Star Wars Video Games With The Best Shooter Combat

Star Wars and video games have a long, storied history that dates back to the early 1980s. It has continued to be a fruitful relationship, resulting in some truly spectacular games, and one element of Star Wars that games have consistently looked to emulate is the satisfying discharge of a blaster. Lightsabers may be all the rage, but Star Wars games have often put a spotlight on shooting and some of the best games based on the space fantasy series have involved shooting of some kind.

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On top of many successful movies, the Star Wars franchise has also seen a whole host of incredible games that have brought its universe to life.

Whether it’s a first-person shooter, a third-person shooter, or a 2D side-scroller, the variety seen within the multitude of films and spin-off material has extended into the games. From every era of the series, Star Wars video games have had some excellent shooting systems in games. And thanks to the expansive lore that stretches across centuries of history, it’s one that video games have been able to take advantage of in some amazing ways.

7 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2

The Sequel To Dark Forces Shifts To 3D

• Platform:
  PC
• Developer:
  LucasArts
• Release Date:
  October 10, 1997

While the original Dark Forces game shared some DNA with the likes of Doom and Wolfenstein, the sequel felt like the little brother of Quake. Instead of 2D sprites from a 3D perspective, Dark Forces 2 went full-steam ahead in the growing 3D market and did so in a fantastic way.

The pace of the game is excellent, as it feels faster and more akin to the chaotic blaster fights one might see in the films. It also offers a range of classic Star Wars weapons, such as blasters, thermal detonators, and crossbows. When paired together with some incredible production values, it truly does feel like it could co-exist with the best Star Wars feature films and is an absolute blast to play today.

6 Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Classic Multiplayer Shooter Still Being Played To This Day

Before Battlefront was rebooted in 2015, following the Disney acquisition of Star Wars, the multiplayer shooter series called the sixth generation of consoles home. And while the first game offered some epic battles across the Star Wars universe, Battlefront 2 launched just one year later as a tie-in to Revenge of the Sith and was an improvement in nearly every single way.

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As one of the first forays into online gaming for an entire generation, Battlefront 2 is still being played to this very day. The character movement feels terrific, and the shooting is outrageously satisfying. This classic online shooter was recently remastered alongside the first game, making it easy to jump into a game today.

5 Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast

Huge 3D Adventure Game That Features Excellent Shooting

The Jedi Knight games have long been one of Star Wars’ best spin-offs, as this fabulous series tapped into everything that makes the space fantasy so great. With Jedi Outcast, LucasArts really hit it out of the park and created one of the best Star Wars games of all time. And while Jedi Outcast has some great lightsaber combat, it also features some brilliant shooting.

Once again starring the sardonic mercenary Kyle Katarn, Jedi Outcast continues the tradition of mixing lightsaber action with phenomenal shooter combat. Powered by iD Tech 3, Jedi Outcast feels every bit as good as games like Quake 3 Arena and Return to Castle Wolfenstein, as the shooting is perfectly tuned. The levels are huge, as well, keeping players guessing through a consistent shift between platforming and shooting.

4 Super Star Wars

Difficult Star Wars Shooter That Offers Incredible Challenge

• Platforms:
  SNES, PS4, PS Vita
• Developers:
  LucasArts, Sculptured Software
• Release Date:
  November 1, 1992

Star Wars spent most of the 1990s leading up to the release of the prequel trilogy, but in spite of that, some of the best games based on the franchise were released during this time. One of those was Super Star Wars, a 2D side-scrolling shooter series that loosely adapted the film. And while it may look similar to the film, it does so in a way that makes the player work for it.

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Super Star Wars is a fast-paced, incredibly difficult shooter that features three playable characters in Luke, Han, and Chewbacca. Feeling like an arcade shooter for the home, Super Star Wars is still an absolutely fantastic game with some brilliant stages and brutal boss fights. Two sequels, which would adapt the two other original trilogy films, were released in 1993 and 1994, but sadly only Super Star Wars is available on modern hardware.

3 Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire

An Innovative Third-Person Shooter And One Of The Best On The N64

• Platforms:
  N64, PC
• Developer:
  LucasArts
• Release Date:
  December 2, 1996

As Star Wars found itself with no major releases during the 1990s, LucasArts opted to create a sprawling multimedia campaign known as Shadows of the Empire. And one of the best things to come out of this project was a video game that was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1996. A contender for one of the greatest N64 games of all time, Shadows of the Empire starred Dash Rendar in one of the first key examples of a contemporary 3D third-person shooter of its time.

Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Shadows of the Empire is an outstanding shooter that allows for both third and first-person views. It still feels remarkably fun to play today, as the shooting feels great, and it has some impressive scale for the time period. One of the key highlights is the pursuit of iconic bounty hunter Boba Fett, as this intense boss battle is one of the best on the platform, and engaging with him is a true test of the player’s ability.

2 Star Wars: Dark Forces

Iconic 90s FPS That Combines Star Wars And Doom

The 90s was a fascinating time, as multiple new genres were born and one of the most popular of the time was the first-person shooter. And with the popularity of games like Doom, it seemed like a no-brainer for Star Wars to try its hand. It was a smart call, as Dark Forces turned out to be not just one of the greatest Star Wars games ever made, but one of the best first-person shooters of all time.

Built on the Jedi Engine, which was clearly influenced by the likes of the Build and iD Tech engines, Dark Forces explored the events leading up to A New Hope, as Kyle Katarn is sent on a mission to retrieve the Death Star plans. This excellent shooter was recently remastered for all modern platforms, making it easier than ever to access today.

1 Star Wars: Republic Commando

Prequel Film Tie-In That Puts Players In Control Of Clone Troopers

The Star Wars prequels saw a huge collection of tie-in games, as the saga of Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side was accompanied by a wide variety of different games. Everything from space combat games to pod racing, nothing seemed off limits. But perhaps the greatest of them was a first-person shooter, one which tied into the third prequel film, known as Republic Commando.

In Republic Commando, the focus is on a squad of Clone Troopers known as Delta Squad, as players issue commands and embark on a clandestine quest to assassinate a Separatist Council member. The shooting feels outstanding, and the squad commands add some depth to the entire affair. This fabulous FPS is still one of the greatest Star Wars shooters of all time and is easily accessible on modern hardware.

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