The 15 Best Star Wars Video Games Ranked, According To Metacritic
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How are the best Star Wars games ranked? From Lego Star Wars to Knight of the Old Republic, Metacritic’s scores show a wide universe of great titles.
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The Star Wars franchise extends far beyond the realm of cinema and the Skywalker saga. For over forty years, the iconic property has branched out to television shows, comics, books, and, of course, video games. Some of Star Wars’ best stories, best characters, and most enjoyable memories for fans have come from video games.
While there are a whole host of duds, the amount of good to great games far outweighs them. Some are so good that they transcend Star Wars and are simply some of the best games of people’s childhoods and the years that they came out, something to which Metacritic can attest. While there are many Star Wars phone and arcade games, taking the highest version of each game and only considering games with over 20 critic votes gives the fairest representation of the best Star Wars games and their ranking.
Updated on July 14th, 2021 by Rhys McGinley: For decades the Star Wars franchise has been pumping out content across all mediums, not least of all video games. While that side of Star Wars is in a bit of a lull, not releasing anywhere near the number of games fans want, that does not mean there is not a vast catalog of Star Wars games out there, many of which are beloved by fans and critically acclaimed. Metacritic is as good a place as any to find what fans and critics alike believe are the best Star Wars video games of all time, of which there are far more than just ten. How are the best Star Wars games ranked?
15 Lego Star Wars (2005) – 79/100
Released in 2005, the first LEGO Star Wars game, unlike the movies, begins in chronological order with the prequel trilogy, and as is standard practice with LEGO games, it is great fun.
The game is short, simple, with no real depth, but that is not exactly why players and fans buy the game. It is for entertainment, to swing LEGO lightsabers with LEGO Star Wars characters, and on that front, while not as complete as the next installments it succeeds.
14 Star Wars: Empire At War (2006) – 79/100
Empire At War is a bit more complex and harder to grasp than the basic LEGO game but is a game packed full of fun for the right audiences who enjoy a real-time strategy game.
Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Empire At War focuses on the struggle between the rebels and the Empire, allowing players to take charge of armies and change the course of the war. It has good graphics and sound for the time and is genuinely a lot of fun for those who want to lead one side of the Galactic Civil War. It is definitely one of the best Star Wars games of all time for the PC only.
13 Star Wars: Squadrons (2020) – 79/100
While Star Wars is in a bit of a dry spell in terms of video games, with only four console games since the Disney takeover, they have all been of high quality, including Star Wars: Squadrons.
It is the game fans of piloting and flight simulation had hoped for since the times of Rogue Squadron and did not disappoint. The longevity of the game is not great, and it is not a deep game, but with a fun campaign and immersive, stunning gameplay, it is fantastic fun for fans.
12 Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (2007) – 80/100
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga does what it says on the tin really. It is a fun, easy, relaxing LEGO Star Wars experience that delves into the first two trilogies of the franchise.
The game is simply a combination of both other LEGO Star Wars games of the time, with some added extras. With unlockables and secrets the game manages to have a surprising amount of depth that only adds to the experience giving players hours and hours of fun.
11 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019) – 81/100
Ever since the Disney-takeover and EA exclusive contract of distributing Star Wars video games, fans clamored for a single-player adventure to go alongside the Battlefronts. Jedi: Fallen Order took a while to come, but was worth the wait.
The story of the game on its own is worth going through. It explores an always fascinating time in the canon through exceptional characters, with a lot of canon connectivity. On top of that, the gameplay is fantastic, with elements such as customizable lightsabers being great fun for all. For single-player fans, this tops the list of the best Disney-era Star Wars games, with the fandom desperate for a sequel announcement.
10 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (2003) – 81/100
The Jedi Knight series is one of the most beloved sets of games in Star Wars, primarily focusing on the iconic Legends character Kyle Katarn, with Jedi Academy being the final entry in that saga.
The gameplay in Jedi Academy is fantastic. While Kyle Katarn is not the playable character – that being Jaden Korr – it is still an excellent game that, while not graphically outstanding, still holds up relatively well twenty years later. With a great story, fantastic lightsaber combat, and lightsaber customization up the wazoo, it is a must for any fan who wants to delve into classic video games.
9 Star Wars: Battlefront (2004) – 82/100
A decade before EA managed to get themselves exclusive Star Wars games distribution rights, Star Wars: Battlefront was one of the most beloved aspects of the franchise’s prequel era, coming out right before Episode III.
The two Battlefront games of the mid-2000s golden era of Star Wars games were a huge part of the prequel era children’s childhoods. With exceptionally fun gameplay, a bunch of great maps and trooper classes, as well as different game modes to enjoy, Battlefront from 2004 deserves its praise as one of the best Star Wars video games.
