Finally, after what feels like an eternity, we have a Star Wars single player campaign to sink our teeth into. It has certainly been a long time coming but I am happy to report that Respawn Entertainment has delivered in a huge way, with the best Star Wars game I have ever played.
The game is set years before Luke Skywalker during a time where the Jedi Order are all either dead or in hiding. It’s a dark time for sure as we meet our protagonist Cal Kestis, a former Padawan child apprentice who is living the quiet life on the planet Bracca, scrapping ships for credits.
Chaos ensues right from the start as the Inquisitorius, a force-sensitive group of Jedi Hunters come knocking, forcing Cal to flee for his life. This opening half hour is frantic and does a superb job of both setting the scene and getting you accustomed to the platforming and combat.
Following this tutorial of sorts you are rescued by Cere Junda, a former Jedi Master and her four-armed alien pilot Greez Dritus. Cere begins to mentor the former Padawan, which starts by her taking you to Bogano where you meet BD-1, a companion droid who becomes invaluable as you progress through the game.
The story is good without ever taking too many risks. Developer Respawn Entertainment worked closely with Lucasfilm and the result is a journey that feels like it covers familiar ground. This is not a negative though. EA had a lot riding on this game after not doing the Star Wars brand justice since they acquired the license in 2013 and so I was happy to see the game stay true to the source material.
Gameplay is where Fallen Order really shines. The platforming instantly reminds me of both Uncharted and the Tomb Raider reboot with some Prince of Persia thrown in for good measure. The combat borrows heavily from the Souls games, with an emphasis on parrying incoming attacks and countering. This works for both close range attacks and reflecting blasting bolts back at enemies further away.
While the similarities to Bloodborne, Sekiro and the Souls games are obvious from the get-go, Fallen Order will not frustrate gamers who struggle with those aforementioned titles. Four difficulty options are on offer, with the lowest simply dubbed ‘Story’ which not only causes you to take less damage but also massively increases the window of time that you have to parry.
Star Wars is one of the biggest franchises in the world and Respawn have gone over and above to create both a challenging and accessible experience. Because of this you have the ability to change the difficulty at any time in the pause menu, as long as you are not currently in combat. This allows you to push yourself like a true Jedi without worrying that half way through the game you will hit a wall.
Fallen Order has a metroidvania setup, where at first there will be plenty of areas you aren’t able to access. As you progress through the game and unlock new abilities you will be able to return to these locations and expand the area. This is all laid out to you via the map, which has handy colour coded markers to help guide you. Red shows an area that isn’t yet available, while green indicates that it is newly unlocked and yellow is unexplored territory.
While these markers are a great help, the map itself can be a little confusing at times. Planet Zeffo in particular can be a bit of a maze as it is on so many different levels. It would have been nice to have the option to fast travel between the different save points, which are called Meditation Circles and are dotted around the map. Even just the ability to zap back to your ship would help a lot.
Speaking of the Meditation Circles, this is also where you can access your skill tree. Every blow dealt to any enemy results in XP which accumulate into skill points and are used to unlock unique abilities. Meditation Circles also allow you to rest if you so desire. Doing so will fully heal Cal and your health stims will be replenished but it also re-spawns all enemies in the area, so be careful!
If you die in combat you will be transported back to the last Meditation Circle you stopped at and will lose all XP that you gained since that time. In what is possibly my favourite mechanic of the game though, you have the chance to win all that lost XP back. Return to the scene of your untimely demise and you will notice the enemy that dealt the fatal blow will be glowing. Dispose of them and you regain what you lost.
Trophies is another area where the game does not disappoint. A great mix of story progression, collectibles, combat and exploration make up a really fun platinum trophy. Respawn have even forgone difficulty related trophies so that you don’t have to worry about altering the difficulty on the fly mid game. There is even both EU and US trophy lists and I am sure given the quality of this title many fans will be adding both to their collection. I know I certainly will.
Overall Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is one of 2019’s absolute best games. It is a joy to play from start to finish and could be the start of something special. Fans have been screaming out for a single-player, lightsaber-waving romp for years now and Respawn has answered the call. This reminds me of Insomniac and Spider-Man last year. I was sad when it was over, but I can’t wait to see what we get next!
-Terry
Reviewed on PS4. A review code was provided by the publisher.
