May the, uh, seventh be with you? If you weren’t aware, May 4 is considered Star Wars day, and as a result, just about every digital marketplace still has several Star Wars games on sale. While I’ve talked about EA’s Star Wars games ad nauseum, I thought it would be fun to take a trip back and put you on some throwback heat.
So let’s jump to lightspeed and get to it!
Star Wars: Republic Commando, $14.99 on PlayStation and Switch, 9.99 on Xbox
To this day, Star Wars: Republic Commando ranks among my top 3 Star Wars games. Since its release in 2005, there has yet to be another Star Wars game like it. It’s a tactical, squad-based, first person shooter set during the Clone Wars. The game puts you in charge of Delta Squad, an elite squadron of clone troopers who are assigned to a variety of missions throughout the clone war.
I loved this game at release because it felt like a real tour of the clone wars, which before Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), we hadn’t really got. (Yes, I’m a fan of the 2002 Clone Wars cartoon. No, it is not at all the same type of vibe.) I love this game today, because that squad-based gameplay just does something for my brain. The game gives you tactical control of the three other clone troopers in your squad, and as the game progresses you really feel like you’re in charge of one of the most elite units in the game.
Trust me, if you’ve never given Republic Commando a look, now is the perfect time to do so.
Star Wars: Racer $14.99 on Xbox, $8.99 PlayStation, $7.49 on Switch
Now this is podracing. Literally, this is a whole game about podracing. Now, while Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace isn’t a great movie overall, it did introduce the kick-ass concept of podracing. It’s basically The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, but in space. I don’t know about you, but that’s really all I need.
If you didn’t spend countless hours playing this game back on the N64 or in arcades, it’s a straight-up racing game. It nails its arcade-y focus on speed, with a health bar on your engines also forcing you to prioritize smart maneuvering. It’s unfortunate that we never really got a solid followup that capitalized on the strong concept introduced here. As it stands, Star Wars: Racer still ranks as one of the more fun spin-off games in the franchise.
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, $5.99 on PlayStation, $4.99 on Switch
While Knights of the Old Republic gets all of the plaudits to this day for it’s fun gameplay and engaging story, I feel like Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast doesn’t receive the same level of affection these days. Which is a shame because from a narrative and gameplay standpoint, this remains one of the best Star Wars games in my opinion. The game places you in control of Kyle Katarn as he ventures to regain his connection with the force and prevent the villainous Desann from creating an army of force troopers. The lightsaber combat in this game is a thrill, and the story is genuinely engaging.
In my opinion, this game, along with its sequel Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, still stand as the pinnacle of jedi-focused Star Wars action games. I know, what a quantifier, but there are a lot of Star Wars games, dammit!
Well, that’ll do it for our time in a galaxy far, far away. In terms of new releases, Resident Evil Village dropped today and I’m hearing that’s a scary good time. New Pokemon Snap dropped last Friday and I’m having a delightful time with that. Also, Battlefield V is free for PlayStation Plus subscribers right now.
As always have a safe weekend, get vaccinated, and play more video games.