REVIEW: Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
It's been a long time since we had a true single-player Star Wars video game. The last time really was 2010's The Force Unleashed 2. So while many people were hopeful that Jedi Fallen Order could deliver a great Star Wars story, many people were apprehensive due to EA being the one publishing. However, the developer of the game, Respawn, has built up a good reputation over the years with the Titanfall games and Apex Legends, so I had faith they could deliver.
While I have some issues with the game, I think Jedi Fallen Order is a great video game in general, let alone a great Star Wars game. It's got great gameplay, an interesting story and characters, and lays a great foundation for a potential sequel should Respawn choose to make one.
Story
For the most part, I thought the story was pretty good. Granted, I don't think the story is amazing like a lot of people are saying, but at the same time, there are a lot of deep character studies with the characters, and has a lot of revelations that expand the universe and lore of the franchise.
I won't go too deep into spoilers, as I plan to do a separate spoiler-filled article in the future. In the game, you play as a surviving Jedi padawan named Cal Kestis. An incident forces Cal to reveal his force powers, resulting in him forced to go on the run from the Empire and its inquisitors, led by the Second Sister. Along the way, Cal meets with another former Jedi named Cere, a grizzled captain named Greez, and a spunky little droid named BD-1, as they embark on an adventure to find a Jedi holocron to attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order.
Like I said, I enjoyed the story for the most part. I really liked Cal as a character, and the personal journey he went on. I enjoyed Cere, and BD-1 is a treasure, end of story. However, there are some story beats I thought were rushed in the game, or not as fleshed out as it could have been. Also, while the final level of the game is incredible, with an ending that will be the ultimate spoiler of the game, the end of the story ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, with no guarantee of a sequel.
Technical
For the most part, I thought the game looks really good. The environments are very well-detailed and filled with Easter eggs. All of the characters give good performances, with the stormtroopers giving great one-liners. The music, as always, is great, with a mix of new and old Star Wars themes.
However, I did have my fair share of technical issues during my playtime. It should be noted that I played on the base Xbox One, and not the more powerful Xbox One X, PS4 Pro, and powerful PC. During my playtime, the framerate during cutscenes, of all things, was inconsistent. I also had a few graphical glitches with Cal or enemies, and twice, the game hard-crashed on me, forcing me to turn off the console and turn it back on. Hopefully, these issues can be addressed by Respawn in a future patch or two.
Gameplay
One thing I can say about this game is that it wears its influences on its sleeve. For starters, with the combat, there are many similarities with the Dark Souls series, as the combat requires more precision and dodging/parrying, (as you can't go in swinging like crazy like the Force Unleashed), the game has healing flasks, I mean stims, and the game has campfires, I mean meditation circles where you can recover your health and healing items, at the expense of all the enemies in the map respawning back.
There is also a big influence of the Metroid Prime series, as you gradually unlock different force powers, abilities, and items, that allows you to backtrack and get new collectibles.
While a lot of the game isn't original, how they implement those ideas is a lot of fun to me. The game does a good job of gradually making you feel more powerful, making you "feel like a Jedi," and balances the feeling of making you feel powerful, while at the same time, making you feel worried that any encounter could lead to death.
I loved fighting most enemies, some are annoying, and I especially enjoyed the bosses. I enjoyed exploring the different worlds and finding collectibles. I also enjoyed some of the platforming elements in the game. However, some of the platforming can be frustrating, to say the least, due to some shaky controls and movement.
Overall
I never played the Old Republic MMO in 2011, but I can say that Jedi Fallen Order is the best Star Wars game since the Old Republic, and perhaps since the Force Unleashed. In fact, I think I might like Jedi Fallen Order more, at least in most aspects. While I have some issues with the story and platforming, I think this was a great effort by Respawn, and lays the groundwork for a potential bigger and better sequel, which of course I would love to see.
See EA, this is what happens when you let a developer just make a game without it being rushed or forced with anti-consumer business practices. Overall, I give the game a very solid 8.5 out of 10.
