2023 is a giant 12 months for Star Wars. Whereas many are salivating over the return of The Mandalorian, an impending live-action Ahsoka sequence, and the upcoming Skeleton Crew sequence, there may be one other nook of the galaxy that has followers champing on the bit in pleasure. On March 17, Digital Arts will launch Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the sequel to the wildly well-liked Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2019 online game.
Fallen Order was hailed as one of many biggest Star Wars action-adventure video games ever, following the story of Cal Kestis (performed by Cameron Monaghan), a former Jedi Padawan finishing his coaching whereas doing battle with pesky Imperial Inquisitors. Set 5 years after the occasions of the primary recreation, Survivor picks up with Cal now a full Jedi Knight nonetheless going through off towards the Galactic Empire.
Whereas we try and calm our twitchy thumbs in anticipation of the brand new Cal Kestis journey, the EW Star Wars superfans mentioned and debated one of the best franchise video video games ever on the Dagobah Dispatch podcast. To listen to the whole roundtable (together with our breakdown of the brand new Mandalorian trailer and the most recent Unhealthy Batch installment), try the brand new episode. However earlier than you do, learn on under as our all-star, blue ribbon panel makes a case for his or her favourite Star Wars online game ever.
Star Wars: Darkish Forces (1995)
Lucasfilms Video games ‘Star Wars: Darkish Forces’
Certain, you’ll be able to label Darkish Forces a Doom clone if you would like, however guess what? Doom was superior! And taking part in a Doom knockoff the place you might be blowing up Stormtroopers as a substitute of monsters was even extra superior. This early period first-person shooter extravaganza appears to be like positively quaint with subtle 2023 gamer eyes by way of each plot and graphics, however again within the mid-’90s when new Star Wars content material was not leaping out of each nook each single week (like, say, the weekly Dagobah Dispatch podcast), the sport was a revelation.
When it comes to story, you performed as Kyle Katarn, a mercenary employed by the Insurgent Alliance. In the midst of the sport, he/you uncover the existence of Darkish Troopers — who would make their current return on The Mandalorian — however honestly, the story was secondary. The true pleasure was making your means by way of environments like a Star Destroyer or Jabba’s Sail Barge whereas blasting every thing in sight. Darkish Forces is the sport that set the stage for later greatness to return… and hopefully proceed with Jedi: Survivor. —Dalton Ross
Star Wars: Anakin’s Speedway (2000)
Lucas Studying ‘Star Wars: Anakin’s Speedway’
I’ve performed quite a lot of Star Wars video games — and missed out on quite a lot of others. Have I ever tried Jedi: Fallen Order? No, however I mastered the mediocre 2003 Recreation Boy Advance recreation, Star Wars: Flight of the Falcon. What about Battlefront? I am horrible on the 2015 and 2017 variations, however I can in all probability kick your ass on the OG 2004 launch. I’ve additionally sunk actually tons of of hours into the Lego Star Wars sequence, from the 2007 Wii launch to the outstanding 2022 version. (For my cash, the current Lego Star Wars: Skywalker Saga could be one of the best Star Wars online game of all time, due to its intelligent gameplay and very nerdy in-jokes.)
However for the aim of this podcast, I needed to give a shout-out to the Star Wars online game nobody else has even heard of: a 23-year-old relic referred to as Anakin’s Speedway. This 2000 Lucas Studying launch was designed for terribly young children — actually ages 4 and up. However as a child, it was one of many few laptop video games that truly ran on my dad and mom’ historic Macintosh, so my then-4-year-old little brother and I spent hours establishing elaborate podracing tracks.
To be clear, Anakin’s Speedway will not be a very good recreation. The gameplay is laughably easy — once more, that is for 4-year-olds! — and all you do is click on a sequence of buttons to assemble a podracing course, earlier than sending out a pilot to navigate them. Certain, it is enjoyable to observe Sebulba fail to finish a loop-de-loop or crash right into a sarlacc pit, however the novelty will get outdated fairly fast. However 23 years later, this recreation continues to be burned into my mind, and once I shut my eyes, I can nonetheless hear the jangly soundtrack and commentary from Fode and Beed. Now this is podracing. —Devan Coggan
Star Wars: The Pressure Unleashed (2008)
Lucasfilms Video games ‘Star Wars: The Pressure Unleashed’
Utilizing comparable role-playing components that predate the present Jedi: Fallen Order video games, Star Wars: The Pressure Unleashed chronicled the adventures of Starkiller, the supremely highly effective secret apprentice to Darth Vader after the occasions of the prequel motion pictures. The dude may rip Star Destroyers out of the sky and blow up a fleet of TIE fighters with Pressure lightning, which all lends itself to the true mission. Not the story mission, which is to spark the Insurgent Alliance so Vader can overthrow Palpatine.
No, the true mission is to go on rampages and trigger as a lot chaos as doable. Dwell deliciously within the Darkish Aspect. (A private favourite transfer would truly come within the sequel recreation — “thoughts trick,” during which you compel enemies to consider life is not price residing and bounce to their doom.) Plus, you had Sam Witwer, now referred to as the voice of Darth Maul in Clone Wars and past, doing probably the most dramatic screams in Star Wars canon, ranked simply behind Hayden Christensen’s “I hate you!” —Nick Romano
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (2022)
Warner Bros. Interactive Leisure ‘Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga’
From my incapacity to drive straight in Mario Kart to getting killed repeatedly in each incarnation of Legend of Zelda, I’m actually not a lot of a gamer (or an excellent one). In truth, I by no means performed any Star Wars video games in any respect earlier than 2022’s Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, however the recreation has proved so addictive that I’ve discovered myself looking for kyber bricks in actual life.
In addition to taking part in by way of the principle story traces of the 9 movies within the Skywalker Saga, finishing every stage unlocks free play, which opens up an entire collection of aspect missions from liberating Porgs to exploring the bogs of Dagobah and the remnants of the second Loss of life Star for the aforementioned kyber bricks.
However as a lot enjoyable as all of the puzzles, quests, and lightsaber battles are, one of the best facet is having the ability to play as over 300 totally different characters and creating absurd combating pairs like Wicket and Emperor Palpatine, or mixing characters from numerous timelines like having Jango Fett play alongside Rey. There have been quite a lot of different Lego Star Wars video games because the launch of the primary in 2005, however Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the last word mixture of Lego’s trademark wit with Star Wars galactic journey. —Lauren Morgan
To listen to the whole online game dialogue, in addition to extra information and interviews from a galaxy far, far-off, comply with EW’s weekly Star Wars podcast Dagobah Dispatch.
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