It seems that almost every Star Wars game has a Jedi or Force user as its main character, a trope that can get repetitive and boring. As more and more games continue to use the same formula, it can make it difficult for fans to get excited about new games. With over 100 Star Wars games in existence, far too few of them opt to have someone other than the Jedi as their main character.
The Jedi Order is the most recognizable faction within the Star Wars universe, and as such, many games have chosen to focus on them. This makes sense from a commercial point of view, but it can become a little stale as games repeatedly tell similar stories. Going forward, new Star Wars games need less Jedi focus, but there are some older games for fans to check out.
There are many games that don’t include Jedi or don’t have one as the main character, such as nearly all the Star Wars racing games or the Rebel Assault series. To explore all of them would take far too long, and time has not been kind to most of them. The games below are the precious few still worth a look, or were different enough to leave a lasting impression.
High Flying Fun In Star Wars Flight Sim Games
Most Star Wars flying simulation games do not feature Jedi as their main characters, as few have what would be considered main characters beyond the anonymous player role. These games include, but are not limited to, Star Wars: X-Wing (1993), Star Wars: Starfighter (2001), and X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter (1997). However, some Star Wars flying games really stand out from the rest.
TIE Fighter was released in 1994 and hasn’t aged particularly well, but it is a lot of fun. Developed as a sequel to the less impressive X-Wing games, TIE Fighter has a minimal plot as the player fights to take down Rebel scum. What makes TIE Fighter stand out still is the gameplay which puts the player into the cockpit of several different TIE Fighters and manages to make the player feel like they are in an actual dogfight.
Another noteworthy mention is Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, the first of the three-part Rogue Squadron series. Rogue Squadron is set during the conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire and is broken into four chapters. Although the player technically controls Luke Skywalker in this Star Wars game, the Force plays no role in gameplay as it is a no-nonsense, arcade-style flight action game.
Rogue Squadron is a lot of fun, and while it hasn’t aged too well, the graphics were wonderful for the time. Players will undertake several missions, including the rescue of Wedge Antilles, during the game. The faster and better a player completed a level, the more ships they unlocked. This was a brilliant arcade simulator whose sequels never quite lived up to the fun and innovation of the first.
Tough World Of Bounty Hunting In Star Wars Universe
Released in 2002, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter was a tie-in game for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and acted as a prequel story for the Star Wars Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett. Set ten years before Attack of the Clones, Bounty Hunter sees Fett hired by Darth Tyranus and follows Fett through his attempts to kill Tyranus’ former pupil Komari Vosa. In the end, it is revealed that all of this was an elaborate test to find a worthy subject to be the genetic template for the Republic's clone army.
Bounty Hunter is a great game and adds a lot to the background of Fett. Players can learn how he got his ship and the details of the arrangement he reached with Tyranus, all of which fleshes out Fett more than his limited screen time. The game isn’t the most original in terms of gameplay and can become a little repetitive after a while. Bounty Hunter also suffers from technical and camera issues, but it is still a must play for the chance to play as a Mandalorian in a Star Wars game.
Shadows Of The Empire Is A Product Of Its Time
In Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, players control a mercenary working with the Rebel Alliance called Dash Rendar. Throughout the four-chapter story, Dash helps familiar Star Wars faces such as Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Lando Calrissian in a plot that links into the original Star Wars trilogy. The story takes place between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and connects nicely to both films.
While an entertaining game, Shadows of the Empire has not aged well. Originally designed and released for the Nintendo 64, it received mixed reviews from fans and critics. Chapter one’s Battle of Hoth, however, is exceptional, putting players into the heart of the famous battle and served as the inspiration for Rogue Squadron Star Wars games. Ultimately Shadows of the Empire suffered due to graphics and poor controls but still showed that there is no need for a Jedi to save the galaxy.
Few Jedi Are Seen In Star Wars RTS Games
Many strategy games such as Star Wars: Force Commander (2000), Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (2001), and Star Wars Commander (2014) don’t have Jedi main characters. Instead, the player controls large forces and builds bases to outmaneuver the enemy. The best example of this in Star Wars is 2006’s Empire at War.
Although not a terribly groundbreaking strategy game, Empire at War’s links to the Star Wars universe make it very interesting to play. Set during the events leading up to A New Hope, the player can choose to play as either Empire or Rebel Alliance. Using a mixture of ground and space battles, Empire at War is a solid Star Wars RTS that is still enjoyable despite being 16 years old.
Republic Commando Changed Clones In Star Wars
Star Wars: Republic Commando is hands down one of the best Star Wars games, and there isn’t a Jedi in sight. Players instead control Boss, the team leader of an elite clone trooper unit, in a straightforward first-person shooter. Joined by squad mates Scorch, Sev, and Fixer, players complete several missions during the Clone Wars.
What makes Republic Commando stand out is how the clones are portrayed, as each member of Delta Squad is given a unique personality which changed how clones were seen in Star Wars forever. Developers used real soldiers as inspiration for Republic Commando’s clones in a move that continued to echo into other Star Wars media, such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: The Bad Batch animated series. Republic Commando is a very clever FPS and showed that Star Wars could use that genre without needing a Jedi hero.
Star Wars has a rich lore that is often used to great effect within its games. Spanning multiple game genres, there is usually a Star Wars game to suit everyone's taste. And while it is fun to play as a Jedi, it’s equally fun to step into other roles within the vast Star Wars galaxy.