Star Wars Jedi is a term used to refer to the group of individuals who have trained in the ways of the Force, a powerful energy field that permeates throughout the Star Wars universe. Jedi are known for their exceptional physical and mental abilities and dedication to maintaining peace and justice in the galaxy.
In Star Wars mythology, Jedi can use the Force to perform incredible feats such as telekinesis, mind control, and precognition. They are also skilled in lightsaber combat, using the weapon to defend themselves and others from the dark side of the Force.
The Jedi Order was established as a monastic peacekeeping organization. Still, over time it became embroiled in political conflicts and was eventually destroyed by the Sith, a rival group of Force users who sought to dominate the galaxy.
The most famous Jedi in the Star Wars franchise is Luke Skywalker, who appears in the original trilogy of movies and the more recent sequel trilogy. Other notable Jedi include Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Anakin Skywalker (who eventually turns to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader).
The Star Wars universe has expanded beyond the movies to include books, comics, video games, and other media, introducing many new Jedi characters and stories.
A Balance of the Force
The last decades of Star Wars video games have been spotty, and 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was an infrequent standout, a big exploit from one of the world’s most prominent architects who still felt bold and exploratory. A lot has occurred since then, and now a continuation, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, is back with more, more, and more.
A lot of Fallen Order’s edge isn’t here, but that’s a product of time; games playing caress with Dark Souls were more novel back then. Instead, inventor Respawn Entertainment took what worked before and went all in, plodding on the gas and fully committing to the story and personality we met. The Survivor feels vast, dense, and super got-dang costly, and after just a few hours of playing the game’s action-packed intro on Coruscant (I skipped that part through the press preview), its heart-stopping 150GB download size begins making sense.
Despite playing for around 30 hours before I discerned Survivor’s credits, I left much of its world(s) unexplored. This ambitious Metroidvania bestrides the line between careful level design and an open-world map game that also desperately wants to tell a heartfelt Star Wars story about found family, broken institutions, and the distinctive costs of resistance. You also obtain to chat with a Scottish slug-man about trawl, keep a garden on the roof of a punk saloon, and play dress-up with Cameron Monaghan. I felt the bloat at times (especially near the end).
A Symbol of the Order’s Power
Still, between the effective inner core at the narrative’s heart and the game’s fast and hefty rostrum action, Survivor showed up ready to work.
We rejoin with Cal Kestis five years after the incident of Fallen Order, and it’s not entirely a happy meeting. The Scooby Gang from the initial game has burst due to circumstances only hinted at in the game. The novel Battle Scars by Sam Maggs fills in those blanks, but you don’t need to know precisely what happened to recognize that it likely sucked. Call now flies Greez Dritus’ Mantis ship by himself and has been employed with Saw Gerrera to erode the Empire at every chance, but he needs more results. But before he can face burnout, he’s forced to crash-land on the backwater planet Koboh after a mission goes acidic and the Mantis is damaged.
The skeleton holding all that story muscle together is an interstellar Metroidvania escapade comprising several locations but none as massive as Koboh. Introduced as a countryside backwater full of diggers and criminals, Koboh flatters a crowded hub that not only houses the bulk of Survivor’s border satisfied but also acts as a funnel toward significant story beats. It’s an exciting vibe, almost like Metroid Prime minus the jerk biome shifts. Excursions to other places vary in size and scope, as Survivor’s story isn’t organized the same way Fallen Order’s was regarding sites as “levels,” so to speak.
