I have no doubt that making a sequel likeStar Wars Jedi: Survivoris a daunting task. Developers are faced with high expectations, which is especially true when attached to a franchise like Star Wars. Where do you start? I’m not just talking about story here, I’m talking aboutpower. How do you acknowledge the abilities gained in the first game without making your character a powerhouse, while at the same time having a satisfying progression of your powers, so you don’t feel like you’re starting from Square One?
As a player, there’s no real fun in starting over in a sequel that progresses the story. Having a character lose their powers is a bummer, but starting with a suite of powers requires a bit of trust. And that’s exactly what Star Wars Jedi: Survivor does, trusting the player to handle the lightsaber and responsibility that comes with being a Jedi Knight from the get-go.
You start the game with three lightsaber stances available to you, though you’re able to only have two equipped at one time. The ability to flip between two stances at any moment feels dynamic. At one point early in the game, surrounded by troopers on a bridge in the middle of Coruscant, I split my dualsaber into twin sabers to strike hard and fast, pushing a couple of troopers over the edge and spinning around to dispatch three more with single strikes. One of the more durable troopers ran in with a shock stick. I parried him, jumped onto his chest, and drove the lightsaber right through his visor. Surrounded once more, I threw out my arms, slowing time. With both blades ignited, I cut down the remaining troopers before they could react.
This is Star Wars. This is what being a Jedi Knight is all about, and Survivor doesn’t hold it back from you.
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Of course, you’re not limited to lightsaber skills when you start the game. You can put points into survival, Force abilities, or just increasing your general Force use. Telekinesis is an especially good tree for upping those classic Jedi skills. Sure, you already start the game with the ability to push multiple enemies at once, but what if you could actually pick them up and slam them around? Pretty cool.
If I had to compare the opening of this game to the movies, I would say Cal is having his Return of the Jedi moment. He’s confident, he’s well-versed in the Force, he’s no longer a learner but a doer. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that the opening mission backs up all of those themes as well, making it very clear that you’re now a hunter, no longer just the hunted. Much like Luke standing in the middle of Jabba’s palace, Cal walks into the lion’s den with all the confidence you’d expect from someone with his experience.
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As you take the fight to the Empire, it’s not long before you gain access to the other two lightsaber stances; one focuses on using the lightsaber as a two-handed blade, while the other combines lightsaber and blaster combat. The blaster combat is, well, a blast. It’s fast, deadly, and incorporates actual ranged abilities instead of just melee. If you’re a fan of the old Jedi Outcast games, this is the ‘Kyle Katarn’ stance.
When interacting with a Force Tear, I was tasked with defeating 150 battle droids. I lunged with my lightsaber, knocking away incoming attacks with a quick parry and riposte. If things got too heated, I’d flip backward, firing my blaster, weaving in and away, never letting myself get surrounded, while repelling incoming grenades with Force pushes. Those 150 droids whittled down to nothing in no time.
The developers knew what they were doing when they created Cal’s opening set of powers. You’re a true Knight from the start, and while a new player might get a lot of powers very quickly, it’s important that Fallen Order players feel rewarded for their past efforts. Sure, you don’t have all your stim canisters from the previous game, and a few other things have to be built up again. But your power, your proficiency with both Force and lightsaber? That’s all at your fingertips from the opening moments, and it’s awesome.
