The Most Epic Star Wars Games on PS4 and PS5
By: Tobin Carlberg | March 22, 2022
We haven’t had a new Star Wars movie in a while, but with the recent Obi-Wan series on Disney+ and the Cassian Andor series releasing in September, Star Wars is as hot as ever.
In the world of Star Wars games, there’s a remake of the classic RPG Knights of the Old Republic coming up, as well as Jedi: Survivor, a sequel to the beloved action game Jedi: Fallen Order. Both of these look to be exclusive to the current generation of consoles, so those with only a PS4 to their name may feel left out of the fun. But not to worry! There are plenty of great Star Wars games available on Sony’s previous console, which still has a lot of life in it. Here are a few of those that we recommend.
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2017)
Image Credit: EA, DICE
At launch, Battlefront 2 was disappointing, to say the least. With virtually mandatory micro-transactions, absurdly steep progression systems, and an obvious pay-to-win agenda, EA became the most hated publisher in the industry. However, they bounced back with one of the greatest comebacks in gaming history, removing all loot boxes and adding a ton of new characters and planets to see. The hype truly returned once the fan-favorite Clone Wars characters were added to the mix — Count Dooku, General Grievous, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and even Anakin Skywalker!
The current state of the game is much improved, with multiplayer being the biggest highlight, as it lets you fight through a number of iconic maps across three different eras in the Star Wars universe. Whether you’re a clone, battle droid, stormtrooper, or rebel, each character has a ton of detailed class types that you can customize to your liking. And there’s no better feeling in a Star Wars game than unlocking a Jedi or Sith character and slicing down all enemies in your path — it provides that movie-style epicness you can’t get anywhere else.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Image Credit: TT Games
Since Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga was a favorite for many who grew up playing the game back in 2007, Traveller’s Tales have now released a fresh remake that includes Lego versions of all nine mainline Star Wars movies. Relive all your favorite moments from the series in that classic Lego style, still bringing the heart and humor all fans have come to expect. The main missions will take you right into the action, but the real fun is in the hub worlds. While the Mos Eisley Cantina was the only free roam area in the previous game, the Skywalker Saga lets you visit over 20 planets with giant landscapes to explore. Whether you’re walking through the sands of Tatooine or admiring the busy streets of Coruscant, each location has its own charm and loads of quests to complete. Above all, the side quests elevate this game from an average linear story to its own brick-themed RPG. To name a few noteworthy missions, the game has you feeding the sarlacc some tasty treats and leading a choir of Wookiees to sing the Star Wars theme music.
The other new addition to the game is the camera angle. Instead of the top-down view of older Lego games, the Skywalker Saga has an over-the-shoulder, third-person perspective similar to Battlefront, which allows for new combat abilities. For example, gun-wielding characters can aim for more precision and duck behind cover to avoid blaster shots. Meanwhile, the Jedi have received a well-earned buff with unique combos, lightsaber throwing, and the ability to force push with ease. It’s especially fun to have lightsaber duels with a friend in split-screen mode to determine who is the true Jedi Master.
Jedi: Fallen Order
Image Credit: Respawn Entertainment
Jedi: Fallen Order is an action game that skillfully mixes elements from the Dark Souls series into a brand new story that fits perfectly in the Star Wars universe. Taking place five years after the Great Jedi Purge, you play Padawan survivor Cal Kestis as he searches across the galaxy for an ancient artifact that could save the future of the Jedi order. But you must stay alert, as the Jedi-hunting Inquisitors are constantly on your trail to stop you from completing your mission.
The boss fights in Fallen Order can be extremely punishing, but once you find your footing, you will be well on your way to becoming an expert swordsman. Out of all the combat features, being able to customize your lightsaber is the best part. You have the option to switch between a single-bladed lightsaber for one-on-one duels and a double-bladed lightsaber to take down larger waves of enemies. And similar to Dark Souls’ bonfires, the Jedi meditation circles give you the ability to upgrade your skill tree and set checkpoints at the expense of a full respawn of all nearby enemies, so you need to be strategic about when to use them.
