Cal Kestis is back in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, continuing the popular trend of letting players feel like a Jedi in video game form. However, Star Wars isn't always about ancient religions and lightsabers. Sometimes, gamers just want to play as a trooper or a bounty hunter with a blaster at their side, or perhaps behind the controls of a starship.
Thankfully, there are multiple Star Wars games out there that provide such an experience. Neither Jedi nor Sith are the main characters in certain titles, resulting in a plethora of genres across decades of Star Wars content that don't revolve around swinging a lightsaber.
Updated on April 29, 2023 by Ajay Aravind: The Star Wars franchise began in 1977 with the release of A New Hope, and has remained consistently popular for the last 40+ years. There are countless video games associated with the franchise, although some of them don't star either Jedi or Sith characters. As such, we've revamped this list of Star Wars games that aren't about these iconic Force-users.
10 Lethal Alliance (2006)
Platforms: PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS
During the mid to late-2000s, Star Wars games leaned towards being edgy. Star Wars: Lethal Alliance remains a good example of that trend. Instead of being the valiant hero trying to protect the galaxy, the player controls a mercenary fighting the Empire using martial arts and deadly technology.
Exclusive to the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable, Lethal Alliance was sadly forgotten, despite providing a solid adventure from a rather different perspective. Stealth plays a big part in Rianna's gameplay, which, combined with her droid companion, makes for an underrated game that deserved a wider release.
9 Star Wars: Dark Forces (1995)
Platforms: Macintosh, MS-DOS, PlayStation
After Doom came out and revolutionized first-person shooters, Star Wars: Dark Forces was released as an attempt to capitalize on that hype. With visuals that were ahead of their time and replicated Star Wars faithfully, Dark Forces proved that the games could be more than just tie-ins for the movie franchise.
Dark Forces remains a fun first-person shooter, even if the old-school style may not be for everyone today. It also started a whole franchise of games starring Kyle Katarn that led to the Jedi Knight games, including Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy.
8 Empire At War (2006)
Platforms: Mac OS X, Windows
Fans have been fortunate to be blessed with a Star Wars game in nearly every genre, including the real-time strategy game Star Wars: Empire at War. Players familiar with games like StarCraft, Age of Empires, or Total War: Warhammer will have a general grasp of Empire at War.
In Empire at War, the player controls legions of Imperials or Rebels. Building vehicles and bases to accomplish missions, tasks typically involved a lot of carnage. It doesn't reinvent the RTS formula in any way, but if a Star Wars fan has an itch for the genre, Empire at War is a strong take on that formula.
7 Star Wars Episode 1: Racer (1999)
Platforms: Windows, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Of all the games to make extra challenging, Lucasarts decided to make Star Wars Episode 1: Racer into a game that can cause players to pull their hair out. The game tries its hardest to recreate the pod racing seen in The Phantom Menace, which includes the treacherous terrains and hazards.
One wrong move in Racer and the player's pod is destroyed, often resulting in losing their place. At the same time, Racer earned much praise for its visuals, driving mechanics, upgradable pods, and even the difficulty, turning it into a beloved prequel-era game.
6 Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (2002)
Platforms: GameCube, PlayStation 2
Starring Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter tells Jango's story before Attack of the Clones. It shows why he, of all characters, was selected to be the source gene for the Clone army. The result is a decent third-person shooter from the early 2000s, with Jango making his way across the galaxy.
In a way, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter was ahead of its time. This game gave Star Wars fans a glimpse into the criminal underworld in the Galaxy, something that wouldn't appear in canon projects until Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
5 Battlefront II (2005)
Platforms: PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows
Although the first Battlefront was a success, Star Wars: Battlefront II improved upon its predecessor while ironing out many flaws. There are still gamers that prefer this 2005 version of Battlefront II over the remake because no other game at the time recreated battles seen in the films so well.
Incorporating both original and prequel eras, Battlefront II mixed first-person and third-person gameplay to immerse fans in iconic Star Wars battles. Back in 2005, Battlefront II was genuine competition for Call of Duty and Medal of Honor, cementing it as a legacy element in the Star Wars franchise.
4 Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011)
Platforms: Windows
While Star Wars: The Old Republic offers the chance to play as a Jedi and a Sith, it's not a requirement since there are options for troopers, bounty hunters, smugglers, and officers as playable classes. Part of the appeal of Bioware's MMORPG is the freedom to pursue any life in the galaxy.
From beginning to end, the campaigns for each class in The Old Republic offer something unique in terms of story and gameplay. Even if MMORPGs are not someone's cup of tea, The Old Republic is easily accessible to most gamers. That said, the only drawback is the amount of content hidden behind paywalls.
3 Star Wars Squadrons (2020)
Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
EA and Motive's Star Wars: Squadrons is the latest in a long line of starfighter combat games. It harkens back to classic X-Wing/TIE Fighter titles with its point-and-click style menus and the return to the classic combat of that era, resulting in a difficult game that has become rather unfriendly to new players.
Combined with arguably the most accurate visuals in a Star Wars game yet, Squadrons keeps the addictive combat playing as iconic Star Wars starfighters while providing a canon story featuring multiple iconic characters. Although online multiplayer can be enjoyable, inexperienced players might be frustrated.
2 Battlefront II (2017 Remake)
Platforms: Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
The Star Wars: Battlefront II remake was majorly controversial upon its launch. However, thanks to enough dedicated players, EA and DICE managed to save the game through updates. Even today, players are still battling each other online across the three major Star Wars eras as different factions.
On top of its visual beauty, Battlefront II features a lot of similarities to the Battlefield franchise in terms of gameplay. It makes for a visceral, first-person shooter experience that puts so much detail from the Star Wars universe into every nook. Fans will get easily immersed in multiple matches and the canon storyline.
1 Republic Commando (2005)
Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox
Before The Clone Wars, Republic Commando was the first project to give a sense of individuality to the clones. Rather than a typical first-person shooter, Republic Commando mixed Metroid Prime with the Ghost Recon games, resulting in a squad-based shooter that required tactical thinking rather than just mindless shooting.
Other than being far too short, the main campaign for Republic Commando is a strong one. Each Commando is memorable in its own way, the visor HUD is unlike any other Star Wars game, and the combat is fun and addicting. Republic Commando is a Star Wars game that has deserved a sequel for almost twenty years now.