Star Wars video games have a legacy of releasing some of the most interesting and fun experiences on PC. Many classic and iconic Star Wars games were made for PC and inspired a number of releases for consoles in the years that followed. But not every major PC Star Wars game has been given the chance to recapture the gaming audience today. A few of those beloved Star Wars games have either been forgotten or ignored, despite some of their sequels and related games finding their way onto modern consoles or re-releasing on various digital storefronts.
Instead of letting them fade away, it’s finally time for those Star Wars PC games to get the remastered treatment. Great games that had a big impact on Star Wars fans and the gaming industry shouldn’t be overlooked when many people have fond memories of their time playing them. These are the 5 Star Wars PC games that we need to be remastered now and made available for everyone.
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5
Empire at War
Commanding the battlefield from above
When it comes to real-time strategy games, there is no better one that takes place in the Star Wars galaxy than Star Wars: Empire at War. Originally released for Windows and Mac OS X in 2006 by Petroglyph Games, Empire at War puts players in control of armies as they fight for supremacy on the battlefield.
The game features a story campaign, an extra sandbox campaign called Galactic Conquest, and a Skirmish mode. The plot of the main campaign takes place during the events before Episode IV: A New Hope, focusing on the battles leading up to the construction of the first Death Star, with perspectives from both the Rebel Alliance and the galactic Empire. Battles take place on multiple planets and in space orbit, leading up to the climatic events of The Battle of Yavin and the first Death Star battle.
What makes Empire at War so much fun is how easy it can be to put together legions of units and engage in big battles.
Depending on your faction, you can utilize the strength of specific characters, like Darth Vader, and take advantage of abilities to influence battles. The game would also receive an official expansion, titled Forces of Corruption, which added a new faction and more units.
The expansion also included a new campaign that focused on the Zann Consortium right before the Battle of Yavin. Forces of Corruption also added 12 new planets to the lineup where battles can take place, including fan favorites like Dathomir, Mustafar, and Mandalore.
For any Star Wars fan, controlling units and conquering familiar planets can be a great time, but the fun begins when you explore the modding scene. Empire at War has a thriving mod community that is continually adding changes that keep the game feeling fresh on PC, including new factions and units to use on maps.
One modded expansion added a fan-favorite character, Grand Admiral Thrawn, with a new campaign that had Thrawn’s army fighting the New Republic after the events of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. While the game continued to receive official updates from Petroglyph Games up to 2024, it has not been given a full remaster like other Star Wars games.
- Developer: Petroglyph Games
- Release Date: Feb 16, 2006
- Platforms: PC, Mac
4
Shadows of the Empire
Playing in the underworld
One of the biggest Expanded Universe (also known as Star Wars Legends) stories ever released was Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. This was part of a major multimedia event that included comics, toys, and a video game of the same name. It was a Star Wars story without a major movie release to go with it.
But while most people remember the Nintendo 64 release of Shadows of the Empire, not everyone got to play the PC release of the game. Shadows of the Empire was ported to Windows PC in 1997 by LucasArts, a year following the Nintendo 64 release. Despite the gameplay being the same, the PC version received a few changes that differentiated it from the home console release.
Fully voiced FMV cutscenes were added to the story, which replaced the motion graphics and still images that were in the Nintendo 64 version. However, nothing about the overall plot or core gameplay was changed between both versions of the game.
Controls were also different on PC, with players using a mouse and keyboard for their actions instead of a controller. As a whole, Shadows of the Empire was received well by Star Wars fans, despite critics being a lot harsher on the game’s technical shortcomings.
To date, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire has not received a remaster on either PC or consoles, which opens up an opportunity for a definitive edition to combine the features of both versions. As one of the few Star Wars Legends stories to have a major event tied to it, this is something that should definitely be considered.
- Developer: LucasArts
- Release Date: Dec 1996
- Platforms: Nintendo 64, PC
3
X-Wing and TIE Fighter Series
Ace pilots and dogfights
For many, piloting a starfighter is the ultimate fantasy. Starting with Star Wars: X-Wing and eventually spinning off into the TIE Fighter series, Star Wars fans could live out their dream of becoming an ace fighter pilot for either the Rebel Alliance or the Empire. Sadly, none of these games have been remastered, despite being re-released multiple times over the years on PC as compilations.
Unlike the Rogue Squadron series, X-Wing and TIE Fighter add more depth to the concept of piloting a starfighter, opting to feel more like a simulation rather than an arcade game. Players can control parts of their ship’s systems, like shifting power to shields or thrusters, and steer around in space during missions. The missions in each game put players in the middle of the ongoing Galactic Civil War, executing missions for the Rebel Alliance or Empire, and shooting down enemy fighters.
