May the 4th be with you

 Happy May the 4th everyone!

Image Credit: StarWars.com

Today I'm taking a little break from normal content that is posted as I'm still working on playing through Splinter Cell Double Agent to try something a little bit different. Today to celebrate a franchise that is so near to my heart as both a gamer and fan of the movies I'm going to rank my top ten Star Wars games. These rankings are 100% subjective and i would love to see your personal rankings down below in the comments. Let's Dive into it!

#10: Star Wars: Squadrons

Image Credit: Epic Games Store

Starting off this list is a newer Star Wars game with Squadrons honestly this was the first time as an adult that I was really excited for a game it truly fulfilled my childhood dreams of being able to pilot an X-wing. All the details that were lovingly recreated from the movies the and true gameplay difference between the Empire and rebellion star fighters all helped to truly make this one of the best modern Star Wars games that EA made. What I truly believe made this game so good for me was the native VR support that helped to truly immerse me into this world as I sat there Oculus on and gripping my Logitech flight stick calling myself Rogue Leader while truly feeling like a Ace pilot of the New Republic/Rebellion the only thing that truly could have made this game better would have been the addition of in atmosphere battles like the old Rogue Squadron series but aside from that Squadrons helped to fulfill my fantasy of piloting an X-wing.

#9: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II

Image Credit: Steam

Image Credit: GOG

I'm kind of cheating a bit here by grouping two games in as one game but hear me out many people say that TFU 2 was overpriced DLC for TFU which I (a diehard TFU fanboy who bought both games at launch and killed a PC trying to run the Ultimate Sith Edition agrees with). These two games made for the three best years of my childhood playing the DLC for the first game that spins off from the dark side ending allowing you to kill Obi-Wan's force ghost and corrupt Luke Skywalker to dark side. These games were made in the years that it felt like every series had a God of War/Devil May Cry inspired hack and slash title and this was Star Wars' answer and boy was it amazing. I remember this game is one of the first where I took the time to learn about the engines they talked about in the marketing and I remember watching the marketing talking about how it used Havok, Euphoria, and DMM all working together to truly create what I believe was the most "Next Gen" Star Wars experience in 2008. Then the Force Unleashed II came out two years later I played the demo on Xbox 360 religiously messing around with the new combos and just being mind blown that they gave Starkiller two lightsabers. Unfortunately the games was very short but that is why I paired it with the original title as I believe these two games feel like a complete story with two DLC campaigns the good ending leading to TFUII and the bad ending leading to the Tatooine, Hoth, and Endor DLCs which were amazing. This game still is so much fun today and the dark side DLC is so worth playing as Throwing Obi-Wan Kenobi into the Millennium Falcon's Engine, or turning Luke to the dark side, and fighting Jedi Leia on Endor as she became a Jedi after Luke fell honestly it is such a fun game to see this alternate story and a now non canon star wars Jedi in the dark times between episode III and IV.

#8: Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron

Image Credit: Eurogamer.net

Christmas 2007 under the tree is a PSP with bundled with Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron but no memory card thankfully the story was short only a few hours long so I was able beat the once a day till I got a memory card a week later. For a short time this was the only game I had on PSP and I loved it trying to unlock all the weapons and have a cool class for instant action. This game provided me hours of entertainment be it on road trips or when I was supposed to be asleep or if the TV was being used by my parents or siblings this game was always available with an X-wing and blaster calling my name on my Darth Vader bearing PSP.

#7 Star Wars Episode I: Racer

Image Credit: Nintendo

When I think of my favorite racing games usually it is Forza Horizon, Gran Turismo Sport, and Star Wars Episode 1: Racer are among my favorites and Star Wars Racer was my childhood game racing against my dad on all the different cool tracks and playing as some of the most B tier characters from the Phantom Menace like Ben Quadineros, Mars Guo, or Dud Bolt. This game had some very fun gameplay and cool tracks and honestly was one of the games that truly allow you to fell the speed from the second coolest scene in Phantom Menace (we all know the Coolest scene is duel of the fates). This game will always live in my heart and mind as an absolutely amazing racing game and I'm glad that it was re released for modern platforms for more people to experience.

