The 25 Best LucasArts Games Ever

Founded as LucasFilms Games in May of 1982 by George Lucas, LucasArts was a force in the video game industry for just over three decades, with the company boasting anything from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to the original Maniac Mansion. Unfortunately, LucasArts closed its doors to development in April of this year, with the company only holding the power to publish or license titles from here on out. Given what they've managed to cook up in the past, the loss of LucasArts is a blow from which the industry won't soon recover. Whether it was an FPS or a point-and-click adventure, LucasArts consistently delivered a quality product year after year.

Now, as the end of October approaches, we couldn't help but notice that an important date is coming for the company: the 15th anniversary of the release of Grim Fandango. A heavyweight on the LucasArts roster, Grim Fandango represents almost everything good about a video game with regards to artistic direction and creative emphasis. Of course, as we've mentioned, this was hardly an exception at LucasArts. So to help with the celebration, we decided to put together a list of the of The 25 Best LucasArts Games Ever. Let us never forget the adventures we had with old friends like Guybrush Threepwood or Sam and Max.

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Genre: Tactical shooter, FPS
Year released: 2005

Star Wars: Republic Commando brought a unique take on the Clone Wars by focusing heavily on squad-based combat, and lending a more Halo-esque feel to a series that was, at the time, seeking for any way to compete with Bungie's unstoppable force of a franchise. Giving you a first person through the eyes of a clone solider, Republic Commando set the bar for Star Wars console games and perhaps even outstripped the similarly focused Battlefront titles. But, unfortunately, long-awaited sequel will never see a proper follow-up now that LucasArts has taken a turn for the worst. It's a damn shame.

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1995

Designed by Monkey Island genius, Tim Schafer, Full Throttle was a rough and tumble graphic adventure game that followed the path of Ben, a gritty biker caught up in a murder plot involving the head of a successful motor company. In keeping with its protagonist's hardbit edge, the title was one of the first in ages for LucasArts that allowed the player's character to die during the game. Set in a dystopian future, the game certainly provided more than its fair share of opportunities for the player to perish. With this added level of difficulty, Schafer gave LucasArts an all-time classic adventure with Full Throttle.

Genre: Space simulation
Year released: 1994

Space simulation games aren't a genre that you hear much about, but Star Wars TIE Fighter had us wishing we'd see it around more often. Allowing you to play as a pilot of the Empire, TIE Fighter centers around your missions to prevent a coup of the evil Emperor Palpatine. Hope you can stomach the Dark Side, because this game is a wild ride. With several battles to win, and numerous missions to complete, you were able to learn the ins and outs of a TIE Fighter in no time.

Genre: Tactical RPG
Year released: 2003

Criminally overlooked during its time on the market, Gladius was a tactical RPG released solely for console gamers that had players build up a school of their own gladiators and take on opposing schools in battles for glory. Anyone looking to get their inner-300 on would find a welcome battlefield in this title. Like all RPGs, character development was key in Gladius, and the storyline was set up to allow you to choose from a pack of six heroes to lead your school to victory. Though an unconventional release for the company, Gladius was a welcome show of LucasArts' flexibility, and will forever, unfortunately, remain as one of those games that everyone should've played, but never did.

Genre: FPS
Year released: 1997

Westerns were never LucasArts' usual genre of choice, but the company decided to break the mold a little bit in 1997 when they made Outlaws, a revenge tale about a retired U.S. Marshal in search of the kidnapper of his daughter, and killer of his wife. But the most important thing about Outlaws was that the game was the first one to ever feature a sniper zoom. When you talk about innovations in the FPS genre, that seems like a pretty important thing to include, right? Still, the game is often overlooked when considering LucasArts' entire body of work. Never a major financial success, the title has only been able to attract a cult following since its release.

Genre: Action, shooter
Year released: 2001

Rogue Squadron has always impressed its players with its unique view on the Star Wars universe by offering fast-paced flight action on a level that other titles just can't match. Grabbing the "Best Action Game" award from critics at the 2001 E3, Rogue Squadron II was pretty much destined to be a success from the start. Improving on the original game on nearly every level, Rogue Squadron II offered richer level environments, tighter gameplay, and even more ships to choose from. You may not be able to use a lightsaber in this game, but an X-Wing or the Millenium Falcon really isn't a bad trade-off.

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1991

What Secret of Monkey Island started in 1990, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge continued the following year. Picking up right where the original left off, Revenge followed Guybrush Threepwood and Elaine Marley as they attempted to find the treasure of Big Whoop, while once again taking on the dastardly LeChuck. From there, it was the same point-and-click shenangians you'd come to love in the original title. Highly rated by critics everywhere, LeChuck's Revenge is the title that marked Monkey Island's place in the video game world, emphatically.

