The best Star Wars games on PC

What are the best Star Wars games for PC? There are plenty to choose from, and the quality is wildly variable. Thankfully - in large part to sheer weight of numbers - Star Wars has probably generated more great licensed games than any other film series. And with new movie The Force Awakens appearing in cinemas imminently, and Star Wars Battlefront nearly upon us, it doesn't look like the well will be drying up any time soon.

In the mood for a more generic brand of intergalactic adventure? Check out our rundown of the best space games on PC.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at ones you can play right now. And if you don’t spot one of your favourites, hit the comments and let us know.

Star Wars: The Old Republic 

Star Wars: The Old Republic has always had a bit of an identity problem. One half of it tries to be a continuation of the Knights of the Old Republic single-player games, split up into several class stories that let you experience the Star Wars galaxy as a Chiss Imperial Agent or a Sith Warrior. The other half is the MMO half, and is pretty traditional. 

Those class stories, though, they’re worth going through the MMO stuff for. They’re ambitious, authentically Star Wars and often epic in scope, leading to things like joining the Sith Council. The latest expansion, Knights of the Fallen Empire, puts the focus almost entirely on this part of the game. 

Knights of the Fallen Empire is, essentially, a single-player game stuck inside an MMO. And it’s great, evocative of Knights of the Old Republic II even. It’s strange, the way that it tries to very hard not to be an MMO, but as the closest thing we have to a KotOR sequel, it really should be played.

Adobe Illustrator tutorial

Adobe Illustrator tutorial: Create repeating patterns for skate deck art

Intro

Skate decks are a mini art canvas on wheels – and some of the hottest designers around have honed their talents in pursuit of the status of design legend in the half-pipe circuit. Yet creating deck art is more than recreating yet another urban art scene and slapping it onto a strip of maple. This speedy canvas should be home to more imaginative renderings,.

This masterclass shows you how to use repeating, tiled patterns based on vector workings of real-world objects. By taking the everyday, such as vegetables and kitchen utensils in this case, and reworking them as stylized vector art, you can add a real twist and create some thought-provoking art.

After designing the objects, next comes the part that, while requiring patience, is like working with a digital jigsaw puzzle. Thanks to some clever tiling techniques and tricks, you be able to turn a few vector objects into a multi-layered, highly complex design that will have some people scratching their heads.

Some advice – stick to bright, contrasting colour palettes for maximum impact, and ensure that objects are a mix of short and long – adding pace to the composition.

Once done, head to your nearest skate emporium and prepare to dazzle with your astounding deck.