Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Preview

If you have been watching entertainment news in the last few weeks you cannot help but notice things are heating up around Star Wars. The Rise of Skywalker is slated for December 18th, The Mandalorian for November 12th and Jedi Fallen Order for November 15th.

Things have been quiet with Star Wars gaming for well over a decade. Previously gamers could expect multiple games of different genres on different consoles. Now it has been 2 years since the release Battlefront 2. While a good game it had its own release debacle.

Now players will get Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – which continues the tradition of uselessly long titles filled with buzzwords. Fallen Order is a bit of reboot for publisher Electronics Arts. The game will feature only a single player campaign. This is contrary to their microtransaction earning model – which has already seen two Star Wars games cancelled.

In Fallen Order you play as Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis. Cal remained in hiding after order 66 but now decided to do something about the rise of the empire. Along his journey he will meet up with rebellion commander Saw Gerrera (voiced by Forest Whitaker) and Jedi master Cere Junda (voiced by Debra Wilson). Cere Junda is currently part of her own comic book series Fallen Order – Dark Temple that acts as a tie-in to the game. In effect creating a mini-universe with the Star Wars franchise.

Return to familiar places

Cal will visit numerous planets on his journey. Some will be new but other such as Kashyyyk will also make an appearance. The gameplay is described as an almost continuous action adventure. Cal has to mow down endless numbers of dangerous indigenous, imperial storm troopers and Inquisitors. Unlike games such as Deus Ex there is not really anyway to sneak around obstacles. You will have to use surprise and skill with force powers to quickly overwhelm any adversaries.

Recent gameplay footage reveals there is plenty of depth to Jedi: Fallen Order. Cal can upgrade his force powers and other abilities has he progresses through the game. The game is also not a linear experience. Cal will have to backtrack plenty in what is called a Metroidvania style. Having played Metroid Prime this means Cal will slowly be able to make his way past obstacles.

From those who have already played the game say there has been plenty of inspiration drawn from Dark Souls. Cal has to meditate at certain points in order to use up his experience and to create a save point. The obstacles that Cal faces are overcome in a style similar to Uncharted and Tomb Raider – though more emphasize on the former. Cal is as mentioned never alone, besides rebel members he is also accompanied by his own droid – BD-1.

Conclusion

During the game the player will be able to find plenty of lightsaber components. This allows you to customize it to change its esthetics and abilities. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order is now available for pre-order on Steam for $60. There is also a Deluxe Edition for an additional $10 but I would avoid that like the plague. Giving $60 to EA is already too much to bare. The game will be available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.