This Stellar Star Wars RTS Still Dominates 20 Years After Its Release

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When people think of Star Wars video games, real-time strategy games usually aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. That’s because most Star Wars games have been first-person shooters or role-playing games. However, there are actually several good real-time strategy games made by LucasArts. The best one is likely Star Wars: Empire at War, originally released in 2006 and celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026. Even though it’s an older game now, Empire at War remains a favorite among Star Wars fans due to continued updates and its ability to be played again and again.

What sets Empire at War apart from other real-time strategy games is its enormous scope, letting you battle across the entire Star Wars galaxy. The game offers three different ways to play and features both spaceship combat in space and ground battles with various vehicles and soldiers. While these elements weren’t unique at the time of release, the game’s impressive size and intricate design helped it remain popular for years to come.

Star Wars: Empire at War Is the Franchise’s Best RTS

Several real-time strategy games within the Star Wars franchise are fun to play, such as Star Wars: Force Commander, Star Wars: Rebellion, and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. However, most fans consider Empire at War to be the best. Developed by Petroglyph Games for LucasArts, the game received continued support and new content for years after its launch. It offers a story-driven campaign, a galactic conquest mode, and standard skirmish battles. The galactic conquest mode is a large-scale campaign where players can choose to lead either the Rebel Alliance or the Empire, with other factions and various objectives also available.

In this game, you’ll explore a 3D galaxy, managing resources and planning your strategy to succeed. You earn money by mining planets you control, and use that money to research upgrades, build units, and set up defenses. Battles are large-scale, but have a limit on how many units can fight at once, forcing you to strategically deploy reinforcements. The story mode follows a fairly direct path through a series of missions.

Skirmish mode offers a traditional real-time strategy experience, allowing players to build bases, create armies, and battle on both land and in space. Time only stops during combat. The game features iconic characters from the Star Wars universe, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and Emperor Palpatine, who all wield the power of the Force. Empire at War quickly became a commercial and critical success, selling almost 7 million copies and earning praise from both reviewers and players.

Empire at War Remains Popular After 20 Years

Even though it’s an older game, Petroglyph continues to support Empire at War. They’ve released several updates to fix problems, improve how the game runs, and keep the online servers working. In 2022, new multiplayer maps were added, and another update in 2023 ensured the game remained stable. Fans have also kept the game fresh with mods, adding characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn and content from later in the Star Wars timeline. As long as people keep playing Empire at War, it will likely remain the best real-time strategy game in the Star Wars franchise.

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2026-02-21 21:16