayer game, the tactical elements of Republic Commando didn’t stop it from being a brisk run-and-gun. It’s Star Wars: Republic’s Commando’s simplicity that we need to see more of.
Frequently considered one of the most underrated Star Wars games, this is notable for being completely Jedi-less and trading epic combat for a grittier, ground-level feel. Entertaining touches like modular weapons, a wrist-mounted blade, and a visor wiper that brushed away enemy blood splatter ensure Republic Commando has a charm all of its own.
Star Wars: Empire at War
The core films tend to focus on intimate struggles; Luke and Vader, Anakin and Palpatine, Han and Lando. Yet Star Wars is defined by these personal relationships and how they fit into the backdrop of a much larger conflict. The perfect setting for an RTS game, then. LucasArts have published numerous strategy games set within the Star Wars universe, but Empire at War is easily its best.
Set between Episodes III and IV, Empire at War chronicles the escalating conflict between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. A campaign map containing numerous planets allows you to research technologies and establishing planetary defences, adding a dose of grand strategy.
Skirmishes take place on land using troops and vehicles and in space using cruisers and fighters, which culminates in the classic assault on the first Death Star. Considering the vast amount of 3rd person action games that make up the bulk of the Star Wars games library, this is a welcome change of pace. Sadly though, when it comes to a Star Wars: Empire at War sequel it seems one was pitched to EA, but “nothing has resulted” so far. At least the first game is still getting updates 15 years later.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic has always had a bit of an identity problem. One half tries to be a continuation of the Knights of the Old Republic single-player games, split up into several class stories that let you experience the Star Wars galaxy as a Chiss Imperial Agent or Sith Warrior. The other half is trying to be one of the best MMOs around, but it’s pretty traditional and struggles with its free-to-play elements at times.
It’s the class stories that are worth the intergalactic journey alone: they’re ambitious, authentically Star Wars and epic in scope. The fifth expansion, Knights of the Fallen Empire, puts the focus almost entirely on this part of the game. Knights of the Fallen Empire is, essentially, a single-player game stuck inside an MMO. It’s great, evocative even of Knights of the Old Republic II. Even though this Star Wars game tries hard to wriggle free of its genre, as the closest thing we have to a KOTOR sequel, it’s a must play.
Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer
Whatever you think of Episode I, there’s no denying that its podrace was a tremendous spectacle and a great insight into the sporting world of a far away galaxy. Episode I Racer turns this high-octane sequence into a whole game: players take on the role of a podracer and embark on a season of races on numerous planets. Each track shows off each planet’s unique mythos, such as the Spice Mine Run on Mon Gazza that wound through its vast spice extraction facility.
Winnings can be used to improve your podracer or purchase Pit Droids for enhanced repairs. New racers are unlocked through play, with the ultimate prize obviously being Sebulba and his rival-toasting flamethrowers. The podracers benefit hugely from the licensed sound effects from the films, and while it may be an ugly game by today’s standards, this is a racing game that manages to salvage something strong from that treaty-happy first prequel.
Star Wars: Dark Forces
Kyle Katarn’s first adventure, long before he picked up a lightsaber, sees him doing covert work for the plucky Rebel Alliance and uncovering a dastardly Imperial plot to unleash a massive army. Katarn’s mission? Shoot all the Imperials. At 20 years old, it no longer looks its best. But, back in 1995, it was a way to experience Star Wars from a completely new perspective.
The level design is superb for the time, too: this is a Star Wars PC game that is elaborate and ripe for exploration in a way that modern, linear shooters rarely are. Thankfully it’s also available on GOG and Steam, so you won’t have to hunt for ages to find an ancient physical copy. What’s more, following interest from Nightdive Studios, it looks like this shooter will be restored to former glory in Unreal Engine by an Obsidian developer in a Star Wars: Dark Forces remake.
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
It’s all black and nothingness in space. For the scenic view, try swooping over one of the galaxy’s many scenic planets from an X-Wing cockpit. That’s precisely where Rogue Squadron takes you: this is a flight sim that takes place firmly within its atmospheric confines. You may be less free compared to the X-Wing series, but this doesn’t stop Rogue Squadron from being a stellar flyer.
Rogue Squadron is fast and tight, letting you easily swoop over ground targets, riddle them with blaster fire, and engage in violent chase sequences. Your range of vessels is small, but the X-Wing, A-Wing, Y-Wing, V-Wing, and Snowspeeder all have their own characteristics, making mission replays vastly different in feel, if not in circumstance. Even better, this another Star Wars game with a remaster on the way: a Star Wars: Rogue Squadron remake is in development in Unreal Engine 4 by fans.
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2005)
Not to be confused with EA’s Battlefront II game with the exact same name, this 2005 release is hailed as the finest Star Wars multiplayer FPS experience around. This is Battlefield injected with a little LucasFilm magic. Split across both generations of Star Wars, you take part in some of the most iconic battles of the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War. Four classes split into distinct combat roles, and a strong collection of vehicles and some great open maps ensured you always felt like you were actually on the frontlines.
Battlefront II feels a lot like a war game at times, largely focused on frontline combat between grunts, but this entry brought the Jedi and other legendary soldiers to the field. Cleverly preventing everyone wielding a saber, Jedis are only unlocked after the team scores a set amount of points. It makes their presence on the field feel special, provided the player in control knows their way around a blade, of course.
