Seeing as I'm a massive Star Wars fan and that there's a new film on the horizon, I thought I would share the games that I used to play as a child with the hope that the Star Wars galaxy was actually real. As a video game license, this franchise has produced some absolute classics. A memorial to a franchise that has now been engulfed by the Galactic Empire known as Disney.
#10 Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare) (2011) (8/10)
A great game that's now become free to play. Yes, that's right this free game doesn't even make you buy micro-transactions to compensate for its suicidal business plan. All in all this is certainly the best free game you can buy today, unless maybe you manage to get 'Red Dead Redemption' off of one of your mates. But anyway, this MMO became the most expensive game ever made at the time of its release, and was estimated to have cost about 200 million dollars when it was eventually finished. The content might not reflect that huge price tag, but BioWare's hard work was not all for nothing, even if it is now freeware. Don't think that's because it wasn't popular, this game was actually the most subscribed MMO of all time for its first few months, and that is quite an achievement, and so it seems embarrassing that it's now at your disposal for absolutely nothing. BioWare are giving away a perfectly polished game to your PC, and you would be stupid not to take advantage of that. Come on, how brilliant is that?
Don't think that because it's free it's not worth getting, in fact I would still consider this the game that has come the closest to getting the MMO genre right. Yes there are still the inevitable problems with the servers, and you can never get away from the millions of wankers online, but it just feels alive, and that's brilliant. BioWare have also left their usual markings on the game with their signature dialogue wheel and exceptional character customisation, and that's really nice when you couple that with a pretty damn decent storyline that varies with each character class. It has the huge, rich quality that you expect from a 'Star Wars' universe, and there's a lot of little gadgets and trinkets to find that help to customise that experience into an enjoyable one. The gameplay can be a bit monotonous at times, but that's a small price to pay for a game that was always destined to go wrong. It almost did fail, but thankfully the core elements are great fun and I can't recommend giving this at least a try. Just watch the trailer, that makes the game look 15 million times better than it actually is.
#9 Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Traveller's Tales) (2007) (8/10)
The almost erotic relationship between 'Lego' and 'Star Wars' comes to a climax in this game, capping off another fantastic 'Lego' game. Of all the games that Traveller's Tales have made, this one is the classic. It had no right to be any good, but this children's toy managed to woo gamers with bucket loads of charm that oozes out of every sequence. Technically it's a combination of two games that cover their respective trilogy of films, with the older films not surprisingly being much, much better. That doesn't really matter when they're all lumped on to one disc, as they just essentially retell the classic story of 'Star Wars'.
That's not to say this isn't fun, far from it. It might be predictable, but the eccentric characters and well designed levels make this a game that feels totally unique, and a worthy addition to the 'Star Wars' franchise. The game never makes you do things their way, and instead you're given free reigns to tell your own 'Star Wars' based adventure. It was a nice touch to allow you to play as one of fifty characters at any one stage, and that meant you could explore each map fifty different times and get a completely new experience thanks to each characters unique abilities. This gives it a huge replay value, and if you do eventually get bored of the story driven narrative then you can just start a fight with everyone in the cantina. Quite simply this is too much fun for what it is. Just try telling me that it's a game for young children.
#8 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts) (2008) (7/10)
This is a classic example of a game that sounds a lot better than it actually is. In reality this is a game with some very big flaws, but managed to redeem itself by becoming the only 'Star Wars' game to use The Force effectively; and by an absolute mile as well. That one mechanic was pulled off to perfection, and as a selling point it was just brilliant. As a result this game became the biggest selling 'Star Wars' game until 'The Old Republic' came along, even if this wasn't the breath of fresh air everyone had hoped for. Still, that doesn't really matter when you can just fling anything you like wherever you damn well please. The actual story bridges the gap between the two sets of trilogies, and although it's not the best written story of all time, it's still an engaging and ambitious tale that aims to rekindle some magic in the 'Star Wars' franchise. I think it has to be commended, as although it's not technically sound, it does do a bloody god job of creating a new story without ruining anything that concerns the films. That's something that very few developers can pull off without just simply retelling the plot from films.
The clever use of the storyline is just one of the many ways this game cleverly uses its creative license, even if that isn't integrated with the poor combat system and lackluster graphical performance. However there are many features that this game excels out, such as using The Force, and it certainly doesn't do the franchise any shame, but I just expected more. In the end it just ends up feeling like a budgeted 'Saint's Row'. This over the top, arcade style presentation becomes most apparent when you bring down a Star Destroyer with your bare hands, which is just ridiculous, even in a sci-fi. I know this game rather distorts what's physically possible, but there is a limit. It's like they simply gave up after they pinned down the idea, which is a shame for a game that showed such great promise. Come to think of it so did the sequel, and that was even worse.
