Gameplay Review: Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order
“What is Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order?” that was the question on everyone’s mind since the release of the game trailer. All of the trailers never specified the characteristics of the game but rather danced different concepts of a combat-oriented game. Final trailers told us that it was a souls-like game but it didn’t tell us much more. Now we know. Fallen Order is a souls-like game with different elements and it is a damn good Star Wars game. For many years EA was stumbling to get a grip on the franchise and present a decent game. All of us have been waiting for an excellent Star Wars and we finally got one. It is not excellent but is a good one for many. The game is appealing to many players but at the same time, it is disappointing some too.
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order is different from any other game in the Star War series. It is a souls-like game with influences from different franchises. It is not as difficult as Dark Souls or The Surge series but it is souls-like, so you should expect difficult gameplay. There is lots of exploration in the game, making it a fun play. There are puzzle-solving and platforming similar to the Uncharted series. Yes, the game takes inspiration from both the Uncharted series and Dark Souls. It combines two different aspects flawlessly but at the same time makes it a Star Wars without shooting mechanics.
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Game Offers Adventure through the Combination of Small Maps
Let’s get back to the question “What is Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order?” this time I will talk about setting and maps. The game takes place five years after Revenge of the Sith. Fallen Order takes place on different planets in the Star Wars universe. There is a star map on the ship which lets you travel to different planets. The star map on the ship functions properly and in complete synchronization with the traveling mechanics. Maps are not that big so don’t expect something like a complete open-world game. Fallen Order is multi-regional. Together, smaller maps of different planets make up the total area of the game. I think this element closely resembles The Outer Worlds. The game still offers a great setting for an adventure.
Even though the maps are small, there is still room for exploration. These small maps are bigger than most multi-regional games which makes a perfect stage for the premise of a Star War game. There will be places on the map that you can’t access but the map will make it clear for the player. The inaccessible areas will be marked as Red while accessible areas will be marked as Green. As you unlock the ability you will be able to travel to areas that were previously not available. You can go back to the unexplored areas once you get the ability to do so.
World-Building and Environmental Story Telling is Doing Justice to the Source Material
“What is Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order?” let’s ask this question once again. You might be thinking Why the repetition? It’s due to the fact that the Fallen Order is different from any other Star Wars games and I want to make that clear. This objective will help you decide if you want to buy it or not. Let’s discuss the world-building of the game along with some elements of the map. When it comes to world-building then the game is doing justice to the source material. The influence of the Star Wars lore is evident in the environment.
If you are familiar with Star Wars Franchise then just one look at the game is enough to tell you about the roots of the game. The game not only uses planets from the franchise but also introduces maps that were never perceived in visual media before. Maps completely synchronize with the story of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order game. The environmental storytelling of Fallen Order is amazing, to say the least. Each planet has its own story and lore. Just looking at your surroundings is enough to let you know about your expectations. Every living and non-living thing on a map brings the world to life. You can also find secret short cuts but they are hard to spot. Overall the setting of the game offers a perfect environment for both story and gameplay.
The Story is Good and Characters Have Lively Aura to Them
Let’s ask once again “What is Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order?” This time I will talk about the plot. The game offers a decent plot, it’s not the best but it is a good one. The story takes place five years after Revenge of the Sith and order 66. It follows the story of Cal Kestis, a Jedi warrior in hiding. The circumstances lead him to reveal his power. Once that happens The Empire sends inquisitors after him and he barely escapes from them with the help of some friends. He begins a quest to reestablish Jedi Order. Once the premise of the game begins then it’s all about searching for one thing after another. The stakes are not that high but the game still offers an interesting story.
Even though the story of the game is just a good one, the character description is detailed. Each character has a realistic aura which makes attachment a great possibility. The acting of characters is convincing and realistic. The game successfully shows the inner demons of characters such as guilt and remorse. Even the second sister character is lively making it the character of a movie. BD 1 is the most interesting character of the game because it not only helps in the gameplay but also acts as the best friend of Cal. The relation between Cal and BD1 is amazing because it shows the bond of friendship. Only Cal can understand the language of BD 1 which makes their friendship and conversation interesting. You have to see their friendship through Cal’s eyes.
The General Aspects of the Story are Pretty Good
“What is Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order?” the question will let me make it clear that it is different from any other Star Wars game. The story is not only good but it also offers adventure through the multi-planetary system. Small maps of different planets are not that small because they offer a type of adventure that even The Outer Worlds is lacking. The story and setting of the game have integration with each other. If you are looking for a very long story then you are in for a disappointment. However, the story of the game is not that long but not that short either. If you play it casually then the game will be over in 17 hours. In case you are a completionist then it might take 24 hours. So expect 17 to 24 hours gameplay.
Throughout the gameplay, you need to travel from planet to planet to complete your journey. There would be moments when you will have to return to the places that you have already explored. Finding new places is one thing but keep on returning to the same planet is a bummer. At least, you will still have a chance to explore new locations on the same planet. Once you have collected enough stuff then you can move forward and achieve your goal. After all the plot is about collecting stuff. Character’s skills make sense because it’s part of the story in the game. In the beginning, the force of Cal is weak because he had lost connection with the force. As the story progress, he becomes more powerful. Different elements of the story can rely on each other.
Combat of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order is Difficult and Different than Any Other Star Wars game
This Star Wars game is different than any other in the series. So What is Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order? The answer to this question is a little mix. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order is a souls-like game with the influence of Uncharted. As I said earlier the game has platforming and this element also influences the combat of the game. There are dodges and parries like any other souls-like game. Dodges and parries are important during combat. The time of dodge will decide a win or lose situation for you. Enemies will have a block meter, once you drain their block meter than taking them down become easier.