Star Wars: Tie Fighter
If you’d rather take to the skies on your own, then TIE Fighter is the route to take. Its unfolding narrative is frequently cited as one of the best Star Wars tales around, and that’s certainly down to the tone it takes. Rather than sniggering like an evil villain, the Imperial forces in TIE Fighter genuinely believe they’re fighting an army of terrorists, and playing as a TIE Fighter pilot never feels like being ‘the bad guy’, but rather an important cog in the machine that will crush a threatening insurgency.
Aside from the great story, TIE Fighter lets you strap into the cockpit of one of sci-fi’s greatest ship designs, and operating it feels every bit as cool as you’d expect. You also get to fly alongside the Dark Lord himself, which let’s face it, is in everyone’s top five Star Wars fantasies.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
The word ‘prequel’ can be a dirty word in Star Wars circles. The prequel to a prequel, however, is a reason to celebrate, because it means you’re talking about BioWare’s Knights of the Old Republic, the seminal RPG set many thousands of years before the rise of the Empire. Based on the old d20 ruleset, KOTOR is essentially Dungeons & Dragons: Star Wars edition, and is every bit as brilliant as that sounds.
A rich universe that delves deep into aspects only hinted at in the core films, the game is now part of the ‘Legends’ non-canon. The threat of a Sith warrior known as Darth Malak hangs heavy in the air, made worse by the fact that he’s the apprentice of Darth Revan; a shadowy unseen power whose Vader, Sauron, and Voldemort combined. As with any BioWare RPG, it’s your job to stop him, and you’ll join a team of Jedis, smugglers, pilots, and mercenaries on your journey, as well as take command of your own Millennium Falcon-wannabe the Ebon Hawk.
Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best RPGs on PC for many reasons; its strong cast, great use of the license and its packaged sound effects and music, strategic party-based combat, and some lovely visuals for the time. But ask anyone what the best thing about KOTOR is, and they’ll instantly talk about a very specific plot point. Even now, 11 years after launch, I refuse to write it down for fear of destroying one of gaming’s best narrative sucker punches. Thank the Force it’s getting a remake.
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
Kyle Katarn returned to the PC in Jedi Outcast, one of the finest Star Wars experiences ever crafted. Treading a similar path to its predecessor, Kyle once again must progress from mercenary to Jedi due to cutting ties with the Force after almost falling to the dark side. Built on the Quake III engine, the shooting is naturally solid, but it’s the lightsaber combat that really marks Jedi Knight II as a masterpiece, and a great sword game to boot.
Being able to cycle between light, medium, and heavy combat stances offers a depth to lightsaber combat that hadn’t been seen before, and to date has yet to be beaten, although Jedi Fallen Order’s lightsaber combat comes close. Duels felt intense and evoked the awe that the film’s best clashes inspired. If you inputted the ‘saberrealisticcombat’ cheat code into the game’s console. Suddenly saber swings would slice off limbs and heads, leaving hissing cauterised stumps. Even accidentally walking past people with the blade extended would cut them down.
Combined with Force abilities that felt every bit as powerful as they looked and a path of progression that saw you become ever more competent with your abilities, Jedi Knight II is the true, unrivalled Jedi sim.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Jedi: Fallen Order is set shortly after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and features all the wall running, back flipping, and satisfying combat you’d expect from the Titanfall developers. Force powers play a big part in the game, progressing you through areas and helping you to solve puzzles, not to mention letting you pause time and control stormtroopers like marionettes. This latest Star Wars game is single-player only, focusing on storytelling and revolving around trainee Jedi Cal Kestis, a survivor of Order 66.
As we discuss in our review, Jedi: Fallen Order really hits the mark when it comes to capturing a great deal of what makes Star Wars stories so beloved; exploring a galaxy teeming with life, carrying the tools and obligations that come with being a Force-sensitive Padawan in the Jedi Order, whatever state that order may be in. Add to that a beautifully evocative soundtrack, and an adorable robot sidekick, and we’re looking at one of the best Star Wars games on PC, certainly in recent years. The Star Wars Jedi Survivor release date is rapidly approaching, and you can read our initial impressions of the open world game in our Star Wars Jedi: Survivor preview right here.
Star Wars: Squadrons
Star Wars: Squadrons is both a potent shot of nostalgia for X-Wing and TIE Fighter fans and an incredibly solid arcade flying game in its own right. It nails the look and sounds of Star Wars’ most iconic ships/fighters/spaceplanes while layering in enough depth to keep the large-scale space battles exciting.
You’ve got a decent single-player campaign to work through, which is a fine way to hone your dogfighting skills, then it’s on to the multiplayer modes, which are already full of flying aces to take down. And while EA currently has no plans for post-launch maps, modes, or ships, the core experience remains well worth your time – as our glowing Star Wars: Squadrons review can attest to.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017)
Boasting an original Star Wars story and breathtakingly beautiful multiplayer, Battlefront 2 is the ultimate current-generation big-battle experience. With the majority of the fighting taking place between foot soldiers from the various Star Wars factions, it’s always a sight to behold to see one of the many heroes join the fight. Whether you’re blasting in as Boba Fett or tearing through the empire with Luke Skywalker, Battlefront 2 has everything a Star Wars fan could want.
So there you have it – the best Star Wars games on PC, and indeed some of our absolute favourite PC games ever. Whether you could recite the Jedi Code backward from inside a Sarlaac or you’d struggle to locate the business end of a bowcaster, we reckon these are the Star Wars games every fan should play. If you want something that’s a little lighter on your wallet, check out our rundown of the best free PC games here.