STAR WARS™ Republic Commando™ Squad Tactics, No Jedi

The whole game hangs on its squad control system. A single command key tells Boss, Sev, Fixer and Scorch to follow, hold, assault or break off, and they carry out complex maneuvers without micromanagement. Point at a sniper position and a squadmate takes it; point at a door and they stack up on it. You can order one commando to plant a charge while the rest cover him, then call everyone off when it goes. The squad gets injured and goes down too, so you trade fire, drag people back up and keep four soldiers alive instead of one. It is simple to learn, and leading well under pressure is where the game earns its tactical tag.

This is Star Wars without Jedi. You play a clone commando, one of millions, doing the jobs history will not record, and the game leans into that: a grim, grounded war story told across three operations on Geonosis, a derelict ghost ship and Kashyyyk. Each has his own specialty and personality, and they argue, joke and cover each other like a real unit. The story is loved for good reason, though the ending arrives abruptly and leaves you wanting more.