#7 Star Wars Galaxies (Sony) (2003) (8/10)
As a product of its time this was simply mindblowing in scale. The thought that you could now travel seamlessly across the whole 'Star Wars' galaxy was something I thought unimaginable at one time. Again, that sounds too good to be true and more overambitious than anything else, and so as a result this game was such a success that all it's servers were shut down in 2011. There are projects to recreate these servers, and there's some out there in beta testing, which might eventually bring back this cult classic to the public attention, but as a video game this flopped. As an MMO it might not do anything special, but for a taste of the 'Star Wars' universe it didn't get any better. I can still remember finding huge abandoned cities just by exploring the vast map. The exploration element was just unreal, and that's what games like this should be about, huge and beautiful landscapes that are filled with endless possibilities.
Then there was the customisation, which was just sublime. You could even get yourself a job as an entertainer or a trader. That must have been my favorite part. Literally the only thing you had to do as an entertainer was find a cantina and just dance for no actual purpose. There was even a skill tree so you could learn new moves. This game didn't just build a world, it also created a living society, emulating a 'Star Wars' universe to an amazing degree of accuracy. That's unfortunately where the praises end, as like real life this game was fucking brutal. For example, at the time of release you could only become a Jedi if you unlocked the special requirements, and from there you only had three lives, and so once you died three times you could never play as a Jedi again. They didn't even give you a lightsaber for 15 million hours. No wonder people decided to improve their cooking skills and redecorating their apartments instead. Needless to say these endless overhauls and mucking around eventually ruined the game as players got tired of all these revamped mechanics still not removing those annoying bugs. That's such a shame, this really could have been the ultimate 'Star Wars' video game.
#6 Star Wars: Tie Fighter (Totally Games) (1994) (8/10)
Oh what a beautiful, pixelated classic of an arcade game. What better way to reenact some awesome space battles from the cockpit of a Tie Fighter, thankfully fitted with the noises to go with it; I could listen to those for hours. The sequel, 'X Wing' was also pretty good as well, but unfortunately in that one you weren't in a Tie Fighter so it doesn't make the list, even if it was a good underdog story. You do end up feeling like a bit of a bastard playing as the Empire, although that becomes more a feeling of satisfaction by the end of this game. Seriously though, this had a decent little narrative going on, something that you don't usually get from flight simulators.
As a video game this is about as neat and tidy as you can get, and there's almost a brutal charm about everything it does. It never tries to be flashy about anything, but everything it does, such as the AI, is impeccably put together and almost faultless in production. It's also a brilliant flight simulator, and the attention to detail is remarkable. For instance when you increase the throttle to escape from enemy fighters it also has the adverse effect of minimising the impact of the shields, so you had to constantly balance out every action you made. As a simulator game this is something special, and it's no wonder that it's commonly touted as one of the best space combat games ever, although I'd give that to our next entry. Still, this game is the only reason I would ever consider getting out my hideous collection of floppy disks again.
#5 Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader (Factor 5) (2002) (8/10)
The best of the series that saw you play as the legendary squadron from the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. In this game you either got to play as Luke Skywalker, or the infinitely cooler Wedge Antilles, who will both be familiar to fans of the film as they're awesome characters. This game might not have felt as realistic as our previous entry, but it made up for that with fast paced and action packed battles that were so much fun to play through. For once you can tell the always arrogant and obnoxious Luke Skywalker to get fucked as you mow down far more enemies in comparison to his pathetic tally of womp rats. You still don't get to play as Porkins, which is annoying as he's the best character in the whole franchise, but that's a small price to pay for a great game. I can't think of another game that gets as close to the actual movies as this, and 'Rogue Leader' does a great job of recreating that magic.
#4 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (Raven Software) (2003) (8/10)
The game that finally gave us the chance to fulfill what must be everyone's childhood fantasies; now you could become an actual Jedi knight. It also paved the way to my teenage dreams as well, as this was one of the many predecessors to modern 'Call of Duty' games. So really we have a lot to thank this game for without even playing it. Thankfully it was also a good game to own, and this was in no small part to the wealth of customisation options that were available to your own personal Jedi that would accompany you on an interesting and well constructed story. The 'Call of Duty', I mean 'Quake' engine, hadn't yet been optimised for the first person shooter series, and so ends up looking a bit dated here, despite its consistently reliable performance. Like 'Call of Duty' this game was renowned for its multiplayer features, and also like the game it would inspire the multiplayer was pretty good as well. They weren't at the 'Halo' level yet, but as an addition they were greatly welcomed.
But a game like this should always be about single player, and the production of that seemed very thorough. The developers never forced you to play the game their way, and in fact you didn't even need a lightsaber, as there were mechanics added for shooting and force powers. This all helped to make the game feel like you were actually a Jedi knight, and the polished and refined combat made that experience all the more satisfying. Yes there may have been some issues with the AI, and some of the combat was poorly balanced, but for a game about swinging lightsabers there is nothing that comes close. The core elements were all crisp and well executed, leading to a very enjoyable game. You could even use double handed lightsabers. My inner child just had an orgasm.
