If after completing Jedi: Fallen Order 2019 all you thought was that you wanted more, then I have excellent news. Jedi: Survivor picks up where its predecessor left off and isn’t just more of the same, it’s more of practically everything, with significant advancements and improvements across the board. It’s a longer game with more customization options, more enemies, more diverse approaches to combat and puzzles, and more storytelling and character development for its compelling cast of characters. While some structural and story choices are starting to fade, Jedi: Survivor is still a step forward in almost every important area. It also manages to capture many of the tonal and thematic ideas befitting this fiction, helping to cement its place as one of the best in the long history of Star Wars games.
As we rejoin Cal Kestis, there’s little of the step back to power that some action game sequels attempt. He’s a full-fledged Jedi Knight, with all the Force powers and lightsaber tricks you worked so hard to acquire last time around still in place. Robust onboarding gets into the action and story quickly, leaving you feeling empowered and empowered. Playstyle flexibility expands from there with new saber stances and equipment that offer choices when confronting the dangers of the galaxy. The downside is that most of Cal’s uses of the Force upgrades feel more like twists and tweaks than entirely new powers, but it’s a small price to pay for fast-paced action from start to finish.
Combat and dueling are excellent, requiring a Jedi’s patience to master the defenses. It’s impressive to balance combat encounters in a big game like this so that they remain challenging at every step, but Cal’s new adventure pulls it off. A wide variety of formidable enemies awaits you, each of which requires observation and skillful button work. A few late-game bosses rely on frustrating cheap tricks, but they always make for dramatic and moving encounters.
I adore the mobility and navigation challenges, which give the feeling of controlling a Force-attuned hero, jumping and swinging through seemingly impossible paths. As with combat, a satisfying increase in complexity keeps traversal consistently engaging – no small feat in a game this big. Several scattered optional puzzles are fiendishly clever too, and I enjoyed them as a break from the action.
While Jedi: Survivor features several unique planets to visit, it grounds the experience on a single frontier world called Koboh with more than a little Old West inspiration. Great swaths of gameplay unfold in the various corners of this semi-open world planet, filled with rumors to track down, bounties to hunt, and mysteries to uncover. I like the locale but I ended up getting tired of running in circles to the same destination after so many previous visits. Luckily, a new fast travel system makes navigating between meditation points easy, whether it’s on Koboh or planets like Coruscant or Jedha.
Customization is fundamental to the game and its reward systems, from customizing hairstyles, jackets, and saber colors to character perks and powers. That extends to more properties around the world, with the ability to expand a cantina with a garden, aquarium, new visitors, and even music tracks. I felt invested in the adventure and the improvements I found along the way.
During its protracted campaign, Jedi: Survivor initially takes a meandering course to find its storyline, but eventually coalesces into one story about disparate people searching for a safe home. The moment-to-moment interactions and dialogue help reinforce the lack of focus, with immersive melodrama in the best traditions of Star Wars fiction. The differences between love and commitment, and the dangers of both, often lurk in the background of Star Wars stories. These themes take center stage this time, with unforgettable and rewarding results.
Developer Respawn Entertainment clearly took a measured and thoughtful approach to analyzing what worked and what didn’t in their latest Star Wars game, and Jedi: Survivor feels like a worthy attempt at evolution. Capturing the magic of Star Wars as well as everything in current canon, it’s an outstanding adventure in its own right. Still the fantasy of being a Jedi? Does not hurt.
