This is a game I liked the idea of more than the game itself. An oldschool sandbox MMO AND its star wars?? Count me in.

Unfortunately the game is very... very janky. Combat is jank, movement is jank, even the visuals are janky. Even by old MMO standards honestly. I tried the Legends and SWGEmu servers as they are most popular. Swgemu just left me scratching my head what I was supposed to do (Its pre-cu), dropped that very quickly. Legends was much better at least but as much as I wanted to love this game, I just couldn't. It's unfortunate but I'm glad I got to try it at least.

Im sure back in 2004 it was great, but not in 2024. Especially if you dont have any nostalgia for it cuz you never played back then.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Star Wars Galaxies was one of the last glimpses into the old ways of the MMORPG genre, with a year and change in age over World of Warcraft, which would change everything. It wasn't about combat, or levels; early Star Wars Galaxies' combat was not the best, and it did not even have any kind of leveling system. It wasn't about fighting a boss for a chance at a top piece of gear; the best equipment came from a combination of time, money, and experience. It wasn't about long lines of quests, it was about interacting in the living world that moved around you. Star Wars Galaxies was a swansong to MMORPGs that actually embraced the Massive Multiplayer portion of the genre and championed the community over any other aspect of the game.

Your value in the world came from what you actually did, not from a numbered level that tells you how "strong" you are. You could, and many people did, succeed in Star Wars Galaxies without ever engaging in combat. If you wanted to take up dancing in a cantina to grant buffs to other players and socialize with them, you absolutely could, because those who did go out into combat would gladly pay for your skills. Those cantinas could be in any major city across nearly a dozen different planets, some known from Star Wars films and lore, like Mos Eisley, but could also be found in player created cities that also dot those planets. These cities, completely built with player owned homes and commercial buildings that house player owned stores, were unique to each server and housed dozens, maybe hundreds of actual, other players. This was the most redeemable feature of Star Wars Galaxies: a legitimate, breathing community that depended on each other. The players who focused on combat would rely on the players who were dancers or medics for their buffs, or the players who were weaponsmiths to repair or upgrade their blasters. Those weaponsmiths might also depend on players who were dedicated to mining or harvesting the resources needed to build those weapons. There was not much that you could accomplish on your own in Star Wars Galaxies, and the game benefited from that.

Star Wars Galaxies lasted almost nine years, through controversial updates like the Combat Upgrade or the New Game Experience, and well received updates like the Jump to Lightspeed expansion, which added starships and space content. The game's death certificate may as well have been signed on the date that World of Warcraft entered the gaming world, as no old school MMORPG could survive what would become of the genre. As a lifelong Star Wars fan, there has never been any other game that made me feel like I was a part of the Star Wars universe as much as Star Wars Galaxies did, and unfortunately, it seems as if we will never get that type of game again.

A fascinating game that does so, so much right and so, so much wrong. Or maybe not wrong, just... weird. But in an endearing way.

Awful/endearing graphics and animations. Awful/endearing combat. Awful/endearing "quest lines". Awful/wonderful reliance on community no matter what you're doing.

I think I love this game, but it's not one I can play for long stretches of time. It's definitely one of those "it starts at max level games", but I enjoyed my journey to max level regardless, even if it was just doing a few killing missions per level.

I loved feeling like this was a genuine, living, breathing world entirely built by a still thriving and welcoming community--literally, whole cities built by guilds and dotted with player houses, vendors, dance halls, cantinas... everything. No other MMO can nor has captured this feeling since, and if you love--and I mean REALLY love--pre-Disney Star Wars and have a few willing friends (bonus points if they know what to do), treat yourself to a fun experience, even for a weekend.

Whether it's Pre-CU + NGE, Post CU + NGE, or one of those fascinating hybrid servers, give it a shot. It's grindy, it's messy, it's ugly, and I'll never forget it.