#6 Lego Star Wars: The Complete  Saga

Image Credit: Steam

Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga man what a compilation of games as someone who remembers playing through the two separate games for both trilogies I was so excited to see both games combined to one game and some levels get improved as well. This game will always be the epitome of the early Lego licensed games. Without Lego Star Wars I feel like all the current licensed Lego games would have never had footing to get made. The tone, the comedy, and developers understanding of Star Wars truly made this a great experience for both children and adults. The gameplay is simple yet fun and truly in my opinion made the game what it is. Freeplay and minikit hunting will still be my absolute favorite memories from this game as well as the vehicle missions made unlocking all the vehicles built by minikits rewarding. This game in my opinion is essential to any Star Wars fan.

#5 Star Wars: Republic Commando

Image Credit: Nintendo

Star Wars: Republic Commando one of the best FPS titles ever to be released puts you in the boots of the titular Republic Commando a specialized clone trooper type for executing specialized missions starting with assassination of a high ranking Geonosian and leading to spearheading the republic reinforcement of Kashyyk. This game truly felt like being a elite operative in a galaxy spanning war and capitalized on different genres including horror as you go through a derelict freighter completely splt from your squad which as the game tells us is our strength and it makes you feel vulnerable for the first time ever. This game doesn't make you a one man army able to tank through the worst the Separatist alliance has to throw at you, it makes you a soldier who has to rely on your squad to survive and complete your mission. This game also has ability to make you connect to these clones as they all have unique personalities and skills and leaves us on a multiple decades unresolved cliffhanger.

#4: Star Wars Battlefront (2004)

Image Credit: Steam

Star Wars Battlefront what a classic game one of the first times that you weren't a hero or main character, you were just a soldier with no name and a blaster hoping to turn the tide of the war for your sides. This game was amazing as it gave us truly epic ground battles with starfighters carrying out strafing runs, tanks destroying your defenses, and corridors of droid pinning down you and your squad. This game slightly beat out Battlefront II for me personally as I spent more hours hopping into instant action. The maps in this game were great from the Bespin: platforms map to the Yavin IV ground battle this game had some of the best maps to play on. Honestly what I would give to go back and play this for hours on end with friends and just having a good time.

#3 Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

Image Credit: Nintendo

Huge confession; I've never beat KoToR as I could never get past the Krayt dragon, but KoToR II still stands as one of my absolute favorite Star Wars games of all times. The dark opressive atmosphere, the complex characters, the quests, and locations all of them are so well designed and Chris Avellone's masterfully written story all combine to make this sequel on par with the original KoToR. This game drew me in walking past the cardboard stands adorned with Darth Nihilus' visage and the title "The Sith Lords" not some sith lords but The Sith Lords making it seem like these are some of the most powerful sith seen. Alongside the way it drew me in Kreia makes it truly a different Star Wars experience as her constant commentary on your actions makes you question if the force is really a benevolent thing or if it only truly serves those who can wield it. This game was rushed unfortunately but you can add back most of the cut content using the content restoration mod which I believe pulls this game above Bioware's classic.

#2 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

Image Credit: Xbox

Jedi Academy is a great Star Wars game it has a fun and straightforward story, stellar gameplay, and multiplayer that is still active to this day. This game is probably one of my most played titles of all time as me and my best friend would play through this game start to finish racing each other to see who could beat the game first with our many times quickly improving as we experimented with different force power setups. This game I the only Dark Forces/ Jedi Knight title that doesn't place the player in the shoes of Kyle Kataarn but instead in the boots of his Jedi Apprentice as you make your way up the ranks balancing between the path of the light or the dark. This game still has stellar lightsaber combat and countless combos as it was all tied to player movement. Even with the slightly outdated graphics this game still has plenty of fun and can be found on any modern system from PC to Nintendo Switch.

#1 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Image Credit: Deleted user on Reddit

Coming in at the top of the list is the most recent Star Wars game from respawn. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor follows Cal Kestis as he continues his journey after reconnecting to the force in Fallen Order and continues his renewed fight against the empire as he fights to find a new home for his found family. This game does everything right from the expansion of Cal's powers, the size of the environments, and the story. This game was my personal game of the year of 2023 (I have yet to play Baldur's Gate III) and is definitely one of the best star wars games to come out not just recently but of all time in my opinion. This game truly expands the combat and has some of the coolest bosses in the series. Even with the bugs it had at launch it still is a great game and now with all the post launch improvements it has become one of the definitive Star Wars experience. 

Let me know what your favorite Star Wars games are down below! May the Fourth be with you!