7 Star Wars games you need to play this May the 4th

With May the 4th fast approaching, it’s time to look at some of the best Star Wars games. When it comes to this popular franchise, not every game that has been released is worth a revisit. We wanted to highlight some of our favorites that have come out over the years to play on one of the most important days in the fandom. For those unaware, May the 4th is a reference to the line “May the Force be with you,” which is a way to wish good luck.

This is not a comprehensive list of the best games in the franchise, but simply some enjoyable ones to play this May the 4th. However, these are all classics, though some might be harder to get ahold of than others.

Note: This article is subjective and solely based on the author's opinion.

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Top 7 Star Wars games that you should play

Here are some of the best Star Wars games from the franchise, that you should absolutely not miss out on:

1) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

This one's a certified classic (Image via BioWare)

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is often listed as one of the best games in the franchise, and is worth playing this May the 4th. It’s one of the games that really brought BioWare to the limelight when it came to creating gripping, narrative-driven action games. Set thousands of years before the films, SWTOR is always going to please fans of the series.

Whenever great games built in this franchise are brought up, this one is virtually always in the conversation. With incredible action, an unforgettable story, and memorable characters, if you haven’t tried SWTOR, it’s a must-play, despite its age.

2) Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Cal Kestis is one of the best protagonists the franchise has come up with in years (Image via EA)

Easily one of the best, and easiest to access Star Wars games on May the 4th, Jedi: Survivor improved everything about the previous game, Fallen Order. The story of Cal Kestis’s struggle is a brilliant storyline, and you can both see and experience his character growth firsthand. He’s growing stronger in the force, and still dealing with the fallout of Order 66.

The planets you explore are vast, and the challenges great - feeling sort of like a Soulslike. You don’t have to suffer on super challenging difficulty settings if you don’t want to. Not only did we rate this game highly in our review, but it’s often on sale, making it one of the easier titles to pick up for May the 4th.

3) Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

Shadows of the Empire remains a classic, even if it's incredibly difficult (Image via Lucasfilm Games)

This may be one of the harder Star Wars games to get acquire for May the 4th, but if you have it, it might be time to break the cartridge back out. Shadows of the Empire is a classic video game, based on the book of the same name. Set between the events of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and stars Dash Rendar.

He has to deal with both the Empire, and Xizor’s Black Sun crime syndicate, in the service of the Rebel Alliance. Dash is a cool, smooth character, and the N64 game put players into some of the most interesting places in the Star Wars universe at the time. Players could deal with Boba Fett, fight IG-88, as well as vicious Wampas. Don’t miss out on it if you haven’t tried it. It’s challenging, but so much fun.

4) LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

LEGO games always deliver on the silliness and fun (Image via Warner Bros. Games)

If you’d rather just play through the stories but in a more comical way, why not try LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga this May the 4th? The LEGO games are almost universally adored, and The Skywalker Saga is no exception. With hundreds of characters, the stories of all nine movies are in one place, with some changes made for comedic effect.

One of our favorite games in this franchise period, it’s worth playing if you just want to bask in the glow of the popular franchise on May the 4th. It’s also one of the few games on this list that’s co-op, so you can play alongside a close friend and reminisce.

5) Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)

So many fond memories of playing this back in the 2000s... (Image via Pandemic Studios)

Let’s not talk about the modern Battlefront; instead, let’s talk about the PS2 banger (which was re-released later on modern platforms). Battlefront II is a classic, easily one of the best games to play this May the 4th. The first/third-person shooter added quite a few things to improve upon the original game.

New classes for each faction, such as the Droideka, Bothan Spy, Wookie, Jet Trooper, and Commander were all awesome to play as. There were also Heroes that players could choose to be—they were in the previous game, but only as NPCs. There’s more immersion to be had in Battlefront II. Whether you wanted a Risk-like experience (Galactic Conquest) or an amazing story to play (Rise of the Empire), there was something for all fans of this galaxy far, far away.

6) Star Wars: Dark Forces

The remaster of Dark Forces is incredibly fun (Image via Lucasfilm Games || Nightdive Studios)

Normally, I’d say Star Wars: Dark Forces is one of the hardest games to play on this May the 4th recommendations list, but it was remade recently. The classic shooter is back on modern platforms and reasonably priced (around $20 US). This is also the first time the Dark Trooper Project was mentioned, which would later be referenced in the Purge Troopers seen in The Force Unleashed.

Kyle Katarn was the main character of Dark Forces, a merc hired by the Rebel Alliance. This game had amazing FPS combat, interesting puzzles, and of course, a compelling narrative to follow; something that was pretty alien at the time for first-person shooter games. If you want to celebrate May the 4th, pick this up and dive into one of the best Star Wars games.

7) Star Wars: TOR

SWTOR is a classic MMO with a great story (Image via BioWare || EA)

I wanted to include The Old Republic because it’s one of my favorite MMOs an excellent game to play on May the 4th. This is the game I will likely play, in all honesty. Set in the time of the Old Republic, it’s got some truly intense stories for all the character classes. You can play for free up to Level 60 as well as through the first two expansions.

It’s been around for years and continues to provide quality updates for its players. It was also pretty visually impressive for its time, on top of the amazing story and reverence for Star Wars lore.

Final thoughts

There are so many great stories available to play right now; this is just a sampling of the great Star Wars games that have appeared over the years. You could also play some of the super-challenging SNES games or even Squadrons if you want something in VR.

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Edited by Angad Sharma