Real-time strategy games are a big part of PC gaming, especially with franchises like Star Wars being tied so closely to video games. Being able to command legions of units to destroy enemies and complete objectives is a power fantasy that most gamers often find themselves enjoying. And when paired with an iconic universe with such beloved visuals and characters, it becomes the makings of a great gaming experience. Over the years, we've seen various Star Wars RTS games released on PC, with varying degrees of success and audience support that carried them long after they were initially released. For some players who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, these releases were a big part of playing RTS games on PC back then.
Despite how popular Star Wars RTS games were, and how fondly they are looked back on now, there has never been a collection that bundles multiple titles together released anywhere. While some games have been paired with others at various times over the years, Lucasfilm has never made a full Star Wars RTS game collection that fans can go to for all the best real-time strategy gameplay in a galaxy far, far away. Here are three PC classics that should be part of a Star Wars RTS collection that fans would love to see.
Star Wars: Force Commander
Taking control of the army
Set during the era of the original trilogy of films, Star Wars: Force Commander has players gathering their forces and engaging with enemies on planets in ground combat. Depending on the faction being controlled, a variety of units can be ordered around on large maps based on planets featured in the films. Everything from Imperial Walkers and Stormtroopers to other kinds of ground units can be created and unleashed on opponents for total domination. The game was released in March 2000 and was originally going to have 2D visuals for its presentation, but plans were changed after initially showcasing the game at E3 1998. While fans have created an ensemble of mods for the game over the years, Star Wars: Force Commander never got any official expansions following its release.
Like other RTS games of the time, resource management is important for growing a large army of units to overtake enemies. But unlike other games that have players gathering resources found around the environment, Star Wars: Force Commander has players earning Command Points to spend on units rather than finding them. These are gained by eliminating enemies and taking key points on the map. Earning enough points from these actions can help grow a powerful legion of units that can be devastating. The plot of the game follows an Imperial Commander who eventually defects to the Rebel Alliance, where he takes part in battles set in-between the events of the movies. The game also has multiplayer options for LAN setup, while online options were originally supported by Microsoft Gaming Zone, which came to an end in 2019.
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Building up your forces
Credit: Lucasarts
Credit: Lucasarts
Credit: Lucasarts
Credit: Lucasarts
Credit: Lucasarts
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds was released in 2001 for Windows PC and was built using the same game engine that was used for the Age of Empires series. Just like in those games, players need to gather resources and build out their faction HQ, creating new, stronger units to increase their dominance. And also, like in Age of Empires, there are a number of different resource types needed to create units, such as Food and Ore, that can be used for creating specific units and building structures. When enough resources have been gathered and the base area has the right structures and units, more options open up that can further enhance the kinds of units available.
The original release of Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds focused on the original trilogy era, but an expansion of the game released in 2002 included elements of The Clone Wars from the Star Wars prequel films, and more specifically, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The expansion was called Clone Campaigns, and added two new factions to join and new units to create during gameplay. The campaigns in the expansion take place during the beginning months of The Clone Wars, following the events of the movie. Later that same year, both the base game and the expansion were bundled together and titled Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Saga, which included everything in one package.
The game also has a bunch of Easter eggs that are references to different parts of the Star Wars franchise, as well as other media related to or tangential to Star Wars in some way. During some of the campaign missions, iconic Star Wars characters can be found, such as Luke Skywalker and R2-DS in Yoda's hut on Dagobah, or Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi during a mission on Naboo. There are also references to the Expanded Universe, or Star Wars Legends as it's known now, such as Mara Jade briefly appearing on a map during the first two Imperial campaign missions. Some of the more obscure references come from dialogue by some characters, including Mace Windu, saying a parody of actor Samuel L Jackson's lines from the movie Pulp Fiction. There are many others beyond just those Easter eggs, most of which are deep cut references that Star Wars fans will find humorous.
Star Wars: Empire at War
All-out galactic warfare
Arguably the best Star Wars real-time strategy by many fans is Star Wars: Empire at War on PC. Originally released in 2006, Star Wars: Empire at War is built using a different game engine and has development talent behind it that also worked on the Command & Conquer series. The game has been highly praised over the years following its release for its gameplay, amount of content, and wide range of mods created by the community that supports it. While the game was originally released in February 2006, an expansion called Forces of Corruption was released for the game in October that same year. The expansion added a new faction, a new campaign, and additional updates to the gameplay. Instead of being limited to just ground or space combat, battles in Empire at War took place on both fronts, utilizing multiple types of units for each faction.
What made Star Wars: Empire at War different from previous RTS games for the franchise was the pacing of its gameplay. Instead of spending time gathering resources to construct units, players were granted resources based on the number of planets that were under their control, with extra perks and bonuses coming from having specific planets. The scope of the game was much larger than previous Star Wars RTS titles, with battles feeling more epic from the number of units that could appear and the size of the battlefields they would clash on. The game also implemented iconic characters from the franchise in interesting ways, allowing heroes and villains to take to the battlefield and assist their armies in ways that can give them an edge. Depending on the faction being played, the options for hero characters would vary, but the selection was still pretty vast.
The base campaign of the game is set between the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope, with the climactic battle of Yavin being the ending. Depending on which faction is controlled, the Rebel Alliance or the Empire, multiple endings can take place. Different cutscenes can also play depending on how the final battle is won, with some cutscenes involving the Death Star firing its laser and destroying the planet. The Force of Corruption expansion features a new story campaign based on the Zann Consortium faction led by Tyber Zann, which takes place after the destruction of the first Death Star. Although the Clone Wars era is not part of the game in any official capacity, multiple mods that were popular within the community added new units and campaigns that incorporate the Clone Wars in a big way.
Strategically controlling the galaxy
The RTS genre is a big part of the Star Wars franchise, so it would be a shame not to see some of the best games in the genre re-released for modern audiences to experience. These games provided unique experiences that offered a different view of a galaxy far, far away that stuck with PC players for a long time, who loved diving into real-time strategy titles. While most of the stories and characters they brought are not considered canon to the series anymore, they are still highly beloved games that were fun to play back then and brought new elements to the franchise that have aged gracefully. Star Wars fans love taking control of grand armies they build up and fighting for control of the galaxy they love to be part of.