As for the story, it provides a glimpse of what the surviving Jedi were up to after Order 66. While it’s touched on in the recent Kenobi show and the Rebels animated series, we’ve never really seen this era of Star Wars to this extent. It brings more depth to both the reclusive Jedi and those who were seduced by the darkside and turned into Inquisitors. Along the way, there are some great character moments from new faces and a few legendary cameos that you won’t want to miss.
Star Wars: Squadrons
Image Credit: Motive Studio
Star Wars: Squadrons is an aerial combat game, a genre that Star Wars has done well ever since the X-Wing and Tie Fighter PC games in the 90s. This one is no exception, with an engaging story that takes place after Return of the Jedi and follows squadrons of pilots on the Rebellion and Empire sides. Using the optional Playstation VR, it becomes incredibly immersive — maybe the closest thing you can find to being in the cockpit of an X-Wing or any of the seven other iconic ships that you can fly and even customize between missions.
It’s a great mix between accessible combat and hidden depth, which is also reflected in the variable UI, which you can turn off completely if you want to rely solely on your ship’s console. Online multiplayer only has two modes, but its high skill ceiling make it consistently engaging nonetheless. To cap it all off, you can often find Star Wars Squadrons on sale under $10 — a great price for such a high quality experience.
Republic Commando
Image Credit: LucasArts
This squad-based first-person shooter was a big surprise back when it was released on Xbox and PC back in 2005. It combined Halo-style gunplay with a tactical team approach that has you issuing simple commands to your AI-controlled teammates to overcome obstacles that would be too much to handle alone. The compelling narrative has three main chapters which take place during the Clone Wars (as seen in Episode II and the Clone Wars animated series), but from a soldier’s perspective, lending it a darker and grittier tone than we’ve come to expect from Star Wars.
The player controls “Boss”, the leader of the four-man Delta Squad carrying out missions for the Republic against the Separatists. Well-written dialogue fleshes out the faceless squad better than you would expect, making them surprisingly endearing for a bunch of military clones. While Republic Commando is over 15 years old, the remaster came out on PS4 and Nintendo Switch in April 2021, and it’s still definitely worth playing — especially if you pick it up in a two-pack with the next game on this list.
Star Wars Racer
Image Credit: LucasArts
For any kid who grew up with the Star Wars prequel trilogy, the podracing sequence was one of the highlights of Episode 1. The 1999 release of Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer captured the thrill of those high-speed races in ships that don’t look like they should be able to fly — and which are easily destroyed by the game’s many weapon loadouts. While the graphics are dated, the course design, sense of speed, and fantastic soundtrack still hold up in this HD remaster of the pulse-pounding game that beat F-Zero and Wipeout to be the best-selling sci-fi racer of all time.
Star Wars Racer (the “Episode 1” has been dropped for this release) originally came out on PC, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast, with a Playstation release announced then canceled, making the PS4 version its first appearance on a Sony console. The game hasn’t been updated much — it’s basically just an HD upscale with some quality of life improvements — but it preserves the original flavor of this fan favorite. Aspects like engine destruction and repair droids make this one of the most unique racing games ever, and split-screen play is a great throwback feature.
The Force is Strong with Playstation
Star Wars is a property with near-endless possibilities for expansion and creative new takes, which is evident from the fact that these games each excel at different genres. We look forward to each new trip to a galaxy far, far away… but we’re also happy that we can still revisit past journeys on modern consoles like the PS4 and PS5.
With that being said, Star Wars games can get pretty action-packed and intense, so it helps if you have a PS4 controller that helps you stay cool under pressure. These games are also on PS5, so NexiGo Playstation 5 accessories can come in handy to keep your console cool and stable, play for longer without recharging, or organize your games and peripherals.
For more about Playstation and Switch games, webcams, audio accessories, and other tech tips, the NexiGo blog has you covered with a new article every Monday!