Genre: Flight simulation
Year released: 1998

The first title in LucasArts' series of World War II flight simulations, Battlehawks 1942 brought the Pacific air war theatre to your computer and television screens when it was released in 1988 for the PC, Amiga, and Atari ST. Giving you a cockpit POV, the game let you play through four different naval battles that took place in the Pacific during WWII. With an AI that was of exceptionally high quality, this was no walk in the park for anyone thinking they could breeze through the Axis enemies with ease. Battlehawks was a realistic flight warfare sim that truly made you earn your wings.

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1988

Fresh off its successes with Maniac Mansion, LucasArts showed no signs of slowing down when they dropped Zak McKraken and the Alien Mindbenders. Inspired by extraterrestrial conspiracy theories involving anything from Stonehenge to Atlantis, the game continued to typify LucasArts as one of the quirkiest and most unique developing companies in the industry. Zak McKraken may not have birthed legacies like the Monkey Island series or Maniac Mansion, but its undeniable that the title was crucial in forwarding the momentum that LucasArts had begun to pick up in the adventure genre during its early stages.

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1987

The first game to use LucasArts' beloved SCUMM engine, Maniac Mansion is an OG of the adventure genre, and is responsible for laying out a template that many of LucasArts' most critically praised efforts would follow for years to come. Deriving much of its influence from the B movie horror genre, Maniac Mansion was told in a way that would come to define the attitude of much of the LucasArts adventure catalog. Along with that, the game's point-and-click interface was considered revolutionary for the time, and would prove to by spawning numerous titles in the same vein for subsequent generations. As much as any game on its resume, Maniac Mansion is responsible for making LucasArts the powerhouse that it was for so many years.

Genre: Action-adventure
Year released: 2005

It's hard to say that anyone expected Lego Star Wars to hit in the way that it did, but when our favorite kids toy got mashed up with our favorite sci-fi series, the sum was just as good as its parts. This wasn't just a game geared towards kids either. Lego Stars-though marketed more heavily for children-deserved to played and enjoyed by all ages. Just because it was easy to play through for the older folks didn't mean that it should've been overlooked. Whether you were a young kid just getting acquainted with Star Wars or an adult gamer looking for a nostalgia trip, Lego Star Wars was the title for you.

Genre: FPS
Year released: 1995

Commonly regarded as a "Doom clone," Star Wars: Dark Forces reveals itself to be much more than that when gamers truly take the time to sit down with LucasArts' first ever FPS title. Created during a time when the genre was just starting to rise in popularity, Dark Forces combined the addictive violence of a shooter with the confounding puzzle aspects of an adventure game to throw the company's hat into the ring for the new wave of entertainment. The result was a critical and commercial success that not only allowed LucasArts to grow beyond adventure games, but also freed up the Star Wars franchise to evolve into the powerhouse that it is today.

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1990

The adventures of Guybrush Threepwood will always have a rightful place in the video game canon. Released in 1990, the first installment of the Monkey Island series introduced us to a world of Pirates of the Caribbean-style action but with a decidely slapstickier influence. Much of the work was done in this game through dialog trees and clicking around to find your way, but LucasArts was able to add their own creative spin to those elements to turn one game into an unforgettable franchise. We'll miss you, Guybrush.

Genre: Run and gun
Year released: 1993

A classic run and gun title released for the SNES and Sega Genesis in 1993, Zombies Ate My Neighbors told the age-old tale of a young boy and his friend trying to escape zombies, vampires, werewolves, and a whole host of other baddies who have recently moved into their suburb. Eating someone seems like an awfully aggresive way to get them to leave their house, doesn't it? Zombies loved to mess around with this wacky type of humor, though, and is often regarded as the funniest video game that LucasArts ever dropped.

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1992

Indiana Jones was always one of our favorite heroes on the silver screen, so it should come as no surprise that his transition to the video game world was similarly well-received. With the release of Fate of Atlantis in 1992, Jones proved that the rugged, sardonic figure that he cut could play well in the virtual world too, as the game offered a spellbinding experience that compromised none of Jones' unforgettable qualities. By the time that Fate of Atlantis came out, LucasArts had fully found the groove that gave the company such a winning formula in the adventure genre. This game was no exception to that rule.

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1993

Centered around our favorite anthropomorphic dog and hyperkinetic rabbity thing, Sam & Max Hit the Road took weird to a whole new level with its off-the-wall sense of humor, and generally bizarre gameplay environments. Not only that, but the game was also innovative for being one of the first titles to incorporate full voice-acting into its design. Like most every other LucasArts adventure game, Sam & Max is a hallmark of its trade. The fact that the plug has been pulled on so many follow-ups for this title is one of the greatest crimes in all of gaming.

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1997

The third installment for the Monkey Island series, Curse was the first of any Monkey Island to feature voice-acting, and also gave a noticeably cartoonish makeover to the look of the game. Once again featuring our favorite up-and-coming pirate, Guybrush Threepwood, the title brought all the same characters back for Round III, including the evil LeChuck, and the love of Guybrush's life, Elaine Marley. Amazingly, even with having to live up to the expectations of its exceptional predecessor, Monkey Island 2, Curse still managed to establish an identity of its own in the series, and is arguably the strongest entry into the entire franchise.

