“I’ve been looking forward to this,” said Count Dooku. That’s a sentiment I reflect as I commence the introduction to the 12 best Star Wars games with Force powers. There are a huge range of powers, offensive, defensive, and supportive, and they contribute so much to the unique mechanics of games built around the franchise.

The criteria here are simple. You must play as a character in a Star Wars game – canon or legends – who can use the Force. You can be the light side, the dark side, the a-bit-of-both side, whatever you want.

Of course, since most Star Wars games involve some Force powers, I’ve had to narrow it down a bit. The twelve items on this page represent my personal choices concerning how engaged I was with the character’s Force powers and how that made me feel. That explained, let’s dive straight in.

12

Star Wars: The Old Republic

The Old Republic is a fantastic MMORPG. In fact, my only criticism of it really is that it’s too big. There are so many missions, sub-missions, plots, sub-plots, DLCs, and so on, that it feels impossible to keep up.

Regardless, if you’re looking to satisfy some Force cravings, here’s a great place to start. Firstly, it’s free to play, and that’s always a pro. Depending on your class, you’ll get loads of Force abilities: healing, telekinesis, lightning, stuns, mind control – the whole nine Parsecs.

In combat, you build hotbars with your favourite Force powers and rotate through them in real-time or semi-automated combat. While it’s more of an MMO story than an all-out action game, your use of the Force can make things a little more interesting.

Despite its vast size, I love the freedoms that SWTOR brings its players. You’re free to do pretty much anything you want, and take any plotline in any direction. If you want freedom with the Force, go ahead and download it right now.

11

Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)

Before EA’s reboot, Battlefront II (2005) was the gold standard for Star Wars shooters. In fact, with the greatest of respect, you could probably still argue that it remains the gold standard. You fight in iconic battles from the Clone Wars to the Galactic Civil War and basically shoot enemies and capture command posts until you win.

Once you earn enough points, you can choose to spawn as Jedi or Sith heroes like Anakin, Vader, Luke, Yoda, and more. Each comes with a unique Force power (plus really fast running and really high jumping, which is cool).

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The reason I love Battlefront II‘s venture into Force use is that it’s more of a power fantasy than an accurate representation of how the Force is used in Star Wars. Instead of using it strategically, the heroes are so overpowered that you can rest assured you’ll be fine.

Just sprint into the middle of a group of enemies, deal out some Force-based punishment, and take a couple of long strides out of there. Piece of cake!

10

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Arguably the second-most legendary Star Wars game of all time (only after Battlefront II), Knights of the Old Republic combines turn-based combat with semi-open world exploration. The result was, for its time, trailblazing.

Of course, the secret hidden away in KOTOR is that, even though you have amnesia and reinvent yourself, you’re actually far more connected to the Force than you realise. And if you know, you know. I’m keeping the spoilers light in this one.

Over time, you’ll build up your Force powers. If you’re a nice kind of character, your light-side Force powers will focus on healing, buffs, and manipulating enemies. If you go the opposite route and find yourself feeling a little bit evil today, you might find yourself doing something more akin to face melting.

Either way, you’ll get massive exposure to the Force, and the customisation options take it to another level. If you want to be a paramedic with the Force, you can do just that. If you want to do nothing else but Force choke people for no reason? Well, I’m a little concerned, but you can do that too.

9

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II

If you like your Star Wars bleak and moody (Andor, anyone?), then KOTOR II is the game for you. I actually love it. It’s a perfect story about what you decide to do after you’re forced back into the life of a Force user.

This perspective makes for a very interesting story about the Force, because that is, in reality, what KOTOR II is. Should the Force even exist? What will you do now that you have it?

In essence, the story invites you to answer this question for yourself. And it brings even more variation to the table than its beloved predecessor, including the famed Battle Meditation. Plus there’s Force crush, which probably doesn’t get the cringing winces it deserves as often as it should.

Few Star Wars games – if any! – take such a deep moral approach to the Force. And what I love about it is that only you can string your own story together.

8

Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017)

Everyone remembers the rough start that Battlefront II had. But it grew into something really rather special, and I’m a particular fan of the story in the campaign.

However, it’s in multiplayer that you really get to “experience the full power of the dark side” (or the light side). Whether you choose to stick with Obi-Wan Kenobi’s strong Force push (quoting “Oh I don’t think so” as you do, I hope!) or Darth Vader’s Force choke, there’s something for everyone.

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In this game, the Force takes a bit of a back burner, but honestly, I think that’s how it’s used in Star Wars lore anyway. The majority of hero-based combat is cautious, fast-in and fast-out, because it’s when you get surrounded that the problems (i.e. death) begin mounting.

