There are some games that are so well executed that they become instantly memorable. These are the games that you fondly look back on years, or even decades, after you first played them. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is one of these games. It set a new standard for Star Wars action-adventure games. Visually, the game is absolutely gorgeous. The gameplay has lightsaber combat that is simplistic and well executed. The maps are large enough that they offer many places to explore, but aren’t overwhelming. The story is tragic and well written. In short, Jedi: Fallen Order is masterpiece.
A Look Into an Unexplored Star Wars Era.
Set five years after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Jedi: Fallen Order follows former Padawan turned scrapyard hand, Cal Kestis. Cal managed to survive Order 66 and has been in hiding. Due to his need to keep his force powers hidden, Cal forced himself to forget what he had learned about force use. Cal was also weary of making friends to help keep his cover. As a result, he sometimes seems like an atypical Jedi. He’s quiet and sometimes bland. This fits with his need to hide his true self. Eventually, Cal joins the crew of a ship once his cover as a junkyard worker is blown. Upon joining the crew of the Mantis, Cal embarks on a journey around the galaxy to thwart the Empire and rebuild his connection to the Force.
The time has come. Execute Order 66.
Emperor Palpatine
Cal has the unique Force ability to pull past events from his surroundings. These are known as Force Echoes. This serves two main functions in Jedi: Fallen Order. First, it is offers something to go around collecting on each planet. More importantly, it fills out the events that happened immediately after Order 66 to the present. These Echoes add story background without forcing additional story arcs. This also keeps Jedi: Fallen Order focused on one story, something that is a refreshment in modern gaming. Personally, I appreciate that the story didn’t shove several arcs in my face.
A Good Mix of Familiar Places and New Spaces.
Jedi: Fallen Order has several planets to explore. Star Wars fans will recognize a few of them while others are completely new. These planets are not open world. Personally, I liked the limited areas. They aren’t hallways. Instead, they interconnect to each other and form a complex world. Your progression is locked in these planets until you acquire new Force powers or upgrade your pal BD-1. BD-1 is your droid companion that helps you along the way. He’s Cal’s best friend (he has a glowing bar on the back of his head that doubles as Cal’s health bar).
Anyway, as Cal remembers Force Powers and BD-1 gets new abilities, you can explore the maps more. This adds a Metroidvania element to Jedi: Fallen Order. You will hop back and forth between planets. There isn’t wasted space in the maps. Echoes and cosmetic collectibles can be found throughout the maps. What may seem like a dead end on the map, could very well have a hidden lightsaber component or skin for BD-1 in it.
Jedi: Fallen Order has some really well thought out puzzles. Often times, I found myself taking a few minutes to sit and thinking through the puzzles. I liked that a lot. I am used to puzzles being obvious tasks like moving an item from point A to point B. For me, it was a lot of trial and error with the puzzles. Overall, the puzzles added to the gameplay and offered a fun task besides combat.
What’s a Star Was Game Without Some Combat?!
The combat in Jedi: Fallen Order is incredible! Respawn Entertainment did a phenomenal job making lightsaber combat fluid and natural. Compared to other Star Wars games I’ve played, the lightsaber combat in Jedi: Fallen Order looks convincing. Deflecting blaster bolts, parrying melee attacks and slicing up enemies reminded me more of the Star Wars movies than any game has before. There is a rhythm and cadence to combat that feels so good. It’s not just hack and slash. Refreshingly, Force powers also don’t play as prominent role in combat as they have in previous entries. I appreciate that a lot. It let’s you focus on honing your skills with your blade.
Jedi: Fallen Order is a beautiful game. The character models and landscapes are so detailed. Also, there is also a lot of customization you can do to Cal, BD-1, the Mantis and your lightsaber. The lightsaber customization made feel more connected to the lightsaber than any other Star Wars game has before. There are several lightsaber components you can change. Each component has several choices you pick from, each found throughout the different worlds. I appreciated the level of detail I had in my lightasaber creation.
I have heard from some people that are playing Jedi: Fallen Order on PlayStation4 that they have experienced bugs and performance issues. While on the Xbox One X, I only had issues one time while in the holomap. Otherwise, the game ran smoothly and I had no complaints in that department.
Welcome to the Party Cal.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Jedi: Fallen Order was a game I couldn’t stop thinking about. I didn’t want to stop playing it. One night, I meant to play for an hour and go to bed by 10:00 pm. I looked over at my clock and it was 2:33 am. To me, great games do this. They draw you in and make you part of their world. For me, Jedi: Fallen Order did this like a game hasn’t all year. With Jedi: Fallen Order, Respawn Entertainment did for Star Wars, and more specifically Jedi games, the same thing that Insomniac Games did for Spider-Man games. They refined lightsaber combat, made it fluid and feel real. They set a new standard that future Star Wars games will have to live up to. It won’t be easy. For fantastic gameplay, an enthralling story, stunning visuals, and an immersive world, I give Jedi: Fallen Order a 5/5.