Genre: FPS, third-person shooter
Year released: 2003

The standout of an already outstanding series, Jedi Academy succeeded largely because of its ability to combine all of the best elements of the franchise into one, cohesive title. Allowing players to either take on the mantle of the Jedi, or play suit-up as a mercenary and go to work the old-fashioned way, the game had you roaming every corner of its intricately-webbed universe for hours on end. But like most Star Wars FPS, the multiplayer mode was absolutely where it was at in this game. FOH if you're trying to go into those battles with anything but a lightsaber in your hand.

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1990

Regarded as a departure from the character of LucasArts previous offerings, Loom blended an intricate gameplay experience with a fantastical environment to create a musical and innovative title that broke away from the traditions of its genre. More importantly, Loom was also the first LucasArts game to follow the company's trademark philosophy for adventure games, forbidding the death of the player during the game or the necessity to restart their adventure. Loom remains today as a perfect example of what happens when a game company is focused on delivering the best experience possible to its fanbase, without handing them the keys to victory on a silver platter.

Genre: FPS, third-person shooter
Year released: 2004

Out of any multiplayer experience that the Star Wars series has come to offer, the one that Star Wars: Battlefront brought to the table was by far the best. It was fair to call the single-player mode somewhat simplistic, and we can't deny that the AI was weak in this game, but when you sat down with some friends to play in the multiplayer mode together, it was easy to lose entire days to Battlefront. It was nice that the sequel allowed you to play as the lightsaber-wielding characters but, for our money, we preferred to stick with the basics that the original title gave us. Why not give the Stormtroopers the spotlight for once?

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1993

Day of the Tentacle is so highly regarded not just for its challenging puzzles, hilarious storyline, and general wackiness, but also because it was the first game ever directed by two legends of the industry, Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman. The pair, having worked on a number of LucasArts titles prior to Tentacle were finally given their shot to take the reins on a game when the company tabbed them to take the lead on this one. They certainly made the most of their opportunity. Tentacle was heavily praised upon its release in 1993, and continues to be even today, with critics still recognizing it as one of the high points of LucasArts' heyday.

Genre: FPS
Year released: 1997

Continuing the story of Kyle Katarn, Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II turned Katarn from a mercenary into a full-blown Jedi hero as he sought to avenge the death of his father using a lightsaber and his newfound Force abilities. Allowing the player to select from a range of skills that explored the light, dark and neutral ends of the Force spectrum, Dark Forces II gave Star Wars faithful the gaming experience they had long been waiting for. On top of that, the multiplayer options added a whole other level of playability for the title, and even included an online mode. One of the early adopters of 3D graphics, Dark Forces II showed the gaming world that LucasArts had no reservations about diving into the new features and options that advancing technologies could offer for video games.

Genre: RPG
Year released: 2003

Created in conjunction with BioWare, Knights of the Old Republic was an absolute gamechanger for the Star Wars franchise and is arguably the finest title that the series has ever seen. Successful on both the Xbox and the PC, KotOR was a rare cross-platform hit that would be a signal of LucasArts' future triumphs for console gaming. With a richly detailed storyline that allowed you to choose between the Jedis and the Sith, KotOR cut us all to core, forcing us to decide where our allegiances laid. C'mon, admit it: you dabbled in the Dark Side a few times, didn't you? We aren't judging. Who could say no to the Force Choke?

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1995

Originally conceived by Steven Spielberg to be a film, The Dig blends the challenging point-and-click explorations of your typical adventure with a cinematic focus to create one of the most beautifully rendered gaming experiences LucasArts ever made. The Dig turned away from the lighter, humorous tones of its LucasArts predecessors to offer a darker, more serious take on the sci-fi genre. Following the tale of Commander Boston Low, players were transported to an abandoned alien complex filled foreign technologies and faraway legends. The mission? Find your way back to Earth. With numerous twists and turns, The Dig made no small feat of accomplishing this task. Thankfully, it managed to do so in a way that was constantly compelling.

Genre: Adventure
Year released: 1998

In the land of video games, few stories have ever been told that are richer than the neo-noir, Dia de Los Muertos-inspired tale, Grim Fandango. Released in 1998, the story starred a down-on-his-luck grim reaper, Manny Calavera, who, after uncovering a sinister plot in the Land of the Dead, is taken down a rabbit hole of smokey midnight lounges, sproutellas, and head-scratching puzzles as he works to get the afterlife that he deserves. Simply put, Grim Fandango will always be the standard for adventure games everywhere. A triumph of artistic design and game direction, Grim Fandango is a title that, if you haven't taken the time to play it yet, needs to be picked up immediately. No excuses.