Star Wars is one of the most prolific franchises in the world. There are countless movies, books, and video games based on the space opera. If you’re looking for a good game in the series, it can be a difficult search. That’s especially true these days when almost every game in the franchise now has a PC release.

Nearly every Star Wars game is playable on PC, anyway. There are a few that still haven’t made the cut, like Star Wars: Bounty Hunter or Super Star Wars. Still, there’s a great slate of Star Wars games on PC, many of which can easily be played on older machines and available for cheap.

10 Star Wars: Dark Forces

Dark Forces was one of the first Star Wars first-person shooters, released in 1995, just two years after the first Doom. LucasArts was rumored to reverse engineer the Doom engine to better understand it, and use their own “Jedi Engine” for this game. Their new engine allowed the developers to create more varied, and bigger levels and higher fidelity graphics.

Players take on the role of Kyle Katarn, a mercenary hired by the Rebel Alliance to first get the plans to the Death Star (later retconned by Rogue One, of course) and then investigate the creation of Dark Troopers. Dark Forces, while no longer cannon, laid the groundwork for several major elements of the Star Wars universe even now – Kyle Katarn and Dark Troopers are both part of the new Disney cannon.

9 Star Wars: Empire At War

Created by former developers of Command & Conquer, Star Wars: Empire at War was an ambitious attempt at making a large-scale Star Wars RTS. It follows a similar structure to the original Star Wars: Battlefront games in that its primary single-player mode is Galactic Conquest, where players must conquer the galaxy as the Empire, or liberate it as the Rebels.

Empire at War features an entire galaxy for the player to tackle. A great deal of strategy comes in deciding to attack a resource-producing planet, its weapon and production facilities, or its bonuses conferred to various unit types. Also similar to Battlefront, there are individual “Hero” units like Darth Vader or Obi-Wan Kenobi that can turn the tide of battle.

8 Star Wars Episode I: Racer

In a franchise that’s dabbled in every video game genre, a racer isn’t all that bizarre. Perhaps what’s most strange about it is that Star Wars Episode I: Racer is based on arguably the worst movie in the series and yet is easily one of the best video games in that series.

Based on the podracing sport from The Phantom Menace, Episode I: Racer isn’t just a generic racing game with a Star Wars coat of paint slapped on it. This is an inventive, smart, and deep racing game that requires strategy. There’s a boost ability that could overheat your pod and destroy the engine, the ability to repair mid-race at the cost of speed, and dozens of tracks, planets, and racers to unlock.

7 Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

With a cult following for its deep-rooted story and unique blend of first-person shooter and third person hack-n-slash combat, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast has earned its place as one of the best Star Wars games ever made. Once again taking the role of Kyle Katarn, players must solve puzzles, team up with NPCs, and use a wide array of weapons and force powers to find out what the Empire are doing with mysterious new crystals.

Jedi Knight II did a great job of creating a mature and relatable, more personal plot centered around Katarn and his inner turmoil of being a Jedi. It’s also the rare game that balances first person shooting with third-person sword (lightsaber, in this case) combat equally well.

6 Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

Taking inspiration from Dark Souls, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order was the long-awaited return to the Star Wars Jedi franchise. It was also exactly the game Star Wars fans needed after the derided releases of Star Wars Battlefront II and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Jedi Fallen Order follows Cal Kestis, a former Jedi Padawan now working at a junkyard after the fall of the Republic. Cal identity is discovered, and he must go on the run from the Empire on the hunt for a mysterious vault. The game plays like a melee-focused Uncharted, with big set-piece action sequences but difficult one-on-one battles.

5 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3D

The first in another cult-classic series, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is a timeless arcade flight game set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Released (bafflingly) on PC as Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3D, players fly a variety of ships, tasked with destroying ground targets for Rebel invasions, and fighting off Empire air attacks.

Unlike the classic X-Wing and TIE Fighter games before it, Rogue Squadron was less a tactical simulator and more of a fast-paced arcade shooter. Despite being a flight game, Rogue Squadron focused on its story, sticking faithfully to Star Wars lore and presented with a full voice cast despite originally releasing on the Nintendo 64.

4 Star Wars: X-Wing & TIE Fighter

If you’re looking for a flight game set in Star Wars but want a simulator, then Star Wars: X-Wing and Star Wars: TIE Fighter are fantastic games that give you just that. Co-developed by Totally Games, the folks behind legendary flight sims Battlehawks 1942 and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe, X-Wing and TIE Fighter are not only great Star Wars games, but they’re great flight sims in their own right.

Taking the role of an average pilot for either the Rebels or Empire, you fight in pivotal battles in Star Wars history. An emphasis is placed on making these fights feel as real as possible – there’s no gravity worry about since you’re in space, but you do have to manage your fighter’s energy systems, diverting power to weapons or shields as necessary.

3 Star Wars: Republic Commando

Star Wars: Republic Commando is a tactical FPS set during the Clone Wars. You take control of the leader of Delta Squad, an elite Clone army squad sent on the most dangerous missions behind enemy lines. The game takes place over the course of the three year war, jumping forward in time with each mission, giving the player a sense of just how long and bloody the war is.

What’s so great about Republic Commando is its emphasis on squad-based tactics. As the leader of a four-person squad, you have to give commands to your teammates and using their unique skills and weapons thoughtfully in order to succeed. If you run into a room guns-blazing, don’t expect to get very far.

2 Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)

The original Star Wars: Battlefront II (released in 2005) is a classic, all-time great multiplayer shooter. The sequel took the great shooter gameplay from the first game and added the amazing Galactic Conquest campaign that made the single-player worth playing.

Whereas the more recent Battlefront II (released in 2017) was bogged down by limited content and a big loot box scandal, the original Battlefront II had something for everyone. Above all, it’s a reminder of a bygone era in gaming when games could stand alone, and not need to rely on downloadable content, patches, and live services to keep them going. That’s why this game has withstood the test of time.

1 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic 2

The original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, created by Bioware, set the standard for what a deep RPG set in the Star Wars universe could be. It experimented with new ideas while staying true to lore, and delivered varied combat and a story-driven by player choices.

But it’s Knights of the Old Republic 2, developed instead by Obsidian, that took the short-lived series to its peak. With the best writing of any Star Wars game and more intricate and subtle player choices, KOTOR 2 is the Star Wars game that most makes you feel like a character in this world, and that’s what makes it so great.

NEXT: Star Wars: Planets That Would Make For A Perfect Open-World Setting