Gather around young Padawan, there is a new Star Wars video game out for all current gen. systems. In Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, you play as Cal Kestis, a young Jedi with the same first name as Superman. Coincidence… probably. Anyway, our young protagonist is on the run from the Republic and their Sith overlords following Emperor Palpatine’s Order 66 to eliminate all Jedi who are deemed as traitors to Republic rule. To stand a chance of surviving, Cal and a former Jedi Master search the galaxy for the only thing that can stop the Sith’s destruction of everything…the Holocron.
Like most any Star Wars game, there is lightsaber combat, and Fallen Order has a pretty sweet skill tree that branches out from single handed attacks, to dual wielding crowd clearing greatness. This is especially true when dealing with the most common enemy in the game, the Stormtroopers, who like firing their laser guns at you. The easiest and most satisfying way to counter this is by using precise timing to slash the laser beam right back at them and watch them fall to ground or my favorite, off a high cliff. And if you should want to relive this good time, then you can do so by going back to the same area you were in previously and watch the enemy respawn, only to fall off that cliffside once more. Yeah, Stormtroopers aren’t the smartest cookies in the galaxy, but they sure are fun to kill.
Aside from the troopers, there are a variety of stronger enemies that will put your lightsaber skills to the test. Scout Troopers and Scout Commanders are a pain in the ass to deal with at first because they seem to block everything, but once you learn to force push/pull, its gravy. This works fine on most of the enemies to slow them down, but sometimes, you just wanna display your awesome learnt skills with a lightsaber and slash and parry your way to a satisfying victory. Purge Troopers and their Commanders are such as enemy where you must use your wits, not just your force powers to defeat them. Also, there are plenty of creepy crawling enemies that are native to the five planets you get to travel to and from. I always like saying “it’s bug smashing time” after slaying a real big spider, in the game and in real life.
The worlds you get to travel to in Fallen Order include Bogano, Kashyyk, Dathomir, Zeffo, and IIum. Each place has its own unique feel ranging from desert wasteland to an ice palace where the Jedi Temple is located. There is another planet in the final chapter of the story, but since you can’t travel back there, it’s not worth more than a mention. And to answer your incoming question yes, you can travel back to worlds you have already visited to find hidden chests, and fight enemies again to fill your skill meter and acquire more force abilities or lightsaber moves. The one big downside though, is there is no fast travel option once you’re on a world and completed a quest. You must consult your map and head back the way you came. This may have been acceptable twenty years ago, but in the modern era where game worlds are vast and attention spans are short, having an option to warp back to the ship is essential.
The story takes place five years after Anakin becomes Darth Vader, and Order 66 is the latest trend. As I touched on at the beginning, Cal is on the run from the Sith, one Sith in particular named the Second Sister. Formally Trilla Suduri, an apprentice of Cal’s newfound Jedi friend Cere Junda, The Second Sister is a bad ass who you encounter early on and get to face in continuing battles throughout the story. She has been turned to the dark side and wants the Holocron to present to her new master of whom I won’t spoil here. As you can expect, it’s up to Cal to overcome some dark side temptations of his own and to stop Trilla or else the Sith win.
The Good Stuff:
-Getting to play a non-cannon story of Star Wars with new characters, great action, and some light RPG elements make this game one of the very best games in the series.
-BD-1 who serves as Cal’s sidekick droid and can hack into machines as well as other droids is a useful companion to have around.
-Boss battles are a blast, just wish there were more of them.
The Not So Good:
-A lack of fast travel on worlds is unnecessarily frustrating for getting around quicker.
-Many of the puzzles can be quite frustrating not just to figure out, but to pull off. Thank God for YouTube.
Overall:
I would say this game hits all the high notes overall. Great story, characters and fun gameplay that has me wanting to further hone my saber skills. The game doesn’t hold your hand but isn’t terribly difficult either. It’s a well-done game that has some replayability, especially if you’re a big Star Wars nerd. Even if you are new to Star Wars games or even Star Wars altogether, there may be something here in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order to finally inspire you to get a Darth Vader voice changer.
Nerdish Rating:
4 out 5
Comments