A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, gamers enjoyed a great “Star Wars” game. After a string of unsuccessful “Star Wars” games, “Jedi: Fallen Order” delivers an original story and impressive gameplay that gives a new hope to the beloved franchise.
Over the last few years, Electronic Arts has forced out “Star Wars” games in response to the release of new “Star Wars” content. These titles, “Battlefront” and “Battlefront II,” failed to deliver an authentic “Star Wars” experience. Many fans were upset with EA, blaming them for releasing unfinished games that lacked the depth needed for a true “Star Wars” game. When EA announced “Fallen Order,” many fans were skeptical that they would receive the same disappointing product.
“Fallen Order” is the exact opposite of prior EA “Star Wars” games; it is a complete and innovative game that is extremely fun to play.
“Fallen Order” is canon to the “Star Wars” universe, taking place five years after the events of “Revenge of the Sith.” The player controls Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan that has been in hiding since Palpatine issued Order 66. The story consists of Cal evading Empire assassins while traveling across the galaxy to learn more about the Force and help begin a rebellion. The player follows this journey of Cal and his charismatic droid, BD-1.
The “Star Wars” universe is a vast and imaginative place, and “Fallen Order” allows the player to freely explore this realm. Past EA games did not capture the essence and imagination of “Star Wars” that fans love. While “Battlefront” was heavily focused on multiplayer, “Fallen Order” is completely single-player and offers a story game that many fans have longed for. This game allows players to freely travel and explore multiple planets across the galaxy. Not only that, it also includes references and lore from the franchises’ movies.
The amount of detail on each planet is incredible; players can get lost for hours just walking around and exploring every area. There are scattered items around each area that Cal uses his Force powers to recollect fragments of a story. To learn the whole story, you must collect all of these items. Along with these fragments, players can also collect items to customize their character and lightsaber. This is a time consuming but rewarding feature of the game.
“Fallen Order” boasts amazing graphics and even better gameplay. While previous “Star Wars” games have struggled to make lightsaber combat feel authentic and enjoyable, “Fallen Order” has achieved this. In previous games, playing with a lightsaber was mindlessly cutting through enemies with little challenge. Now, every single fight is an immersive and challenging experience. The gameplay is influenced by an odd mix of games, including “Dark Souls.”
At first, I was taken aback by the difficulty of the game, but it is a combat system that takes time to learn. Rather than button mashing, players have to strategically block enemies and time their attacks. This can be frustrating at first but is very enjoyable once you get the hang of it.
Overall, “Jedi: Fallen Order” is the best “Star Wars” game of this generation, if not the best game of the franchise. The story and amount of content could be a standalone movie. Combined with stunning visuals and gripping combat, it is a highly addictive and enjoyable game. While there are a few issues, including periodic frame rate drops, “Fallen Order” is easily a candidate for game of the year and a must-buy for “Star Wars” fans and avid gamers.
