Jedi: Survivor is the latest game in the Star Wars universe. From April 28th, 2023 it will complement the Jedi series around its predecessor Jedi: Fallen Order and thus continue the story of Jedi Cal Kestis and the crew of the Mantis, who stand against the Empire before the era of the rebellion. However, the two Jedi titles aren’t the only ones expanding the canon of the Star Wars universe. First, however, it should be noted that since George Lucas released his first film Episode IV: A New Hope in 1977, the Star Wars franchise has grown massively, and with it the number of video games. Be it Jedi Knight, Empire at War or The Force Unleashed. With Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, all of these titles migrated to the Legends division. Only games released since 2012 are now canon. That’s a total of five as of this writing.
Good old shooter action: Battlefront & Battlefront II
The first games under the new Disney direction were the remakes of the two old Battlefront titles from 2004 and 2005. This got some movement back into the Star Wars shooter action after work on Star Wars: Battlefront III had stopped in 2008 . The first part of the new edition was released in 2015, but only contains locations and factions from the time of the rebellion. In addition, Battlefront does not have its own story. In both aspects, the game differs from its predecessors.
The Battle of Endor
Source: Electronic Arts
After all, various solo and co-op game modes take you to well-known canonical locations. Not only can you recreate the battle on Scarif from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but also the Empire’s attacks on Hoth and Bespin, and the Battle of Endor. In February 2016, the almost 500-page novel Star Wars Battlefront: Twilight Company was also released, in which you follow the adventures of the eponymous company of rebels. However, the criticism of Battlefront’s missing story did not abate, and so the successor Battlefront II delivered in November 2017.
First of all, different epochs can now be played here: In addition to the rebellion, there is now also the age of the republic and the age of resistance. The classic canonical scenes from the original trilogy are joined by encounters such as the battle for Geonosis, the KUS attack on Kashyyyk or Aayla Secura’s fight on Felucia, which must be completed. In addition, well-known heroes and vehicles are playable, such as the Millennium Falcon, Darth Maul and Rey.
Battlefront II also offers – unlike its predecessor – a short story with a length of about five to seven hours. In it you accompany Iden Versio, the leader of the Imperial Inferno Command. Fighting on the side of the Empire at the Battle of Endor, she witnesses first-hand how the authoritarian regime crumbles after the rebels are victorious. Just a month after the game’s release, a story DLC was released that deals with Versio’s daughter in three additional chapters and takes place during the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens. A prequel to the Battlefront II storyline is the nearly 340-page novel Inferno Squad, set after the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Iden Versio and her Inferno Commando
Source: Electronic Arts
The aviator offshoot: Squadrons
Space battles have been common in Star Wars games. They are also an integral part of the two new Battlefront titles. However, the first pure aviator game wasn’t released until 2020: Star Wars Squadrons. Specifically, it is an arcade-heavy first-person flight simulator in which you create a pilot for the Galactic Empire and one for the New Republic. Appearance, physique, voice and name are all customizable. You also accompany these characters through the campaign, which, apart from the prologue, takes place after Episode VI. The Second Death Star is destroyed, the Emperor and Darth Vader are dead, the New Republic is formed. Remnants of the Empire still remain.
