Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order: The Force is strong in this game

Wednesday 20th November 2019

"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order"
The power is strong in this game

From Michael Bauer

The movie story of the star saga is slated to end in December, and the video game adaptation "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" is not just an advance consolation for fans. Because the game easily puts many films in the series in your pocket.

The power is back in balance: at least from the point of view of Electronic Arts, because with the action game "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order", the Canadian publishers let the two previous flops of the franchise be forgotten. While in the "Star Wars: Battlefront" parts tough online multiplayer blasts with microtransactions stole the fun, the latest offshoot of the star saga focuses on an atmospheric story with lightsaber action. And let's be honest: Nobody who saw "Star Wars" as a child wanted to be an Imperial Stormtrooper, but a Jedi. And that's exactly what the player gets in "Fallen Order".

Movie-ready story

Thanks to the lead developer Respawn Entertainment, the concept works perfectly. He managed to create a healthy mix of action and visually stunning cut scenes – that is, cinematic video bridges. Because the video sequences alone, which are supposed to advance the story and give the characters of the story depth, would be enough for a single "Star Wars" movie. In the case of "Fallen Order" it could easily take on its Hollywood counterparts. The music sounds like "Star Wars", the dramaturgy corresponds to the genre, even the screens when changing images are very typical slides from the films. Fan heart, what more could you want.

But now to the story. It takes place after the end of the Clone Wars, i.e. after the terrible prequels episodes I to III. The Jedi Order has been destroyed, there are only a few lightsaber fighters who hide in order not to be destroyed by the Empire. One of them is the young Cal Kastis, who has not yet fully completed his training as a Jedi Knight.

After Cal is discovered by Imperial troops, he manages to escape with the help of Sio, a former Jedi fighter. She asks Cal to rebuild the Jedi Order and to find a list that includes all powerful children in the entire universe.

Helpful droid

He is always accompanied by the mini-droid BD-1, the secret star of the game. He's as empathetic as Wall-E and as helpful as R2D2. Among other things, BD-1 is real life insurance for Cal by providing him with first aid syringes at the right moment. In addition, the companion is the digital map in person and gives hints when one is apparently in a dead end.

Cal fights his way across several planets through jungle, ice and desert landscapes. It is not only opposed to masses of Imperial troops, but also to the monsters and creatures that inhabit the planets. So fights against giant frogs, bats and mythical characters from the Star Wars universe are programmed. To this end, there are always puzzles in temples and catacombs – and they are not always easy to solve.

Successful combat system

The combat system of "Fallen Order" is not particularly complex, but it is all the more difficult to master. In fights with many opponents, simply hitting them does not lead to success, because even a lightsaber is not unstoppable. Cal must also use the knowledge of the Force in battle. In this way, the young padawan can briefly slow down the time for his opponents or throw them away with pressure waves. In addition, the right timing when blocking attacks works wonders, because the stamina of the opponent has to be worked on first. The right block at the right time enables a deadly counter strike, which is then implemented in a spectacular action sequence.

The combat system can be expanded using a skill tree. Additional attack strokes, the life bar or the power skills are essential in the course of the game. And the longer the game lasts, the more excited it is. A huge plus of the game is the sound design. Because it sounds as if John Williams himself mixed the background music. That gives fans goose bumps, but it increases the tension immensely for non-genre fans.

Standard graphics

There are slight reductions in "Fallen Order" for the graphics, because it currently just corresponds to the standard. The game doesn't make anything new either. The "Star Wars" universe is not known for innovation anyway, but unlike the movies, the game does everything right. After just over an hour of playing, "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" is so engaging that you feel connected to the young Jedi. And then not only is the force with Cal Kastis, but also the player himself.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is now available for Playstation 4, Xbox and PC.