Star Wars Jedi: Survivorhas been in the hands of gamers for about two weeks now, and it’s already proven to be one of the most exciting additions toStar Wars’gaming offerings yet. From its tight and satisfying gameplay to its rich narrative,Star Wars Jedi: Survivorhas more than lived up to the lofty expectations set by fans ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. After the many shortcomings of EA’s exclusivity deal with theStar Warsproperty, Respawn Entertainment has delivered the publisher a pair of games that can be held up as momentous achievements.
When playingStar Wars Jedi: Survivor, some longtimeStar Warsfans may find some familiarity in its design. While its story and gameplay are unique in many aspects,Star WarsJedi: Survivortakes cues from many other games to create a sort of love letter toStar Wars' gaming history.Star Warshas been around for a long time, and its games have always kept pace to fill in the gaps between films and give gamers an opportunity to immerse themselves within a galaxy far, far away.Star WarsJedi: Survivorembraces that history to deliver a tribute to its triumph.
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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Combat is Reminiscent of Star Wars: Jedi Knight
Jedi: Survivormay have some of the most nuanced lightsaber combat in aStar Warsgame, but the franchise never would have gotten this far withoutStar Wars: Jedi Knight. This series put players in the shoes of Kyle Katarn, an Imperial officer turned Rebel mercenary turned Jedi.
One of the most fascinating parts ofJedi Knight’s combat was the ability to switch between first-person blaster combat and third-person lightsaber dueling. While there may not be as many ranged options now,Star WarsJedi: Survivor’s blaster stancepays homage to this, giving Cal the same unorthodox flair that Kyle Katarn had so many years ago.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Customization Calls Back to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
One of the biggest improvementsStar WarsJedi: Survivormakes toStar Wars Jedi:Fallen Orderis its customization. Players can now alter every aspect of Cal’s appearance using dozens of hairstyles, jackets, shirts, and pants, and lightsaber customization has been considerably expanded as well.
It all calls back to the range of customization options inStar Wars: The Force Unleashed, which allowed players to give Starkiller numerous outfits and lightsaber blade colors. Many fans have cited howCal Kestis could become the new StarkillersinceStar Wars:The Force Unleashedhas been decanonized, and the joy of personalizing his appearance reinforces that.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Storytelling is the Closest Thing to KOTOR
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderfocused on Cal’s conflict with the Empire, butStar WarsJedi: Survivor’s story takes a different approach. This time around, Cal is chasing down Dagan Gera, a Jedi from the High Republic era who was put in stasis after betraying the Order.
Cal encounters High Republic relics, ruins, and even a droid during his travels, makingStar WarsJedi: Survivorfeel similar toStar Wars:KOTOR. Part ofStar Wars:KOTOR’s charm was how fresh and mysterious the story felt due to its detachment from the films.Star Wars Jedi: Survivorconveys the same mystery with the High Republic, while also giving fans a reason to pursue the era’s many novels to learn more.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivoris a remarkable addition to the franchise, and part of its success is owed to how it harnesses the strengths ofStar Warsgames that came before it. In these efforts to make something new, Respawn Entertainment also delivered a game that is comfortingly familiar for manyStar Warsfans. Time will tell how Respawn will push the envelope furtherif theStar Wars Jediseries becomes a trilogy.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivoris available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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