The X-Wing games are the core of the series, with TIE Fighter being the follow-up. The third entry, X-Wing VS TIE Fighter, is a lot more multiplayer-focused experience with little story, even though an expansion was later released that included some extra story-driven missions.
The final game, X-Wing Alliance, took the best aspects of all the previous releases and put everything into one experience, making what many consider to be the best of the series. Years later, Electronic Arts would release Star Wars: Squadrons on PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles, which had gameplay that was heavily inspired by the X-Wing series.
- Developer: Totally Games
- Release Date: Apr 30, 1997
- Platforms: PC
2
Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
The forgotten Jedi chapter
The Jedi Knight games are beloved by Star Wars fans, with many considering them to have the best lightsaber combat and multiplayer action of the entire franchise. But while many acknowledge this series to have begun with Star Wars: Dark Forces in 1995, its sequel is often glanced over.
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II was a follow-up to Dark Forces in 1997, continuing the story of mercenary turned Jedi Knight Kyle Katarn. Like its predecessor, the game was a first-person shooter that had players navigating levels and getting into shootouts against stormtroopers and other Imperial enemies. Many people compare the gameplay to classic FPS titles like DOOM and Quake, which were both a big inspiration for Dark Forces and Jedi Knight.
A highlight of the experience was finally getting a lightsaber to wield against foes, which was complimented by Force Powers that could be obtained throughout the main campaign.
The game also had a multiplayer mode where up to eight people could play competitively against each other, using Force Powers on each other to win matches. This would be a hit with fans and a major part of the sequels to Jedi Knight that were released in the years that followed.
In addition, an expansion to Jedi Knight was released in 1998 titled Mysteries of the Sith. The expansion would follow the popular expanded universe character Mara Jade, tying her story to what was happening with Kyle Katarn, which also came with some additional improvements and tweaks to the gameplay.
Sadly, the first Jedi Knight game has not been remastered like its prequel and sequels. Both Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy would be remastered for multiple consoles, while Dark Forces would get a full remaster that revamped the entire experience. At some point, this Jedi Knight game should get the same treatment. It would be great to see a collection of Jedi Knight for consoles and PC, which includes every entry in the series.
- Developer: LucasArts
- Release Date: Sep 30, 1997
- Platforms: PC
1
Rogue Squadron 3D
The best pilots in the galaxy
One of the best Star Wars games for the Nintendo 64 is Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, which was released by LucasArts and Factor 5 in 1998. However, the game was ported to Windows PC around the same time. Rogue Squadron takes place around six months after the Battle of Yavin, with Luke Skywalker joining Rogue Squadron and participating in missions for the Rebel Alliance with Wedge Antilles.
While there is no appearance by Darth Vader, the Empire is still a major threat as it tries to recuperate following the destruction of the first Death Star. The plot of the game is original, despite drawing some influence from the X-Wing Dark Horse Comics of the time, and puts players in control of a starfighter flying alongside the other members of Rogue Squadron. For many fans, Rogue Squadron is the definitive flight action game that focuses exclusively on the dogfights and ships of the Star Wars universe.
Most of the game’s success was due to the Nintendo 64 release, but Windows PC received a version that was titled Rogue Squadron 3D. The gameplay of both versions is identical, with nothing changed at all except only a few minor tweaks to how cheat codes were executed.
The home console version is more beloved than the PC version due to lingering technical issues that pop up during gameplay, as well as the handling of the flying being more difficult, according to some reviews back then. A definitive version of Rogue Squadron would be a great thing to see, especially if it’s part of a Rogue Squadron Collection that includes the two sequels that were released for the Nintendo GameCube, Rogue Leader and Rebel Strike.
Regardless, many Star Wars fans question how such a beloved game has yet to be remastered for modern consoles. With a number of Star Wars games being revisited before and after Rogue Squadron’s initial release, it feels like this one has just gotten lost in the shuffle.
- Developer: LuxasArts & Factor 5
- Release Date: Nov 17, 1998
- Platforms: Nintendo 64, PC
Remastering a galaxy far, far away
Not every Star Wars game is good enough to be revisited, but there are some games that are great enough to rise above being forgotten. With Disney and Lucasfilm releasing a number of Star Wars titles again across multiple platforms, each of these PC Star Wars games should be included in that mix. They not only provided unique and interesting experiences that fans loved, but would greatly benefit from having their presentation and technical aspects improved upon with modern sensibilities.
No matter how you jumped into the Star Wars universe on your PC, whether piloting a starfighter or commanding forces across planets, the nostalgia is strong enough in these games to make anyone want to return to a galaxy far, far away.
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