EA has come forth with a consistent Star Wars title that is fun to play and pleasing to the eyes (and ears). Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the latest in action/adventure style game for the franchise, and has several elements that make the game enjoyable from start to finish. With fantastic landscapes and an engaging story, this one is fun to play all the way through. That being said, there are a couple of factors that take away from the gameplay and are worth mentioning.
The game begins by diving right into learning character functions naturally and without extensive cut scenes. Playing as Cal Kestis, you start by traversing the wreckage of a massive ship, which you are working on as a scrapper. This teaches the basics of maneuvering landscapes, including scaling walls, walking rails, and squeezing through tight spaces.
This form of easing into the gameplay makes for a smooth transition into areas where it’s more challenging to negotiate the topography. There are points in the game where it’s good to have a strong bearing on the button layout, in order to rely on muscle memory rather than having to recall which button does what on the fly.
Rich and Immersive Environments
Two of my favorite elements of this game are the sights and sounds of the immersive environment, both of which are equally rich. Landscapes have great depth and offer a feel more similar to an open world than the fixed path restraint that the game holds. Light plays a big role in the overall look of this game, and EA has it dialed with reflections, light iridescent glow, and even shadows draping every pixel of play.
The sound helps to tie everything together and surrounds the ears like a nice warm blanket. I highly recommend having a good pair of full-range headphones or a decent sound system, as the game supports up to 7.1 channel surround. In this game, audio helps to alert you of enemies and other threats.
The character experience is flexible, in terms of character changes, with unlockable outfits and customizable lightsaber options found by exploring the game. It’s nice to choose the look of the lightsaber and select a color that fits you. Skill points are given throughout the game, and are used to increase the character’s effectiveness in three different areas; Force, Lightsaber, and Survival. The skill tree can be filled in the order that you see fit, but eventually, the entire tree will become full, and Cal is free to live his best life.
The Downsides
If there are negatives to be found in this game, I would have to say that camera angle tracking and sprawling maps are two adverse areas of the game. Camera angles can tend to be off in tight areas, to the point where you can briefly lose sight of the character, making it difficult in a heated battle. The game covers multiple planets, making the maps for each pretty large. There is no function for fast-travel, so walking from A to B tends to be a nuisance. Overall these cons are insignificant and don’t matter enough to affect play.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a great game with tons to offer. This adventure stands on its own and has a lot to offer both Star Wars fans those who don’t care much for the franchise. Available on PlayStation Xbox and PC, it is sure to lend hours of lightsaber-wielding fun no matter how you play.