Star War

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (LucasArts)
Set in a time even longer, longer ago than any of the movies, the first Knights of the Old Republic, or KOTOR, was a wildly successful role-playing epic with an intricate story and excellent replay value; you could mold your Jedi to follow either the light or the dark side of the Force, and the game reacted accordingly. KOTOR II picks up the story where the original left off, although a couple of upgrades--including extended options for customizing weapons and a new set of prestige classes that further customize your Jedi--keep the game from feeling like a complete clone of its predecessor. KOTOR II is not for twitchy adrenaline addicts, but it will suck you into the plot like, well, a 30-hour space opera directed by and starring you.



Star Wars: Republic Commando (LucasArts)
Twitchin' for adrenaline, you say? Republic Commando, a squad-based first-person shooter, is to KOTOR as Chewbacca is to C-3PO: all action and no whining. You play a squad leader during the Clone Wars (that is, an early Storm Trooper) who blasts, slices, and detonates his way through various combat missions, from protecting an important Wookiee to infiltrating a derelict starship. While purists might bemoan the lack of X-wings, lightsabers, and pseudo-Zen philosophizing, action gamers will love the heads-up displays, the military chatter, the modified blaster rifles, and the hordes of cannon-fodder droids. Realistic and effective melee combat options are a nice bonus, especially when alien blood splatters all over your visor.

Star Wars

Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided (LucasArts)
A third expansion pack, Trials of Obi-Wan, hits stores on November 1 to update this 2003 massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Like any MMORPG, Galaxies lets you play a character in an evolving, persistent online world or, in this case, multiple worlds. During play, you battle enemies, travel to various planets, and experience everyday life in the extended universe--life that includes professions as diverse as architect and chef. Trials is designed for upper-level characters of combat levels 60 to 80 and takes place entirely on the volcanic planet of Mustafar, the scene of Obi-wan and Darth Vader's climactic battle at the end of Sith. Other expansion packs are also available, including Rage of the Wookiees. Set on the Wookiee home world of Kashyyyk, it puts you in the fight for or against the empire in its attempt to subjugate Chewie's kin. Bring your bowcaster and your wallet--like its fantasy predecessor, EverQuest, Galaxies will cost you $15 a month.



Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (LucasArts)
"Over, this fight is not." The CGI version of Yoda would appreciate that of all the games released so far, the eponymous Episode III hews closest to the final movie. Playing it before seeing the actual flick is sure to elicit yells of anguish from the spoiler-conscious, but it's also a great way to find out what happens if you don't plan to attend the premiere in your Greedo costume. In Episode III, you trade off between playing Obi-Wan and Anakin, so you're able to sample both the self-satisfying glow of the light side and the sweet, zappy joy of the dark. An easy-to-grasp third-person adventure, this romp incorporates a few extras such as buddy-mode cooperative missions and an unlockable multiplayer dueling mode.

Lego Star Wars (Eidos)
If you want show your Lego Star Wars stripes but can't bring yourself to pony up $300 for an , this game is the next best thing. The joy of smashing a construction that took hours of your (or better yet, your kid brother's) time to complete is replaced by the joy of smashing virtual--albeit still Lego-built--droids, dark Jedi, and Geonosians into hundreds of 1x2-bump blocks on your TV screen. Just for kids? A shameless cash-in on the Star Wars name? Maybe--but don't tell that to the crew who waited in line for four weeks to see the movie. If you take your Star Wars seriously, LSW brings a lighthearted perspective to the films in a way that Jar-Jar never could.