Jedi Fallen Order Could Break the Cycle of Subpar Star Wars Games

Star Wars is one of the most profitable brands on the planet, one rich with human stories and fables framed by the vast expanse of space that sparks curiosity and wonder. Unfortunately, the world and characters that so many have come to love were never truly captured as a game. There are a few awesome and timeless titles like Star Wars Battlefront II (2005), the Knights of the Old Republic titles, Republic Commando, and the vehicle-based ones like Rogue Squadron or Episode 1: Racer, but nowhere near the masterpiece games that many fans crave. With Respawn Entertainment at the helm, another attempt is being made at a story-driven title with Jedi: Fallen Order shaping up to fit that impossible-to-fill mold.

Here’s the thing with any Star Wars game, even more so for this release. The expectations of something with the scope of Jedi: Fallen Order is astronomically high.

Star Wars has been a special part of people’s lives for so long that it’s hard to see things struggle. I will never forget EA’s Battlefront games coming out and being some of the most empty feeling, corporate sifted games I’ve ever seen, not to mention the absolute garbage and disgustingly predatory approach to recurring spending with micro-transactions. Governments around the world are looking at regulating these things in games following games like Battlefront II, Overwatch, and Fortnite.

EA being attached to Fallen Order is probably the biggest caveats for most players as they start planning out which games will get their valuable time this year. Will EA representatives lie to consumers as they did for Battlefront II at E3 2017? Could they top their record with one of the worst rated Reddit posts in history with another awful statement? Could they do what Activision has done in the past and put in micro-transactions well after reviews come in?

I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a Respawn creator right now. There is so much pressure on them to put out something amazing. Jedi: Fallen Order also feels like the last chance for EA to put out a successful, well-received Star Wars game. Another failure or two could finally put the franchise in more capable hands.

So far, there has been quite a bit of information pointing to Jedi: Fallen Order becoming the game fans are craving. Taking place after the events of the iconic Order 66 that wiped out almost every Jedi across the galaxy and six years after the events of the Revenge of the Sith film, Cal Kestis stands as one of the last survivors of the Jedi Order. Fallen Order will follow the Cal struggling to survive in a galaxy dominated by the dark reach of the Empire, all while trying to further his training.

During the EA Play presentation at E3, we got almost 20 minutes of gameplay footage. This footage highlights a few promising elements that seem to be a mix of inspirations from some incredible games like Uncharted, Tomb Raider, and even a touch of Dark Souls. There was also a comparison to Metroid made by Andrew Reiner in a Game Informer feature following a trip to spend time with the game and its developers.

Traversal of the environment looks like the style of presentation that put Uncharted on the map, complete with wall running, vaulting, and swinging from a grappling hook. Fallen Order has shown off the beautiful jungles of Kashyyyk and the dark industrial areas of Empire control with hopes to see a spread of classic and new Star Wars worlds.

The Tomb Raider comparison comes into play as Cal Kestis squeezes into a tight shaft, creating a sense of claustrophobia and a point of transition from the lush jungles to the dark underworld where the Empire festers. Combat immediately reminded me of Dark Souls with the single dot used to show locking on and free movement around the target. We also see Cal heal with a quick, snapping animation that reminds me a bit of what’s used in From Software games.

Further judging from the footage, Cal is able to use his Force powers to slow down time and deflect blaster shots, creating an extremely cool effect when facing down enemies with high firing rates. We also see Cal use a Force Push to open doors, pump it into his movements for a leap, or stun a tough foe with an attempt at a grab. It looks like the Force will be used in tandem with a broad range of attacks with kind of a stamina meter keeping players from spamming blasts. It will be interesting to see if Respawn is able to make these Force powers feel like extensions of a single power rather than just separate powers with similar looks.

Having a wide variety of enemies for Cal to take on will also help Fallen Order stand out. In the demo, we see a few different types of Storm Troopers but we also get some of the local fauna of Kashyyyk in the form of giant spider things. I can only hope that we get to see more monsters from other worlds; it would be even better to tackle massive bosses like the Rancor, Wampa, or Rathar

Really all the pieces seem to be in place for an incredible Star Wars game. However, with the awful history looming over it, Jedi: Fallen Order doesn’t carry the magnitude than it would have in a world without EA’s mishandling of the franchise.

Regardless, the proof is in the pudding, so we’ll have to wait to see what actually happens with Jedi: Fallen Order hits PS4, Xbox One, and PC on November 15th, 2019, provided that the game launches as currently scheduled.

For more information on Jedi: Fallen Order, check out the official website. Image credits to EA and Respawn Entertainment.