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What started as a Star Wars pun ultimately formed into a celebration of the franchise worldwide. It’s a day where fans around the world come together and celebrate a galaxy far, far away.
With that in mind, hundreds of games have come out over the past few decades. What are the must-plays when it comes to the franchise on May 4?
With hundreds of Star Wars games to choose from, which are the must-plays?
There have been games in this classic franchise that range from incredible to disappointing. This list covers a wide gamut of titles in the film series' universe, with some unfortunately not quite making the top 5.
The classic SNES games receive an honorable mention, as does Star Wars: Squadrons for its incredible dogfighting and starship combat. Various Star Wars real-time strategy games also nearly made the list, but they didn't quite make the cut.
Five games to play on May 4
- Dark Forces
- SWTOR
- Knights of the Old Republic 2
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
As May the 4th rolls on, here are some games to consider taking in to celebrate.
5) Star Wars: Dark Forces
The late 90s were completely owned by Doom. The PC game took the world by storm, and there were quite a few games that were considered Doom clones.
While Dark Forces is in the same vein as Doom, Lucasfilm did a lot to make the game stand out from id Software’s global phenomenon. It’s an FPS from the 90s with environmental puzzles and more storytelling than Doom could have hoped for.
This title proves that story is incredibly important, even in mindless FPS games. Dark Forces is a classic shooter in the franchise and not one to be missed.
4) SWTOR
While Dark Forces may or may not be easy to find, Star Wars: The Old Republic is a classic MMO and is incredibly to get into. It has come a long way since the rough days of its launch. It’s a gorgeous, huge open world in this franchise, where players pick a faction and dive into the days of the Old Republic.
The game is over a decade old and is still creating regular content updates for the game. It’s undoubtedly a quality MMO and certainly worth experiencing.
3) Knights of the Old Republic 2
It was hard to pick between KOTOR 1 or 2, but KOTOR 2 is just a far greater game. Bioware created a pair of incredible, deep games in the KOTOR titles. Both games are amazing, but the world-building in KOTOR 2 is just the best.
KOTOR 2 accurately depicts the constant cycle of the struggle between Sith and Jedi that the galaxy seems to be doomed to be locked into forever. The combat is active and fun, the characters are memorable, and the gameplay and visuals hold up after all this time.
It was also a serious game changer to allow players the choice to play on the Light or Dark Side of the Force. They get to shape the story in the way they see fit, and it is perhaps the closest any game has come to accurately giving the player a spot in this memorable universe.
2) Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Part Metroidvania, part Soulslike, Fallen Order is a gorgeous game with an interesting protagonist in Padawan Cal. It’s a game that’s certainly over the top, as Cal is hunted down by Inquisitors that Darth Vader trained.
The story is excellent, and Fallen Order’s gameplay matches that. It reminds many players of games like Tomb Raider, only with the Force and Lightsabers.
Players go from planet to planet, getting into epic battles. This is a Souls game that also has the players ultimately caring about the characters they come into contact with.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is both gorgeous and challenging, and it’s easily one of the best games in this franchise of all time.
1) Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Most of this franchise's games are pretty grimdark affairs with ultra-serious plots, but not Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. It has the entire film series in one place. It is also a fun Lego collect-a-thon.
It's adorable, plays well, and does not take the franchise exceptionally seriously. It is often very funny and takes some shots at parts of the franchise that are mocked or ridiculed by its fanbase.
It's very self-aware in that way. It has hundreds of characters to play with, challenges to unlock, and it's fun to play in local co-op with a friend.
Whether on a modern or retro console, PC or mobile, there are so many other games in the franchise, new and old, that are still worth playing. While there are many games to try, these should get fans started as they celebrate May the 4th.
