Open-World RPGs Perfect For Fans Of Star Wars, Ranked

Of all the sci-fi IPs, Star Wars is perhaps the most well-known and loved, yet despite all that attention and affection, we still lack a truly exceptional open-world RPG in the series. Star Wars Outlaws was met with fairly lukewarm reviews, and while it did give us a glimpse of what an open-world Star Wars could be, many thought it didn’t scratch the itch they had been living with foryears.

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However, although there are no other mainline open-world RPGs in the same universe, there are still plenty of other games out there that emulate or capture the essence of Star Wars. They give you intergalactic travel, personal stories, and large-scale conflicts, and even the most average Star Wars fans should for sure give them a try if they are looking to experience that galaxy far, far away.

8

The Technomancer

A Gritty Take On Life Beyond Earth

Captures the harshness of living on a distant planet.

Factions and political conflict echo the more grounded stories of Star Wars.

The Technomancer isn’t the closest Star Wars comparison around, but its Mars setting captures some of the franchise’s grittier science-fiction elements. You take the role of a Technomancer living on a colonized Mars where competing factions and resource scarcity shape everyday life. The combination of futuristic technology and more primitive settlements feels reminiscent of Star Wars’ contrast between advanced worlds and lawless frontier planets.

The emphasis on those factions will feel particularly familiar to fans of the Star Wars universe. With all these different groups competing for influence, you end up with the same kind of political instability found throughout the Star Wars galaxy, and while it lacks the lightsabers and Jedi, it is still an interesting alternative for fans of the franchise’s rougher side.

7

ELEX

All Societies Merged Into One

Science fiction and fantasy combined.

Ideological clashes throughout the world.

ELEX feels like a depiction of what Star Wars might look like after the civilizations have collapsed. Its world combines advanced technology with medieval settlements, creating an unusual mixture that resembles the franchise’s tendency to place futuristic technology alongside societies that appear centuries behind its development.

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I particularly enjoy how the different sides of the world collide, from the militaristic Albs to the technologically advanced Clerics, all representing radically different approaches to rebuilding civilization. The game even has you following the same journey from weakness to power that many Jedi undergo. If you go in with an open mind, you will come away feeling as though you have just experienced a distant sequel to Star Wars.

6

EVE Online

The Space Sandbox You Can Actually Live In

Provides an enormous player-driven universe.

Alliances formed across entire galaxies.

If you are looking for a game that gives you the galactic-level scale of something like Star Wars, look no further than EVE Online. The scale is absurd and is built around thousands of interconnected star systems, where you can become a trader, a pirate, a mercenary, or a member of enormous player-driven corporations that almost always collide with one another.

Because of how big an emphasis EVE Online places on the players themselves, you get to experience a level of freedom that very few RPGs can match, and at no point are you told what to do or how to do it; the story is yours to tell. There are indeed no more personal character segments, but the feeling of blasting off into the unknown more than makes up for it and will have you coming back for days on end.

5

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Journeying To A Far Away Land

Alien civilizations on the galactic frontier.

Exploration of worlds well beyond humanity’s reach.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is practically built for Star Wars fans who enjoy the franchise’s narrative side. The setup has humanity traveling to the Andromeda galaxy aboard a huge colony ship, encountering unfamiliar alien civilizations and planets that can potentially become new homes. But like any good sci-fi adventure, nothing is ever smooth-sailing.

The game’s strongest Star Wars connection comes from its sense of exploration. The Initiative isn’t simply conquering new territory; they’re establishing a new civilization in an unknown galaxy, much like the countless frontier stories scattered throughout the Star Wars catalog. Placing a greater focus on the story means that you get to learn more about the individual motives and ideals of characters in this grander setting, something that many sci-fi games forgo in the name of gameplay and combat.

4

The Outer Worlds 2

Warm Yet Still Compelling

A more colorful approach to sci-fi.

Covers a corporate side of the genre.

The Outer Worlds 2 is an excellent fit for Star Wars fans who prefer the franchise’s lighter, more adventurous side. The planets and colonies are filled with eccentric characters and strange creatures that provide plenty of laughs and queries at the same time, always keeping you moving forward to the next galactic settlement.

Additionally, the game’s corporate satire gives it a distinctly Star Wars flavor, as competing organizations serve as the perfect catalyst for action, even if it is often more silly than serious. I would describe a playthrough feeling like you are taking the Millennium Falcon to some strange corner of the galaxy and getting caught up in a conflict that is much bigger, and much weirder, than expected, with more twists and turns than you could ever expect.

3

Star Trek Online

Sci-Fi’s Other Gigantic IP

An enormous universe of planets and species to discover.

Diplomacy and exploration are just as important as combat.

When you think about big sci-fi IPs, the first two names that always come up are Star Wars and Star Trek. While the two have been quietly competing for many years, I would argue that the latter has been winning the gaming race for quite some time with Star Trek Online. Set in a giant galaxy full to the brim with civilizations and questlines to follow, you get to visit and meet some of the franchise’s most iconic characters and races firsthand, then hop on your ship and explore some more.

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For Star Wars fans, the appeal lies in the sheer variety of the galaxy. It might be inhabited by creatures from a competing series, but the sensation of gliding through a sci-fi universe is the same regardless of whether you are encountering Klingons or Wookies. Whether we will ever see a Star Wars game on this scale is hard to say, but I think that Star Trek Online is one of the best examples of open-world sci-fi done right.

2

Cyberpunk 2077

The Inner Workings Of A Futuristic City

Night City captures the dense criminality of Star Wars’ urban worlds.

Darker side shown firsthand.

Cyberpunk 2077 represents the peak of open-world RPG design, and is arguably the best sci-fi game in the genre. Night City is both gorgeous and intriguing, offering so many incredible stories across all layers of society, mirroring the structure of planets like Coruscant, where society is broken apart by class on a very structural level.

V’s life as a mercenary also fits comfortably into the Star Wars franchise’s underworld, where gangs and bounty hunters run the lower tiers of cities, with little room to breathe for outsiders. Fundamentally, though, the game is just a world-class sci-fi RPG that has very few competitors, so even though it is still a sizable leap from the traditional feel of Star Wars, it will satiate even the most hardcore fan’s desire for a top-notch open-world game in the series.

1

Starfield

About As Close As It Gets

Genesis mod transforms the game into the ultimate Star Wars RPG.

Recreation of iconic planets, weapons, and stories.

Starfield is already one of the strongest choices for players wanting to explore a huge science-fiction universe, but that all changes when you introduce Star Wars Genesis. The fan-made total conversion mod transforms Bethesda’s latest IP into a Star Wars homage, fit with new locations, weapons like lightsabers, Force powers, ships, questlines, and even the ability to align with the Empire or Rebellion.

Exploring locations including Tatooine and Hoth feels amazing, and part of why I think the mod feels so great to play is due to where its inspirations come from. The creators specifically cite Star Wars Galaxies and Knights of the Old Republic as inspirations, two of the most well-loved and iconic games in the franchise. While it is still a work in progress, the existing content is easily the peak of open-world Star Wars gaming right now, and it is only going to get better from here.