Summary
Star Warsand video games have a long, storied history that dates back to the early 1980s. It has continued to be a fruitful relationship, resulting in some truly spectacular games, and one element ofStar Warsthat games have consistently looked to emulate is the satisfying discharge of a blaster. Lightsabers may be all the rage, butStar Warsgames have often put a spotlight on shooting and some of the best games based on the space fantasy series have involved shooting of some kind.
Whether it’s a first-person shooter, a third-person shooter, or a 2D side-scroller, the variety seen within the multitude of films and spin-off materialhas extended into the games. From every era of the series,Star Warsvideo games have had some excellent shooting systems in games. And thanks to the expansive lore that stretches across centuries of history, it’s one that video games have been able to take advantage of in some amazing ways.
7Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2
The Sequel To Dark Forces Shifts To 3D
While the originalDark Forcesgame shared some DNA with the likes ofDoomandWolfenstein, the sequel felt like the little brother ofQuake. Instead of 2D sprites from a 3D perspective,Dark Forces 2went full-steam aheadin the growing 3D market and did so in a fantastic way.
The pace of the game is excellent, as it feels faster and more akin to the chaotic blaster fights one might see in the films. It also offers a range of classicStar Warsweapons, such as blasters, thermal detonators, and crossbows. When paired together with some incredible production values, it truly does feel like it could co-exist with the bestStar Warsfeature films and is an absolute blast to play today.
BeforeBattlefrontwas rebooted in 2015, following the Disney acquisition ofStar Wars, the multiplayer shooter series called the sixth generation of consoles home. And while the first game offered some epic battles across theStar Warsuniverse,Battlefront 2launched just one year later as a tie-in toRevenge of the Sithand was an improvement in nearly every single way.
As one of the first forays into online gaming for an entire generation,Battlefront 2is still being played to this very day. The character movement feels terrific, and the shooting is outrageously satisfying. This classic onlineshooter was recently remasteredalongside the first game, making it easy to jump into a game today.
TheJedi Knightgames havelong been one ofStar Wars’best spin-offs, as this fabulous series tapped into everything that makes the space fantasy so great. WithJedi Outcast, LucasArts really hit it out of the park and created one of the bestStar Warsgames of all time. And whileJedi Outcasthas some great lightsaber combat, it also features some brilliant shooting.
Once again starring the sardonic mercenary Kyle Katarn,Jedi Outcastcontinues the tradition of mixing lightsaber action with phenomenal shooter combat. Powered by iD Tech 3,Jedi Outcastfeels every bit as good as games likeQuake 3 ArenaandReturn to Castle Wolfenstein, as the shooting is perfectly tuned. The levels are huge, as well, keeping players guessing through a consistent shift between platforming and shooting.
4Super Star Wars
Difficult Star Wars Shooter That Offers Incredible Challenge
Star Warsspent most of the 1990s leading up to the release of the prequel trilogy, but in spite of that, some of the best games based on the franchise were released during this time. One of those wasSuper Star Wars, a 2D side-scrolling shooter series that loosely adapted the film. And while it may look similar to the film, it does so in a way that makes the player work for it.
Super Star Warsis afast-paced, incredibly difficultshooter that features three playable characters in Luke, Han, and Chewbacca. Feeling like an arcade shooter for the home,Super Star Warsis still an absolutely fantastic game with some brilliant stages and brutal boss fights. Two sequels, which would adapt the two other original trilogy films, were released in 1993 and 1994, but sadly onlySuper Star Warsis available on modern hardware.
3Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire
An Innovative Third-Person Shooter And One Of The Best On The N64
AsStar Warsfound itself with no major releases during the 1990s, LucasArts opted to create a sprawling multimedia campaign known asShadows of the Empire. And one of the best things to come out of this project was a video game that was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1996. A contender for one of the greatest N64 games of all time,Shadows of the Empirestarred Dash Rendar in one of the first key examples of acontemporary 3D third-person shooterof its time.
Set between the events ofThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi,Shadows of the Empireis an outstanding shooter that allows for both third and first-person views. It still feels remarkably fun to play today, as the shooting feels great, and it has some impressive scale for the time period. One of the key highlights is the pursuit of iconic bounty hunter Boba Fett, as this intense boss battle is one of the best on the platform, and engaging with him is a true test of the player’s ability.
The 90s was a fascinating time, as multiple new genres were born and one of the most popular of the time was the first-person shooter. And with the popularity of games likeDoom, it seemed like a no-brainer forStar Warsto try its hand. It was a smart call, asDark Forcesturned out to be not just one ofthe greatestStar Warsgamesever made, but one of the best first-person shooters of all time.
Built on the Jedi Engine, which was clearly influenced by the likes of the Build and iD Tech engines,Dark Forcesexplored the events leading up to A New Hope, as Kyle Katarn is sent on a mission to retrieve the Death Star plans. This excellent shooter was recently remastered for all modern platforms, making it easier than ever to access today.
TheStar Warsprequels saw a huge collection of tie-in games, as the saga of Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side was accompanied by a wide variety of different games. Everything from space combat games to pod racing, nothing seemed off limits. But perhaps the greatest of them was a first-person shooter, one which tied into the third prequel film, known asRepublic Commando.
InRepublic Commando, the focus is on a squad of Clone Troopers known as Delta Squad,as players issue commandsand embark on a clandestine quest to assassinate a Separatist Council member. The shooting feels outstanding, and the squad commands add some depth to the entire affair. This fabulous FPS is still one of the greatestStar Warsshooters of all time and is easily accessible on modern hardware.
