Star Wars has been a franchise which has been very close to my heart. I remember my father taking me to watch Star Wars: A New Hope back in the 90s, and me being fascinated with the lightsabers. And I have followed the series since. There have been tonnes of Star Wars games since, but we have only had two games come out in the last decade after EA bought the exclusive rights. That is until Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order released last week. People were not too happy with the two previous Star Wars games created by EA. Hence it was kind of a now or never moment with this new game. I’ve had the chance to play and finish the game, and here’s my Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order review.
Story and Content
Let’s start by saying that this is definitely the Star Wars game we were waiting for a long time. And EA has definitely got out of its slump with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. It was actually surprising considering Star Wars is at its height right now with the final movie to the Skywalker saga releasing next month. There’s also the new TV series by Disney, called The Mandalorian. Besides this there are a tonne of other Star Wars content coming out. Hence it was actually surprising that were didn’t have a quality Star Wars video game in all this time.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order follows Cal Kestis who is a Jedi Padawan in a time just after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Chancellor Palpatine has shed his disguise and assumed the role of the Emperor after a coup of the Republic. He has almost wiped out his mortal enemies, the Jedi with the infamous ‘Order 66’. The Jedi have become outlaws who are hunted and are on the brink of extinction. The protagonist has managed to survive by hiding his powers and identity, and now works as a scrapper. He will soon embark on a journey that will see him go back to the ways of the Jedi and fight hoards of enemies in order to try and establish the Jedi order again.
The story is original, and is a straightforward one. The plot of Fallen Order may be simple, but that does not make the game uninteresting. The story rings true with George Lucas’ vision of Star Wars being children’s stories that are enjoyed by people of all ages. There are new characters and some familiar ones like Saw Gurera. But the real surprise comes at the end of the game, which is massive fan service from the developers at Respawn Entertainment. Cal will battle bugs, animals, droids, Walkers, different kinds of stormtroopers and enemies using the dark side of the force. You prime nemesis is a force empowered Dark Inquisitor who goes by the name of Second Sister.
Graphics, Music and Cinematics
Graphics and visuals is one department that will leave players in awe. Players will explore different worlds, and each have their own terrain and color scheme which is just a treat for the eyes. The draw distance on these worlds is surprisingly huge on PC which lends distinct details to the game. The visuals are amazing and so are the character details. But some might argue that a few of the characters seem to stand out in the environments. There are also some visual bugs here and there which seem fixable. But exploring the different worlds in the game is definitely a pleasure.
And the music used in the game takes after the classic Star Wars themes and uses them intelligently to mesh in with the environments. There’s the distinct use of the classic Star Wars score created by John Williams. Even the effects and the different object sounds in the game seem to be on point with the game. The cinematics in the game are made from the characters in the game and are not separate pieces. This makes it consistent with the visuals of the game.
Controls and Gameplay
Now controls is where the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order becomes a little sloppy. The game too seems to have some issue with the scaling of the fight difficulty. There are different difficulty that players can select. But one thing is consistent throughout, and that is how steeply fight difficulty scales with different opponents. There’s one positive in this which is that the different characters in the game have very different style of fighting. So at one point you might just be cruising about killing Stormtroopers. But at one point you will come face-to-face with one that just pummels you till you’re almost out of life. The game may seem difficult at start, but as we progress, Cal picks up more abilities and skills that make things easier.
The overall fight mechanics are quite unique, and the game has definite vibes of Dark Souls and Uncharted. The game itself is not very original, but it takes different aspects of popular games and meshes those into a good game. Again one of the negatives about the game is its saving system, which can be brutal at times. There are certain points in each map where Cal can sit down to meditate. Here, he has the option to rest which restores his health. But the catch is enemies respawn if you choose to do that. There will be certain sections in the game which would require you to come back once you have different abilities to pass through them.
There’s some extent of visual customization in the game as well, and this includes, your lightsaber, and not just the color of the blade. Cal and his tiny droid partner BD-1 both have options for refreshed costumes and visuals. Speaking of the droid BD-1, he is one of the more memorable parts of the game and what is really interesting is that there’s a key dedicated for you to check on the cute little droid.
Verdict
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is definitely a breath of fresh air for those looking for video games from the franchise. It comes with excellent visuals, an original but convincing plot, and some great action sequences. The fact that the game only lets the protagonist use the Jedi approved weapons of The Force itself and the trusty old lightsaber and no blasters is new in itself. But there are some clunky bits on movement and bugs in the game, that though present, do not mar the experience of the game.
Being that one good Star Wars game in the last decade Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order automatically becomes a recommendation for the fans of the genre. Even those that will be new to Star Wars games will find some excellent content and point of reference to the Star Wars canon. As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the game.
