I don’t like Star Wars. Sure, Stromtroopers are cool and in theory and the Jedi should be right up my street, but for some reason the whole thing just doesn’t grab me. Time and time again, I have looked around at friends enjoying the property and tried as hard as I can to find something in there which I can like… but I just can’t. At the time of writing, there are 12 movies in the series and I can honestly say that I like two, perhaps three of them. At this point, I’m fully aware that I’m in the minority here and I’m fighting a losing battle with this juggernaut of a franchise, but it’s important to know that it’s with this attitude that I picked up Jedi: Fallen Order. 

Don’t get me wrong, I was intrigued by the game. If not for the licence attached to it, then for murmurings of ‘Souls Likeness’ surrounding the coverage, as well as the knowledge that Respawn have a genuine pedigree of quality in their back catalogue going back far beyond even the inception of the Company. If Vince Zampella and team can revolutionise the First Person shooter genre with ‘Call of Duty’, then do it again with the ‘Titanfall’ series before moving the Battle Royale genre forward in ways we hadn’t seen before in the guise of ‘Apex Legends’, then maybe… just maybe they had a chance at doing something special in the third person action genre even if the the Star Wars skin surrounding it didn’t get my juices flowing. Let’s say then, that if I started my journey with Jedi: Fallen Order with some trepidation, by the end of the game I was a complete convert. Not only is this game a stellar installment in the third person action genre, but it has also made me reevaluate my earlier stated opinion on Star Wars as a franchise. I may not be ready to announce myself to the world as a devout Star Wars fan just yet, but Jedi: Fallen Order has made me realise that it is perhaps the way the stories are told in the movies that I don’t like, because when used properly, Star Wars is a deeply engaging world that has the power to completely sweep me along for the ride. If you like a challenge and or Star Wars, then this is a must buy.

Let’s start with the obvious. Even with a cursory Google, it’s obvious for everyone to see that Jedi: Fallen Order (JFO) is an incredibly beautiful game. I’ve referred to the design of the game as having a “Star Wars Skin”, but in all honesty, this is quite reductive. It’s clear that JFO has been steeped in the world of ‘Star Wars’ from its very beginning, so much so that had it been designed as a generic science fiction action game instead, then it wouldn’t have had the same impact. Running around in the world feels incredibly authentic. It feels lived in and genuine in a way that few games achieve. Each world depicted in the game, as well as its inhabitants, from Storm Troopers, to local wildlife, even down to the individual plants and fauna feel lovingly crafted and in keeping with a world that although fantastical, abides strictly to the in-world laws. The in game contrast between the Empire and the jungle planet of Kashyyyk for example are contrasting and appropriately jarring to make the player feel like the Empire is an unwelcome and invasive plague upon everything it comes into contact with. People may not like the Star Wars feel and look, but one thing is for sure, this is an incredibly believable version of the Star Wars Universe.

Looking at the overall world building Respawn have created, as genuine as it feels, this is perhaps also the first place I started to notice one or two issues.  Moving from one area to the next, as I’ve said, the game feels like a grimy lived-in world, but there are times the overarching story comes apart at the seams. The main narrative of the campaign sees our protagonist Cal, discovered as a Jedi by the Empire (Later in the game it transpires that he isn’t a Jedi, but a padawan who had his training cut short when he was around 10 years old) after he saves a friend from certain death. This kickstarts a long chase sequence in which Cal, pursued by the Empire has what appears to be the full might of the Empire brought upon him, inflicting what might be millions of dollars of damage upon their own equipment and cut short countless lives of their own staff and citizens, seemingly for very little reason. He is then rescued by a small group trying to resurrect the Jedi order, which startsour main campaign. Even after this the interactions between characters are oddly disjointed, with arguments erupting between characters for reasons I still can’t get my head around, as well as strong bonds and relationships between characters that feel completely unearned. Without spoilers, there are also interactions between characters that the game spends a decent amount of time building up, only to do nothing with. I’m left wondering if this is a section of the game that was cut out at some point, if we will see it pop up in DLC, or if it is some preamble for a sequel. Whatever the reason, it’s a bit too noticeable to let drop. Writing this down, I’m struck by the realisation that during my playtime, it wasn’t something I noticed, but the main story isn’t actually that good in its own right. It serves an acceptable way to propel the character through the game, but it’s the small interactions between Cal, his droid and the many peripheral characters in the smaller incidental storylines that are far more engaging. 

With all that said, it’s in the gameplay that JFO really shines and separates itself from the crowd. Something that I have always enjoyed about games developed by Respawn is that they seem to have an almost unique ability to understand what makes other games good and build upon successful mechanics in a meaningful way that enhances an experience. An example being the challenging nature of the game. Make no mistake, the game is hard. When a player encounters a Storm Trooper, chances are they will have the ability to take them down without too many problems, but encounter a small group of them and they pose a real danger. This rings true across the entirety of the game, with each enemy representing a reasonable threat that if not approached properly can see enemy encounters quickly spiral out of control and become deadly. There are also sporadic boss battles that will force the player to make use of the weapons and moves at their disposal in a careful and methodical manner. This results in an experience in which players will feel dangerous and powerful, but with an element of vulnerability that will force them to treat their enemies with respect. Any player approaching fights with reckless abandon will be punished severely until they learn to be more careful and thoughtful. Adding to this, is the risk and reward nature of the checkpointing system. Akin to Dark Souls games, if a player comes across a checkpoint, they can rest there to replenish health and stim packs, but with the risk that this will respawn all the enemies on the map. Respawn have married this challenging and dangerous feeling fighting mechanics with traversal and movement that is as good as any in its class. It’s fast and responsive and by the end of the game, the player will be leaping around levels like they would expect from a Jedi, with the caveat that it feels earned and honed through skill and ability rather than it being gifted to the player through a simple button press. It’s rare that a game manages to make the player feel as vulnerable as they do powerful, but Respawn has walked the tightrope beautifully in JFO.

 

Overall JFO is a brilliant first outing for a new series from a developer that isn’t known for making this genre of game. There are many things that could have gone wrong along the way for JFO, be that the often sterile, run of the mill Disney-fication of a franchise too big to be able to take risks, the relative inexperience in the field of the developer to the fact that it’s published by EA, a publisher seemingly hell bent on ruining every game they touch as they stride ever more forcefully towards self destruction, ruining popular developers and franchises as they go, but somehow JFO seems to have dodged every bullet along the way. That’s not to say the game is perfect, far from it in fact. The main story is passable at best, there are plot holes left and right, the loading times after a death are absolutely ridiculous and if I’m honest, the game out-stays its welcome ever so slightly… but with all that said, somehow we have a Star Wars game that is finally worth our valuable time. If Star Wars is your thing, then this should be a must play… if it isn’t your thing, then it’s still a must play.

Verdict:

+ Beautiful Visuals

+ Difficult, But Rewarding

+ A World That Will Make You Want To Keep Exploring

–  Loading Times After Death

–  Plot Holes, Unwrapped Up Narratives

–  Ever So Slightly Too Long

Score: 8/10