Star Wars: The 5 Best First-Person Shooters & The 5 Best Tactical Games
Respawn has announced that they are working on a number of Star Wars titles, including both a first-person shooter and a tactical title. That is exciting news for fans, who are now no doubt heading back into the archives of video games from the franchise to see from where new titles might draw inspiration.
Strangely, there are not that many titles within these genres, considering there are lots of third-person shooters and, most notably, Jedi-based experiences. Furthermore, the tactical genre has not been capitalized on enough within this brand, but this will all change. Regardless, the best first-person shooters and tactical titles offer up unique stories and some incredibly fun gameplay.
The original Battlefront title from Pandemic Studios, Beenox, Mikoishi, EA, and LucasArts Studios really set the standard for the franchise moving forward, including any rumored upcoming sequels. It was fast-paced, offered decent multiplayer gameplay, and involved a variety of mission types for players to test their skills against.
Although the camera could switch between first and third-person formats, the premise of the title could very much inspire whatever Respawn is working on next. It was impressive to see such a range of cinematic armies involved in all-out war across planets from both the original and prequel movies.
Star Wars: Squadrons from Motive Studios and EA is not a complete tactical game on the face of it, yet the gameplay does involve a great deal of strategy. It is a first-person shooter in some sense, but the player is behind the controls of some of the franchise's most recognizable starships.
While the title is packed full of small, sometimes hard to notice details that fans of X-Wings and TIE Fighters would certainly appreciate, it also boasts a variety of flight options that allow the player to change their tactics in the middle of a fight. Boosting the engine, taking power from the shields, or perhaps focusing on the weapons systems will all make a genuine difference in a space battle.
The modern Battlefront series is, of course, inspired by the original two installments that took the gaming world by storm with their fun style of play, but the latest sequel, in particular, has really taken the franchise to a new level. This Star Wars experience from DICE, Motive Studios, and Criterion Software has been consistently updated since launch to offer up a variety of satisfying maps, events, and missions to complete.
It is frenetic in its pace and once again allows for a change of the camera, switching between both third and first-person viewing stances. Graphically, it is the best the series has ever looked, and the scale of the battles themselves have been hugely expanded!
Empire at War from Petroglyph Games takes the traditional platform of a strategy game and upgrades it with Star Wars elements. Indeed, the armies in play are taken from a variety of Legends material, and there are all sorts of fantastical combinations that can be set up in the field, including droids taking on Death Troopers.
For the most part, it focuses on the battle between the Rebels and the Empire during the height of the latter's reign in the galaxy, allowing for a unique and original story to unfold across the raging skirmishes. From a gameplay perspective, there is a lot to get invested in, with various troops, vehicles, and specific ability options changing the tide of war.
Republic Commando from Aspyr and LucasArts is such a popular game that it recently received a semi-remake on next-gen consoles, thanks to its beautiful narrative, stunning visuals, and brilliant gameplay mechanics. The teamwork elements amongst the crew put this a step ahead of other shooters.
The title itself is largely based on the titular unit, a crack team with elite training that has since been brought into Canon via the animated shows. There is perhaps no better campaign-based first-person shooter in the Star Wars franchise, and further updates to Republic Commando will always be welcome, maybe even via Respawn.
From Ensemble Studios and LucasArts comes Galactic Battlegrounds, a real-time strategy game that takes some liberties with the source material in order to deliver an expansive experience, fast-paced and satisfying to those who have followed the series.
With subsequent expansion packs that have brought in further Clone fighters for players' armies, the main game details a number of skirmishes largely based on the movies, with some original and some familiar settings. Fans can fight through Hoth for instance or defend Naboo!
The LucasArts title Dark Forces has secured a cult following amongst fans due to its imaginative narrative and fast-paced playstyle. The first-person shooter might not graphically stand up today, but the protagonist of Kyle Katarn allows this to cement itself as one of the best Star Wars games.
The Rebel mercenary certainly shows no mercy as he tackles the Empire head-on in a number of missions that take players across various well-known locations, including the Death Star and, of course, Tatooine. It is a nostalgia trip for anyone familiar with the early days of brand licensing.
Although there is a board game of the same name, this online title from Coolhand Interactive, known as Rebellion or Supremacy internationally, was a real-time tactical experience that saw the player become a master commander of a well-trained fleet.
It was specifically a 4x game though, which meant it perhaps was not as cinematic as other battle strategy options from the franchise. Regardless, it gave players a detailed set of options on how to progress in their skirmishes and, interestingly, was not campaign-driven. Rather, the player guided the story, with random events based on the movies taking place at unpredictable times.
It may seem bizarre that this third-person Jedi game is part of the best first-person shooter experiences, but Jedi Academy actually gave players a lot of freedom to progress with a variety of weapons. While the point of view could be changed, so too could a lightsaber be swapped out for a blaster.
The gameplay was nothing compared to the story itself, which Aspyr, Raven Software, and Vicarious Visions developed so well that it boosted a whole franchise. Graphically, it is still gorgeous, and in regards to character customization, it was really impressive when paralleled with other console titles.
Commander is one of Disney and LucasFilm's latest app-based tactical games, which was also available on PC and updated as the films progressed. It was a much more simple style of the title, with the real-time element adding excitement to a construction system where the player builds a base.
Graphically, it is superb, even considering some of the platforms it is available on, and it demonstrates what Star Wars can look like using a number of modern technologies; after all, the franchise has always been about innovation. This is particularly a great game for kids to get used to a strategy style of release.