Celebrate 'Star Wars' Day with the 11 best 'Star Wars' video games of all time

Shadows of the Empire was an exclusive title for the Nintendo 64. Set between "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," the game stars bounty hunter Dash Render and employs a few different styles of gameplay.

The game is primarily a third person shooter, with specific levels designed for piloting vehicles. Unfortunately, the graphics and controls don't hold up too well compared to modern games, but there are a few moments that make Shadows of the Empire a memorable experience.

For example, players get to pilot a snowspeeder during a fun recreation of the Battle of Hoth from "Empire Strikes Back." Later, Dash uses a jetpack to duel Boba Fett during an attempt to rescue Han Solo. 

Star Wars: Republic Commando is a first-person game with an emphasis on squad mechanics. Players control an elite squad of soldiers during the Clone Wars, the conflict between the Republic and the Trade Federation depicted in "Star Wars Episodes II & III."

While the gun-play in Republic Commando is" pretty run-of-the-mill by modern standards, the amount of strategic control players can exert over their AI squadmates is impressive. Players can give their teammates specific commands based on the situation, or give them general objectives, like guarding a particular location.

Republic Commando was re-released for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in April 2021.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an action-adventure game that lets players control Darth Vader's apprentice, Starkiller. Galen "Starkiller" Marek is an original character created for the game and is able to use a variety of powerful force abilities.

Using his powers as a Sith, Starkiller can wreak total havoc on his enemies and the environment. The game takes place prior to the original "Star Wars" film and explores Starkiller's attempts to embrace the light side of the force.

PS: The name Starkiller is actually a reference to the original "Star Wars" script, in which Luke Skywalker is named Starkiller.

Star Wars Squadrons is a space combat game focused on the many starcrafts in the "Star Wars" universe, and all of the action happens inside of the cockpit. Players pilot recognizable ships like the X-Wing and TIE Fighter during a full story campaign and online dogfights are available for up to 10 players.

Squadrons draws inspiration from classic "Star Wars" space flying simulators like X-Wing Alliance and even includes an immersive virtual reality mode for players on PC and PlayStation 4.

While Star Wars Squadrons is the best bet for accurately recreating the space combat of "Star Wars," it simply can't match the personality or presentation of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.

Rogue Squadron is an arcade-style flying game; players fly along a pre-determined route while trying to eliminate enemies and to avoid obstacles along the way. With players controlling Luke Skywalker, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron brings gamers through the original trilogy, with battles from "A New Hope, "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."

Star Wars Battlefront II" might be the best-looking "Star Wars" game ever made, recreating the largest scale battle scenes of the movie universe. With matches allowing up to 64 players at a time for a mix of space and ground combat, the epic scale of Battlefront makes it worth a try if you're a fan of the franchise.

The game's heavy implementation of micro-transactions made it the subject of controversy prior to release, leading to significant changes over the years. Thanks to a steady flow of updates and expansions Battlefront II still enjoys a large player base on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, and can be fully enjoyed without spending extra money on downloadable content.

Built with the same engine as Unreal Tournament 2003, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a first-person shooter at its core, but offers some of the most robust customization and gameplay available in any "Star Wars" game.

While most of the guns are borrowed from Unreal, when you activate your lightsaber the game switches to third-person mode and lets you use force powers during combat.

Jedi Academy takes place after "Return of the Jedi," as Luke Skywalker works to restore the Jedi order. Players can create their own character to place at the center of the story. That includes being able to choose their race, gender, lightsaber color, and whether they use the light or dark side.

Jedi Academy was re-released on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in March 2020.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II is a single-player role-playing game set thousands of years before the "Star Wars" movies. Players control an exiled Jedi knight who must choose between the light and dark sides of the force.

Choosing a side means engaging with non-playable characters, the player's choices during missions and conversations will impact whether they embrace the light or dark side of the force. 

Combat happens in real time and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II lets players use more than 30 different abilities; though some are exclusive to one side of the force.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga tells the complete story of the main "Star Wars" films, spanning from "Episode I - The Phantom Menace" to "Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker."

Lego Star Wars offers simple but engaging gameplay with a silly, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor that reminds me why I fell in love with "Star Wars" as a kid. The game features hundreds of playable characters along with iconic ships and vehicles. The game's combat system is also surprisingly in-depth, letting players execute complicated combos.

With the added bonus of a cooperative two-player campaign, The Skywalker Saga is a fun ride for those looking to relive the movies, though it unfortunately lacks online play.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" goes back to the series' roots, with a story set just before the original "Star Wars" movie and a hero who echoes Luke Skywalker's coming-of-age story. It's not a retelling by any means but a parallel tale that tries to capture the spirit of adventure that makes players want to become Jedi in the first place.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" follows Cal Kestis, a young man whose Jedi training was cut short by the nebulous Empire's rise to power. During the journey, players work to restore Cal's connection to the force, gaining new powers to fight the Empire in the process.

Developed by Pandemic Studios for LucasArts, the original Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is a cult classic. Like the modern Battlefront II from 2017, this 2005 Pandemic Studios release includes 64 player matches online, a mix of space and ground combat, and split-screen cooperative play for two players.

In addition to an 18-mission long campaign, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is packed with multiplayer game modes, and players can select from a range of playable characters. Characters from the movies appear in the game's hero assault mode, where they can use special abilities to take on large groups of regular players.

The PC version of Star Wars: Battlefront 2 lost online support in May 2014 but the game's popularity led Steam and GOG.com, two game distribution platforms, to release a patch that restored online functionality in October 2017.