Five years have passed for Cal Kestis and nearly just as much time has passed for all of us as we eagerly awaited to see where the young Jedi ended up after completing his quest for the Holocron. In that time, a lot more has happened than some red whiskers growing on Cal’s face. While the young Jedi was out battling the Empire on his own terms, we were watching a new era of Star Wars unfold within Disney.
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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a more realized Metroidvania action-adventure package for Cal that reflects the change in direction Disney and Lucasfilm have taken for the franchise in the last few years. There’s more action, more drama, more exploration, and of course, more lightsabers. But Jedi need to be light on their feet, and sometimes too much bloat can hold them back.
What’s Old is New in the Star Wars Renaissance
When Fallen Order was released back in 2019, it was at a time when Star Wars was on a downtrend. The Rise of Skywalker was right around the corner with some rough trailers and the community was still split over The Last Jedi. Somehow Palpatine returned, robbed all the fans of their lunch money at the theater, and ended the Sequel saga. In that timeframe, there were two heroes that saved Disney’s Star Wars.
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Those heroes were Cal and The Mandalorian. This was the start of the change in Disney’s content philosophy, and it was apparent right away that Fallen Order and The Mandalorian were utilizing the parts of the franchise all fans loved. To name just a few examples in Fallen Order, there are tons of Order 66 references, visits to Dathomir, classic Stormtrooper chatter, an Obi-Wan cameo message, and the list goes on.
Trust Only in the Force… And Lightsabers
Now that Star Wars: Jedi Survivor has force pushed the way open for unexplored eras in the galaxy, there is access to a whole array of weapons and abilities for Cal to utilize. Fallen Order is all about the standard Jedi teachings, which means abilities we would expect most of them to use. To survive those five years, Cal had to adapt, and he has to adapt even further to take on threats from another age.
Cal’s Path is as Enthralling as Ever
Gameplay aside, much of the appeal of any Star Wars game is the narrative. When compared to the first game, I saw a few similarities and plenty of welcome differences that separate the arcs. Cere has found peace and purpose while it’s Cal that will now struggle with his anger. I don’t have to say any more for you to know that could eventually lead to “Master Kestis, there’s too many of them,” if left unchecked.
The Journey is as Important as the Destination
Half of Jedi Survivor is some of the best Star Wars I’ve experienced in general, and the other half had me feeling like I was stuck in the tar pits on Koboh. Pacing is by far the largest issue in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. It might sound like a small problem on the surface, but it affects most of the first half of the game.
Is Greez Cooking Up Too Much Bloat?
One of the key differences in Jedi Survivor, when compared to Fallen Order, is the semi-open world. Rather than have levels that were similar to those found in Dark Souls game, Survivor opted for worlds that felt more like the Realms in God of War Ragnarok. They aren’t fully realized open worlds, but they are large enough to have small side quests and warrant enough space for a mount.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Has the High Ground
Despite some of the flaws in world design or pacing, nearly all of the magic that was present in Fallen Order still remains. I would go a step further and say that all the gameplay has evolved for the better right along with Cal. The story had some painful twists and predictable but incredibly satisfying victories. Characters went on some amazing journies and the game had the perfect mix of nostalgia and High Republic lore.