Lightsaber, an elegant weapon from a more civilized age, they say. The weapon of a Jedi, they call it. The lasersword has been one of the most iconic weapons in culture for over forty years, and there are no reason to think it’s going to lose its status anytime soon. Why would it? It’s both simple and refined, and its cutting and defensive power has been proved time and time again.
It’s no wonder, then, that lightsabers kept appearing in various Star Wars media, or that there’s been plenty of imitators. That also includes video games, which definitely have a fondness for both the genuine article and imitators and competitors.
Which brings us here. On this list, we take a look at three Star Wars games featuring satisfying lightsabers, and at three non-SW titles which don’t, but are pretty slick with their use of substitutes instead.
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Star Wars Jedi Knight II Jedi Outcast | 2003-09-16 | Adventure | Vicarious Visions |
 | No More Heroes | 2021-06-07 | Action | GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC. |
 | Star Wars The Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition | 2009-11-03 | Action & Shooter | LucasArts |
 | No More Heroes 3 | 2022-10-11 | Fighting | Grasshopper Manufacture |
 | Dead Rising 2 | 2010-09-27 | Horror | Blue Castle Games |
 | Star Wars The Force Unleashed II | 2010-10-26 | Adventure | LucasArts |
 | No More Heroes 2 Desperate Struggle | 2021-06-09 | Action | GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC. |
 | Star Wars Battlefront 2 Classic 2005 | 2005-11-01 | Action & Shooter | Pandemic Studios |
 | Star Wars Battlefront 2 2017 Celebration Edition | 2017-10-17 | Adventure | EA Digital Illusions CE |
 | Star Wars Battlefront Classic 2004 | 2004-09-21 | Action | Pandemic Studios |
 | Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic | 2003-11-19 | RPG | BioWare |
 | Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic II The Sith Lords | 2005-02-08 | RPG | Obsidian Entertainment |
 | Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy | 2003-09-16 | Adventure | Raven Software |
| | Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy | 2003-09-16 | Adventure | Raven Software |
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order ( and Survivor)
| Release date: | 2023-04-28 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Respawn Entertainment |
To start the list with something fresh let’s talk about the obvious example: Jedi: Fallen Order and its hot new sequel, Jedi Survivor.
It presents a fairly tame take on lightsaber combat, placing somewhere between the Prequel and Sequel trilogy in terms of showiness. It also features a pleasing degree of lightsaber customization, with options for hilt elements, material, and beam color.
The game itself is a third-person action-adventure game in the full meaning of the genre. It mixes exciting combat with a healthy dose of environmental puzzles and traversing complex levels. Sword fighting is reminiscent of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice in its reliance on parrying and dodging and respawning on death and having to reclaim lost XP by attacking the enemy who killed you.
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Beat Saber
| Release date: | 2019-05-21 |
| Genre: | Music, Indie |
| Developer: | Beat Games |
Leaving the Galaxy far away for a moment, behold Beat Saber. Or at least: do if you have a VR headset, because BS is VR-exclusive, and requires motion controllers too.
With a controller in each hand and the goggles blasting images into your eyes, what’s before you is one of the best rhythm games in electronic history, asking you to dispose of boxes flying at you.
Each box specifies the direction it must be sliced, and you get two lightsabers for just that purpose. Add to that a lot of fun music, and you get a rhythm game, a lightsaber game, AND a workout all in one, because even the slow tame songs can generate some sweat, and the more intense ones will get you moving like a Jedi on an adrenaline high.
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Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
| Release date: | 2003-09-16 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Raven Software |
The second Star Wars game on the list, and one with a take on lightsabers that’s somewhat different from Jedi: Fallen Order’s.
Instead of tight, controlled, parry-centric combat, Jedi Academy, like its predecessor Jedi Outcast, features a more free-from, dynamic combat power, more in line with FPS games like Quake than third-person action like Sekiro, the way JFO does.
In return for this measure of this dynamic chaos, the lightsabers are a real treat. Indeed, occasionally you might drop a Stormtrooper by just walking at him with an active saber. The game was also famous for its spontaneous dismemberment system. Dynamic body part removal applies to everyone, troopers and Force users alike. Heads roll, arms flop, bodies tumble, you get the idea.
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No More Heroes (series)
| Release date: | 2021-06-07 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC. |
Welcome to the life of one Travis Touchdown, a down-on-his-funds nerd who managed to win a beam katana in an internet auction and through a combination of events became a new member of the United Assassins Association.
Ranked 11th, now he’s got the motivation and opportunity to work his way all the way to the top, using his legally distinct energy blade to do so.
The No More Heroes series is up to four main releases and a spin-off, and originates on Nintendo Wii, but has been ported to other platforms as well. The combat system mixed direct inputs and motion controls. Slicing and dicing with the battery-powered dorky energy blade is very satisfying, especially during boss battles against very over-the-top enemy assassins you’re trying to surpass.
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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
| Release date: | 2014-01-09 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | PlatinumGames |
Sure, it’s not an energy blade but consider this: no other game will give you the cutting power of a lightsaber.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a stupidly over-the-top action game by default, with ridiculous action sequences and a combat system which would make DMC and Bayonetta nervous, and it spices things up even more with the Blade Mode.
While the core combat has cyber-lad Raiden performing scripted and set moves, in Blade Mode the power is in your hands, and it can slice clean through almost any object. Cutting a car into ribbons is not only possible: it’s easy! And you can use this power tactically to finish off your enemies in style. So yeah, it’s just a hi-tech katana, but this thing cuts like a true lightsaber.
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LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
| Release date: | 2022-04-05 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Traveller's Tales |
Let’s end this list the way we started it: with a Star Wars game, except instead of a mostly serious one, it’s probably the LEAST serious game on the list.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a thorough adaptation of the three Star Wars movie trilogies to the silly, lighthearted Lego game format. Since the roster includes a ton of Force users, you bet there’s a lot of lightsaber action.
It’s not a hugely complex system, but there are some combos to bite into, and lightsaber wielders have their own styles, so you won’t see Obi-Wan fighting the same way Anakin does. The duels are done very well too, with tense clashes, maneuvering etc. It’s not quite a Souls-like level of tension and strategy, it’s a child-friendly game after all, but it’s not simplistic button-mashing at all.
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Lights on
This ends our short look at games which either have really fun lightsabers, or have really fun not-quite-lightsabers. Unsurprisingly, it’s all action games, because what’s the point of having an energy blade, if you don’t get to attack and defend personally? No disrespect to Knights of the Old Republic games, though, they are some of the best SW games in history!
Hopefully, you’ve found your next flashlight and are ready to slice through stuff no ordinary sword could handle.