Straight out of the Outer Rim, Jedi: Survivor is the newest Star Wars game to come from EA and Respawn Entertainment. The creators of Apex Legends, Titanfall 2, and Jedi: Fallen Order built up high expectations for the upcoming release of the game. Though it had a rocky release, the sequel to fan-favorite Jedi: Fallen Order didn’t disappoint.
With the previous game Jedi: Fallen Order having been a favorite of many Star Wars fans and gamers alike, many were excited for the release on April 28th. The game took many of the old mechanics from the previous installment and fleshed them out some more, most obviously in their combat and movement. Three new lightsaber stances were added to the game, alongside an overhaul of some force powers and the skill tree.
Returning from Jedi: Fallen Order are the single and double blade stances, as well as the dual wield stance, now its own stance rather than just special attacks. Additionally, the blaster stance grants you great speed and power, while the crossguard stance gives extreme power at the cost of speed. Whatever your preference is, there’s a place for your tastes in Jedi: Survivor.
Though each stance is unique and powerful, the force powers you use are equally significant. All of your abilities from the previous game return, such as Force Push and Force Pull, alongside brand-new powers and a revamped Force Slow. Customizing each stance and Force power to suit your style has never felt better.
Moving away from combat, though, brand new missions and more open-world exploration make the world feel even bigger and deeper than what we got in Jedi: Fallen Order. From optional minibosses to exploration tasks, every side quest has some kind of reward at the end. And speaking of rewards, let’s get into customization.
Cal Kestis used to have a very limited wardrobe, but now, he has more customization than ever. From his haircut and shirt to his beard and lightsaber, everything about him can be changed to what you want perfectly. With so much customization, many new features, and several new environments to explore, one would think there wasn’t much more that could be added.
I had much the same sentiment when starting the game myself. But as soon as I reached the largest world in the game, Koboh, I was stunned. The planet felt wild and untamed, yet familiar, and was complex and beautiful. Each new area felt different from the last.
Just walking through each planet is amazing, as each area has unique features that make it distinct from previous locations we may know. A stark contrast is drawn between every location you visit, with a wide variety in biomes, even on the same planets. Exploring these places is wondrous, and every place you go hides secrets, just waiting to be stumbled upon.
Now that I’ve praised the game so much, it’s time to address the game’s shortcomings. The game feels significantly more limited with Force Slow, a favorite ability from Jedi: Fallenorder that received a major change in Jedi: Survivor. Using Force Slow outside of combat was fun and satisfying, adding new elements to the world to interact with. The combat use for it is also greatly reduced, as most of the time I’ll forget to use it entirely. Additionally, the game has several problems with bugs and glitches.
Despite releasing on April 28th, after a long delay to fix bugs, Jedi: Survivor was riddled with issues. Due to its relatively short development time, it’s possible that there wasn’t enough time to fix all of the game’s issues before being launched, even with a delay. However, this only caused fans to make the statement that the game should have been delayed longer.
I agree with this sentiment, but this isn’t to say that the game is unplayable or terrible because of its bad launch. The game itself is fun, fast-paced, and very enjoyable, and anyone who picks it up should have fun with it. Even though it isn’t perfect, Jedi: Survivor delivers hard and fast fighting, as well as heart-wrenching story, and is a wonderful experience for anyone to pick up and play.
This game is one of my favorites and has been right from the first few moments I got to play it. From the flashy finishers to engaging combat and story, everyone can enjoy this game. Jedi: Survivor is an exemplar among sequels, and to all my fellow Jedi that are eager to play the game, pick it up and have some fun. May the Force be with you.
