Flush Arcade’s Star Wars videogame retrospective

In anticipation of new games that are going to be part of the Star Wars resurgence following the release of The Force Awakens, we’ve decided to put together a list of our favourite classic Star Wars videogames.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the first role playing games set in the Star Wars universe – about 4000 years before the events of Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Featuring a world that was unconstrained by the existing Star Wars canon, an emotional storyline and complex moral decisions that impact on the game, it’s fondly remembered by a generation of gamers.

A far, far cry away from KotOR, the Star Wars Rogue Squadron Series are a bunch of arcade style space combat simulators. Set during the classic trilogy (yes, you can relive the Battle of Hoth over and over again), you assume the role of a Rebel Alliance fighter ace and take to the skies in some truly exciting and iconic dogfights. The second game in the series, that was released on GameCube, comes particularly recommended with some excellent graphics and silky smooth gameplay.

Speaking of dogfights, if you really want to get nostalgic, The X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and X-Wing Vs. TIE Fighter series, has recently been re-released on Steam. The graphics haven’t aged too well – but they’re well designed games that are quite addictive to play. TIE Fighter gets a special mention for being one of the first games to let you play from the perspective of the Galactic Empire. The mechanics in these games are quite solid – and some critics say that there aren’t really many games that have bettered the X-Wing and TIE fighter approach to dogfighting.

A personal party favourite, Star Wars Battlefront, conjures memories of teenage sleepovers – where you’d pick a side, jump into cool vehicles like AT-ATs or speeder bikes, and blast your friends in some Star Wars themed multiplayer fun that spans some of the prequels and the original trilogy. The 2015 release in the series features revamped graphics and some truly large scale battles to participate in.

The hyper kinetic Star Wars: Jedi Knight series (Star Wars: Dark Forces, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, and Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy) is another action-packed Star Wars gaming experience praised for its immersive depiction of the Star Wars universe and some very cool implementation of weapons like the lightsabre – and players getting the ability to use the Force.

It’s not all positive. Special mention goes to Star Wars: Yoda Stories – a game that doesn’t have a definite end point, and generates random quests for you to undertake. And while the graphics are charming, and it’s strangely addictive (up to a point), it lacks a lot of substance and the sound design is quite repetitive and annoying. Once you’ve done a few of the fetch quests and boring puzzles, there’s not much replay value.

There’s an embarrassment of riches and a richness of embarrassment, when trawling through the countless Star Wars games released throughout the decades. While we don’t know what we’re going to end up with, the expansiveness and appeal of the Star Wars universe and the creativity of those games of yore should hopefully provide some fertile ground for new and exciting gaming experiences to grow.

Posted in Blog, Games