8 Star Wars: Starfighter (2001) – 84/100
Star Wars: Squadrons marked the long-awaited return of flight simulation to Star Wars video games, with many great games of the past focusing solely on flight and vehicles rather than ground assault and the Force.
Starfighter is a cool, relatively small-scale spin-off to The Phantom Menace in which players are placed in the pilot’s seat – within multiple starfighters – in an attempt to stop the invasion threat on Naboo. It is a simple and wildly entertaining Star Wars video game.
7 Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005) – 84/100
As much as fans adore the original Battlefront, its 2005 sequel surpasses it in just about every way imaginable as far as quality and popularity go. For what Battlefront is and is supposed to be, it was the perfect sequel.
With the addition of heroes and villains, a slight improvement in overall gameplay, the campaign and different game modes, and changes to a lot of the maps, Battlefront II is a wildly entertaining FPS that every fan can enjoy.
6 Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011) – 85/100
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games are not for everyone. The commitment they require with time and grind they need is too much for a lot of people. But it is a market with a lot of demand which The Old Republic has given supply to as far as Star Wars goes for the past ten years.
With a plethora of stories to be told through the different classes and morality of characters, as well as the massive amounts of DLC content, The Old Republic is a seemingly neverending source of Star Wars Legends stories and fun. The cinematic trailers for the game alone make them beloved by people who may not even know of the game and it ranks, by Metacritic’s calculations, as the best Star Wars game not released in the 2000s.
5 Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (2006) – 86/100
There are few things in life better than chilling and having a fun, easy-going time with one of the Lego: Star Wars games. With a new one on the way in 2021, now is the perfect time to replay some of the finest games of Star Wars fan’s childhoods.
While The Complete Saga has more to offer and the original is the classic, with Lego The Clone Wars and Lego The Force Awakens offering more niche experiences, it is The Original Trilogy version of the Star Wars game that’s ranked best by Metacritic. It is just heaps of fun playing through light-hearted versions of the events of the movies with a slew of beloved characters, fun cheats, and weirdly addictive collectibles like canisters and the ‘True Jedi’ moniker.
4 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (2004) – 86/100
The 2004 sequel makes some changes to the gameplay of the original, and the story is not as strong as its original either; however, Knights Of The Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is still a pretty great Star Wars game.
Taking place a few years after the original, remaining in the Old Republic era, there is a completely new story that is still connected to the story of Revan/the Outlander from the first game. In fact, this game’s events change based on those choices players made in the first one. This game follows the main character, ‘the Exile,’ as they reconnect with the Force and either help or hinder the restoration of the Republic and the downfall of the Sith.
3 Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (2002) – 89/100
Jumping back to the Jedi Knight series, Jedi Outcast came just before Academy and is the penultimate game of the series, and puts players in control of Kyle Katarn once again in a post-Return of the Jedi Galaxy.
Jedi Outcast sees Katarn as a mercenary following the severing of his Force connection after the temptation of the dark side almost took over him. The game is full of characters both beloved (like an incredibly powerful Luke Skywalker) and new and is a fantastic, relatively unique character piece. Katarn further cemented his legacy in this game as one of Star Wars Legends’ best characters.
2 Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II (2001) – 90/100
When the aforementioned Star Wars: Squadrons was initially announced, what truly got fans excited about it was to play a modern-day version of the beloved Rogue Squadron games.
To those who are not a fan of flight simulation games, or games along those lines, it may be a surprise to see this game’s high score. However, the impact and adoration of the Rogue Squadron series cannot be understated. Spread across all three original trilogy films, Rogue Leader follows Rogue Squadron members, including Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles during the Galactic Civil War. Between the graphics, sound design, story, and gameplay, it is undoubtedly Star Wars’ greatest ever flight game.
1 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic (2003) – 93/100
Of course, when the conversation arises about the best Star Wars game, there is one game that will always be at the top of fan’s minds, dominating that argument, Knights Of The Old Republic.
Even though the graphics and combat style are not for everyone, the game’s story is pretty flawless. Playing as a mysterious Force-sensitive Republic fighter with connections to Bastilla Shan and Revan, the game has a collection of great characters, fantastic customization, difficult choices, and phenomenal exploration. The main story of finding Star Maps is terrifically done, with a slew of side missions being a huge amount of fun and adding a lot of depth to the Galaxy that a lot of other games do not provide. There is a reason fans have clamored for a new version of this game since Disney’s takeover.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/best-star-wars-video-games-ranked-metacritic/