You can use force to push or slow down enemies. If you use push while your enemies are on the edge of a cliff or high place then you can throw them down bellow. Initially, you will only be able to throw off one weak enemy but as you upgrade you will be able to throw multiple enemies along with some strong ones. Using force in combat is easy because each force attack is linked to a specific button. You don’t have to shuffle different powers, just one button is enough. Special moves and force will drain the force meter. You can refill it by defeating enemies or meditating.
The light saber of Cal offers a perfect balance that keeps your power in check. To defeat an enemy multiple attacks are needed. The combat cinematics of the game are amazing and they can be in par with The Surge 2 combat cinematics. These cinematics offers a sense of achievement once you kill enemies. The game might be the easiest in all of the souls-like games.
The Difficulty will depend on The Difficulty Level You Chose
There are four difficulty levels, Story, Jedi Knight, Jedi Master, Grand Master. While selecting difficulty level each selection will clearly state the type of difficulty you should expect. Even on Grand Master difficulty enemies won’t become brick walls. The only differences between three difficulty levels are the aggressiveness of enemies, reduction in timing window and inflection of more damage by enemies. The rest of the mechanics will remain the same. You can change difficulty anytime which gives you control over the combat to some extent.
The combat of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order game is easy but purge trooper can be trouble. Fighting two of them at the same time can be problematic. Most of the time, you will not be able to decide which enemy you should strike first. I recommend Jedi Knight Difficulty if you are not familiar with souls-like games. You can also deflect incoming projectiles and send them back towards enemies. The combat choreography is good and each move of Cal is realistic. So you should expect decent combat from the game. Don’t expect gunfights from the game. For me, the lack of gunplay was not a good thing because all other Star Wars had guns. However, EA made this clear through trailers and we were able to get what was shown in trailers, unlike Anthem.
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Creates a Unique Souls-like Game
This time the answer to the question “What is Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order?” is simple. The general mechanics of the game are similar to any other souls-like game but it borrows concepts from Uncharted. You kill enemies, get XP, upgrade your skills and move on. If you die you will lose all your XP. Like other souls-like game, you will have a chance to retrieve all your lost items. All you need to do is land a single blow on the enemy that took you down. The initial blow will return all your lost XP. You will only lose XP if you die at the hands of an enemy. If you die through falling then you won’t lose any XP.
There are three different skills that you need to upgrade. These skills include Force, Saber, and Survival. The Force skills let you upgrade your force’s strength and skills. Saber upgrades your saber ability along with its power. Survival upgrades your general attributes such as health, stamina, etc. Cal also has a special power known as Force Eco. This power let him see in the past to figure out the situation. Force Eco will also help you explore the lore of a planet.
Your companion BD 1 will provide you health stems. Health stems will restore your health and serves as fast aid. You can use meditation to reset your health, stamina, healing stems and it will also let you upgrade skills. Meditation is the only way to restore your health stem supplies. There is a catch, if you meditate in one of the mediation spots then you will reset everything and all the enemies will respawn. Make the meditation decision with the utmost care and mediate if it’s worth it.
There Are Some Positive Changes in the Game
As I explained earlier, the game borrows concepts for the Uncharted series. These borrowed concepts are not limited to combat but rather the overall experience of the game. This time the game has puzzles though most of them are easy to figure out. The music of the game is good because it retains the essence of classic Star Wars and combines it with the modern tone. Troopers are not clones but lively humans because at this point clones were not part of the Empire army. It seems like EA is paying attention to the roots of the franchise.
You will be able to find cosmetics for BD 1, Cal and your saber. None of the cosmetics will have any effect on your attributes. You can just customize your character to your heart content without having to worry about cosmetic advantages and disadvantages. Use a workbench on the ship to customize your saber. This might be the first EA game in a long while that is well optimized. Need for Speed Heat was the same and EA is finally learning from its mistakes. The game only has a single-player mode with no microtransactions. They might add them later but right now there are no microtransactions.
The Lack of Fast Travel and Other Aspects of Games Can Make it A Tiresome Experience
The most frustrating part of the game is the lack of fast travel. Every time you complete the level, you need to go back to your ship. There is no chance for fast travel even when you complete the entire level. This backtracking can take up to 25 minutes and you also need to fight the enemies once again. The entire experience is frustrating and sometime you would just want to give up on the game. Your journey to the ship each time is a great ordeal instead of fun. There are short cuts that you can unlock but these short cuts are hard to spot. The game is screaming for a fast travel system. Loading time after death can also take lots of time.
Enemy verity in the game is not that much. There are other creatures in the game but humanoid enemies are limited. Bigger creatures are not that fun to fight with and the boss battles can get frustrating. There is lots of platforming in the game which could be a red flare for the people that don’t like platforming elements in a game. Exploration in the game is not linear, giving you the freedom to go on adventures. For different quests, you will have to revisit different planets which can be boring for some players. At some locations, you will have to defeat enemies once again for each quest. The game lets you explore different areas for different quests making it digestible.
Is it Your Type of Game
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order is not the best game but it might be one of the best Star Wars games of all time. The game is in par with the expectation if not beyond it. For many players, the game was surprisingly good including me. There are some issues with the game but most players would be able to ignore these issues. The game is offering the exploration of diverse locations, making it a fun play. It is a good single-player Star Wars game that is doing justice to the franchise. Respawn Entertainment has done a good job with the game.
If you are a fan of Star Wars games or franchise in general then this is defiantly the game for you. In case you were searching for a good Star Wars or souls-like game then Fallen Order is still the game for you. However, if you are expecting a traditional Star Wars or Star Wars with guns then you are in for a disappointment. In short, it is the game for all the Star Wars fans and souls-like game enthusiasts.
