For better or worse,Star Warsain’t what it used to be. I’m not just talking about the movies either, as video games have been a huge part of the franchise since the early 80s. For some of us, the smaller screen has been far more influential than the bigger one.
While there have been some rough patches, a goodStar Warsgame hits the nostalgia receptors in your brain like no other. Here are some of the best that have yet to receive the remasters or sequels that they deserve.
I’m going to use the term “remaster” loosely here. While remasters and remakes are quite different, let’s split the difference and say sometimes a full remake is the more logical choice.
7Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
ThoughJedi Knight: Dark Forces IIwasn’t the firstStar Warsgame I played, it was the first one I truly fell in love with. Released in 1997 for Windows,Jedi Knightwas a first-person shooter with an optional third-person view that put you in the shoes of a mercenary named Kyle Katarn. It’s a direct sequel to the originalDark Forces, which was released two years earlier, and it made some significant technical improvements like adding support for 3D acceleration.
The game included light, dark, and neutral force powers into which you could invest stars gained from completing levels. You could use light powers to persuade and heal, dark powers to choke or cast lightning, and neutral powers to improve agility. You also had a lightsaber that was a powerful melee tool and also doubled as a shield to deflect incoming fire.
I’m happy to admit that the prospect of aJedi Knightremaster is so intoxicating because of the fact that I was 12 when I first played it. What’s most promising is the fact that the originalDark Forcesreceived a stellar remaster by the talented Nightdive Studios in 2024. Though nothing is official yet, I’m holding out hope thatJedi Knightgets the same treatment.
6Episode I: Racer
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menacetripped and stumbled onto the big screen, but it did introduce the world to podracing. This came at a time when racing games likeF-ZeroandWipeoutwere very much in vogue, and whizzing around sci-fi themed tracks at ridiculous speed was some of the best fun you could have on a console.
Episode I: Racerwas re-released for PC in 2018, with a limited edition Nintendo 64 run commissioned. Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions followed in 2020. While it’s nice to have an accessible version of the game on modern platforms, I can’t help but wonder what a true next-generation podracing game would look like.
Despite being a bad film, the nostalgia factor might finally be able override the bad taste thatEpisode Ileft in its wake. Games likeFast RMXand the upcomingFast Fusionare attempting to fill anF-Zero-shaped hole in the racing game market but it might have to fall on theStar Warslicense to thrust these games back into the mainstream again.
5X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
Space combat games may have seen a bit of a resurgence in popularity over the last decade or so but back in 1997, they were all the rage.X-Wing vs. TIE Fighterwas one of the best examples of its kind, being the third entry in LucasArts’ space combat series and the game multiplayer modes for the first time.
The game was a hit, though it did receive some criticism for being so focused on multiplayer and lacking an interweaving story. This prompted LucasArts to release the single-player focusedBalance of Powerexpansion pack. As a youngStar Warsfan who remembers going round to a friend’s house to play this for hours; this never occurred to me. You’d pick your mission and ship from a menu and then wrestle with a joystick until the fun was over. Rinse, repeat.
Unfortunately,X-Wing vs. TIE Fighterhasn’t received anything in the form of a remaster. At the time, it was a rare game that wouldn’t even launch if you didn’t have a joystick connected. Now that every console is equipped with some sort of analog control (and vastly superior hardware to what was available in 1997), maybe it’s time for a humble remaster?
4Star Wars: DroidWorks
You might not rememberDroidWorksif you weren’t part of the target demographic when the game was released in 1998 (for both Windows and Macintosh). This is an edutainment game that tasks you with building droids in order to complete certain objectives, like reaching difficult locations or figuring out how to retrieve an object. It’s an educational front for learning about science and math, with detailed explanations of the concepts at play.
Droids are first designed in the workshop, allowing players to pick from nearly 100 parts before painting and naming their creations. Then it’s out into the world to complete objectives, which often requires that you go back to the drawing board and make adjustments or scrap your droid entirely to come up with something more suitable.
While games likeKerbal Space Programhave picked up this baton, theStar Warslicense lends a certain charm to the format that clearly resonated with younger audiences of the time. A sequel that could serve as a reboot sounds like an iPad or Switch game just waiting to happen. Unfortunately, you may’t even buy the original anymore.
3Empire at War
Released in 2006,Empire at Waris one of only a handful ofStar Warslicensed strategy games to exist. It includes three core modes: a linear campaign storyline where you save the day as usual, a Galactic Conquest mode where you pick between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire and aim to achieve different objectives depending on the scenario, and a skirmish mode that is a mainstay of the genre.
This is a real-time strategy (RTS) game, with battles taking place on planets and in space. Resource management is an important aspect of the game, with players diverting credits earned by controlling planets to invest in technology and units. Battles take place separately from the main galactic map, which adds an interesting extra layer to the action.
Empire at Warhas anactive modding scene that has attempted to maintain and modernize the gameby adding new eras ofStar Warsand even converting the game into different flavors, includingHalo,Stargate, andMass Effect. The game even received an official patch in 2024. It’s been almost 20 years, surely the community deserves a sequel by now?
2Star Wars: Battlefront II
I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive EA for what the company did toBattlefront II. The game was released in 2017 as a direct sequel to 2015’sBattlefront(which itself is a reboot of the series that first debuted in 2004). The previous entry may have been a little shallow, but it was a lot of fun and it looked spectacular at the time. While the sequel should have been more of the same but better, it contained some of the most egregious pay-to-win mechanics ever seen in a triple-A game.
The included loot boxes, which could be bought for an additional fee, could give players competitive advantages in a game that launched at full price. The backlash was so severe that EA decided to remove microtransactions altogether and rebalance the game, but it was too late.Battlefront II’s reputation was in the toilet, and many decided to sit it out altogether.
For the uninitiated, the game takes theBattlefieldformula and drops it into theStar Warsuniverse. This is a recipe that works, and now that EA has hopefully learned its lesson, maybeBattlefront IIIis what’s needed to get the formula back on track (particularly given the mess that wasBattlefield 2042).
1Republic Commando
Republic Commandowas a bold and successful take on aStar Wars-themed tactical first-person shooter. Released for the original Xbox and Windows in 2005, the game puts you in command of a squad of clone troopers and gives you control over how your team handles various confrontations across a single-player campaign that lasts around 10 hours.
The shooter stood out for the quality of its story, its solid combat, and the tactical nature of the game, which hadn’t been seen in aStar Warsgame before. It released during the window of time that games likeGhost Recon Advanced Warfightersaw widespread success, and that first-person shooters really found their footing on home consoles rather than just PCs.
A true follow-up titledImperial Commandowas intended, but the game was cancelled.Rogue Commandowas ported to the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in 2021, though these versions are a far cry from full remasters. It would be nice to see what many consider to be the finestStar Warsfirst-person shooter get the reboot it deserves, and the game could even work well as a co-operative multiplayer experience.
Though recentStar Warsgames have been a bit dull, there are more releases on the way including a follow-up toJedi Survivor, a newturn-based tactical gametitledZero Company, andStar Wars: Eclipsefrom Quantic Dream (the same studio responsible for“choices matter” games likeHeavy RainandDetroit: Become Human).
There’s also a full remake of the beloved BioWare classicKnights of the Old Republicin production.