So, if you’re looking for an authentic way to experience a few limited Star Wars Force powers, get yourself on Battlefront II (2017) right now.

7

LEGO: Star Wars The Skywalker Saga

My opinion on the latest iteration of a LEGO Star Wars game, Skywalker Saga, is simple. It’s a fantastic game, made by people who clearly love Star Wars, but I’m not quite sure that it managed to capture the magic of the original LEGO Star Wars games.

Nonetheless, the ways in which you can use LEGO’s version of the Force are completely unique. Obviously, it’s not intended to be any serious part of Star Wars lore. However, it offers vast scope and exceptional replayability.

Play as any Jedi or Sith, and you get access to lighthearted, blocky Force powers. Lift and throw LEGO enemies, mind-trick stormtroopers into dancing, and solve puzzles using telekinesis. Is there anything not to love?

Of course, this is obviously the most family-friendly entry on this list, but don’t let the LEGO-ness fool you. The Force is the Force, blocky or not.

6

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

You’re Jaden Korr, a student at Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. That’s the cool Jedi Academy, before Kylo Ren was invented – right, sorry, tangent. You get to build your own Jedi: lightsaber colour, hilt, even dual sabers or a saber staff.

The story follows your training and missions across the galaxy, with plenty of moral choices along the way. In much the same way as the KOTOR games, you’ll get to pick the light side or the dark side. These choices open up different Force powers depending on your approach.

The mechanics take a little while to grasp compared to those of a modern game. However, once you get there and you’re familiar with the various Force powers, it’s pretty easy to use them to devastating effect. You’ll feel like a boss in every single mission if you get it right.

Jedi Academy is one of the most fun sandboxes for experimenting with Force powers. Plus, multiplayer lets you test your skills against others in classic Jedi vs. Sith matchups. It doesn’t get much better than that.

5

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

It’s Kyle Katarn, the ultimate Jedi of Luke Skywalker’s era. Well, the ‘Legends’ version of his era, but you know what I mean. As an ex-Stormtrooper turned reluctant Jedi, he’s ditched the Force for a while. Now, he’s dragged back in when dark Jedi start stirring up trouble.

That means you start off with a blaster, but before long, you pick up your lightsaber again, and then it’s all systems go. You get the standards (Push, Pull, etc.), but also Force Lightning, Mind Trick, and even Force Choke if you lean into the dark side.

This game arguably has some of the best lightsaber combat ever put into a Star Wars game. Combine your blade skills with Force powers mid-duel, and you’ve got super satisfying gameplay. That’s a fun evening in, in my world.

What makes this game really special is how Kyle gets dragged back into the fight. You see a similar sort of thing in KOTOR II, but here you get much more freedom to act on impulse and build your progression. That actually makes the dark side more tempting, because you want to rely on it. But should you?

4

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II

The Force Unleashed II continues the story of Starkiller, Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. Well, kind of? You’re actually playing as a clone of Starkiller, because of the ending of the previous instalment.

Force Unleashed II takes the power fantasy of the first game and doubles down. You get a few new options, and combined with some epic-looking dual-wield lightsabers, you can take on absolutely anything.

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The combat system is faster and more fluid than its predecessor. Force Unleashed II really emphasises speed and agility, while the first game makes you feel more like a tank. That means you feel more like a real Force warrior.

Yes, I do feel that the Force powers are more engaging than those in the first game, but the story is so painfully boring that I just can’t rank it higher. If you want to immerse yourself in the Force, you’ve got to have an outlet, and after a while, those endless Riot Control Droid fights just get frustratingly dull.

3

Star Wars The Force Unleashed

That leads me nicely into The Force Unleashed. When it came out, The Force Unleashed promised a Force experience like no other, and it delivered. Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, you’ll experience a darker, more action-oriented perspective on the Star Wars universe.

It’s also completely incompatible with Star Wars canon, but it’s fantastic fun nonetheless. Starkiller’s Force powers are far more powerful than anyone else’s in Star Wars, to the extent that he can apparently take down an entire Star Destroyer by himself. I wish the Jedi had thought about doing that in the Clone Wars a bit more often.

Over time, your Force powers develop and get stronger. By the end, you’ll be stringing together devastating combos and using the environment to your advantage at all times. It’s all about what the raw power of the Force could be.

Yet there’s still room for improvement. While the plot is excellent, the missions sometimes feel repetitive. I’ve finished The Force Unleashed on the Sith Master difficulty level, and although it was tricky, it certainly wasn’t impossible. Maybe the Force is just a little bit too overpowered.