#3 Star Wars: Empire at War (Petroglyph) (2006) (8/10)
A 'Star Wars' RPG that was actually good. Finally my prayers were answered. It even left out the prequels completely as an added bonus, and concentrated on the much better originals. It's not just land battles either, there is also a much superior game mode centered around space combat, which really is something special. In no other game can you command the likes of Admiral Ackbar or Han Solo across the whole of the galaxy, and that instantly makes it one of my favorite games. You can even play as the Death Star. I repeat, you can actually fly the Death Star and blow up planets with it. How can a game ever get boring when you can do that? As a party piece that's in a league of its own.
However the standout feature was the 'Galactic Conquest' game mode, that functions as more of a turn based strategy than anything else. It's a mode that's had some real effort put into it, and there's small signs that the developers have really thought about what they're doing. For example, you can only build certain units when you control certain planets, and each location conquered gives you a bonus, such as lowering the cost of certain ships. This heightens the strategic elements of the game to make it so much more than a classic of the genre, and that's just from some simple mechanics. Sure, it might not be a revolutionary game, but it's a well made RTS set in the 'Star Wars' universe. It's much better than 'Galactic Battlegrounds', and by just installing a few mods you can ensure some serious playtime. Great expansion pack as well; Christoforge recommended.
#2 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (BioWare) (2003) (9/10)
The game that is widely considered one of the greatest PC games of all time, and quite possibly the best the sixth generation had to offer. I wouldn't go that far, but this is still one of only a few games that manages to encapsulate the 'Star Wars' epicness. It's another 'BioWare' entry, and so as you would expect it's business as usual, with engaging characters, and an amazing narrative that takes place in a beautiful setting. Instead of the conventional timeline this game is set a few thousand years before the storyline of the films, and although that period never really interested me much as a kid, it doesn't matter here thanks to the brilliant selection of diverse characters. They might not be household names, but protagonists such as Revan are orgasmically fun to play with. The climax of the story alone is easily one of gaming's greatest moments, and that's all thanks to the creative freedom that 'BioWare' allowed itself. In a way having the story in an unorthodox setting allowed the developers to do whatever they wanted, and with 'BioWare' that always means something very special.
It was no surprise that this game was brilliant, unless of course it was something pretty shocking. You see at that point we really didn't know what 'BioWare' were capable of, and so this was just another title that would abuse the 'Star Wars' license for a quick buck. What we didn't expect was a narrative that was on par with the classic films, and an RPG so rich that it made the rest of the 'Star Wars' universe look a bit pathetic in comparison. Maybe they should make a film about this. It would remove the almost faultless mechanics, but I think it's worth it to see that epic plot twist on the big screen. Somehow this didn't make the top spot, and that's thanks to an old childhood companion.
Tied #1 Star Wars Battlefront 1/ Star Wars Battlefront 2 (Pandemic) (2005) (10/10)
Well okay it was actually two childhood companions; I just couldn't choose. I love the second entry for its brilliant combat system and the inclusion of heroes, but then I can't help but love the maps in number one. I'm not saying the maps were lacking in the second installment, but the first game had maps that might just be better than any other game I can think of. My solution would be to get the game on PC and then mod the maps in from the first game. You won't be able to go on the online game modes with them, but they're still great fun for single player. My love for this game started when I was introduced to this game on the PS2, where it quickly became my favorite game on that console; so much so that it's now a member of my illustrious hall of fame. It easily gets that distinction for quite simply being the ultimate 'Star Wars' game. This had a detailed strategy game mode, obsessively fun multiplayer options, a decent campaign, great combat mechanics, and even the inclusions of space battles. There was even a game mode where you could pit the various heroes and villains of 'Star Wars' against each other on 'Tatooine'. Thankfully you can't do that over the internet anymore, but then you would always just end up being destroyed by endless Darth Mauls spamming the force push. But then multiplayer never was very easy.
There are a few faults with the game I will admit, and that's mainly from the downright idiotic AI. But on a game of this scale that becomes a minor annoyance, and in a full scale war it actually becomes something that sometimes benefits the game's style. This is what you wanted 'Star Wars' to be like as a kid, not like that diplomacy bollocks in episode one; this was the real deal, and nothing did it any better. When I was a kid I didn't care that there wasn't any customisation. I didn't care that it got a bit repetitive after a while. It just didn't matter when a game was this fucking awesome. You will never find anything else that encapsulates what 'Star Wars' is all about quite like this game, whether you're 8 or 38. Maybe this is just my inner child wanting you to experience what I once did, but I implore you to play it now. I promise you the chaotic madness will never get boring, and even though there's a third one of the horizon, you can still pick up a classic for next to nothing. Do it, before EA decide to ruin the third one.
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