Being a fan of the prequel and the original Star Wars movies, the Fallen Order was an absolute treat for me. Ever since its sequel was announced, I was pretty hyped and more concerned to know how the Star Wars Jedi Survivor will turn out. Set after five years in the year 9 BBY, this game takes place roughly during the Obi-Wan TV show. Without delving too much into the canon timelines, I was more intrigued about the OG Mantis crew and if Respawn could deliver a perfect sequel. Is this “Soulslike” sequel worth playing and spending light hours on? Check out our spoiler-free Star Wars Jedi Survivor review to know its ultimate verdict.
Star Wars Jedi Survivor Review
Honestly, Star Wars Jedi Survivor feels like an exclusive Disney special with epic story-telling, lore, cameos, & impactful character development. Rather than a distraught Jedi re-learning the ways of Force, Jedi Survivor picks up right where we left Cal. He is longer a young Padawan hiding from the Imperials and has grown more over the past five years. No! I am not talking about Cal’s beard but him as a Jedi Knight trying to take on the Empire. Cal now has independent choices to make without any mentors or guidance.
What I loved about this sequel is that Respawn managed to pull off a majestic and expansive world setting. Balancing between the big landscapes and the wildlife environment, this was a perfect Soulslike experience for me as a Star Wars fan. Throughout the playthrough, I couldn’t help but appreciate the evolved combat system and new gameplay mechanics. While exploring the planets and abandoned High Republic chambers, there were times I lost track of time discovering the new gameplay elements.
Among these additions is the new Ascension cable designed as a grappling hook to reach new places. Speaking of the traversal system, the game also introduced various mounts allowing Cal to tame and befriend. Unlike forceful canon appearances, I felt Jedi Survivor had more meaningful cameos with a huge potential of connecting the missing dots.
Considering the narrative so far, it won’t be much of a challenge to bring Cameron Monaghon’s Cal Kestis & BD-1 to their live-action debut. But until that comes to reality, let me breakdown the best things in our Star Wars Jedi Survivor review:
Combat, Lightsaber Stances, & Customization – Unlimited Power!
Picking up the single, double-bladed, and dual-wield saber stances from Fallen Order, Cal gets two new lightsaber stances throughout the gameplay. These two stances are the Han-Solo-inspired Blaster stance and Kylo Ren’s Crossguard stance. While you can only choose two stances at a time, you can swap them at a Meditation point whenever you want to.
The new Crossguard stance works pretty much like a Colossal or Heavy weapon. But with more finishers and kill animations. When playing with the Blaster Stance, I couldn’t help but imagine George Lucas making Han Solo a Jedi. But then, we wouldn’t have gotten the awkward deleted scene between Leia & Luke.
Canon jokes aside, you can also assign skill points to these lightsaber stances and respec all skills at any Meditation point. Similar to the Fallen Order, you can customize the colors of your Lightsaber according to your preference. But now, you don’t have to get a Kyber crystal every time you change your Saber’s color.
Cal & BD-1’s Customization – Expansive Options
Unlike Fallen Order, you are given more Customization options to change the appearance of Cal Kestis & BD-1. While you could only alter the paint job of BD, you are given more customization options including its Audio sensors, head, eyes, body, and legs. Likewise, you can change how Cal looks in the game with Jedi-appropriate attire, hairstyle, & more.
Returning Characters, Companions & Narratives
Although the entire crew of Mantis parted ways, every character had genuine reasons to leave and return for more adventures. Talking of the returning cast, Merrin, Greez, and Cere reunite with Cal & BD at some point in the story. But along with Cal, their narratives had an impactful character development over the past five years too. While Merrin & Cere are sporting new hairstyles, they are stronger and wiser than ever.
Coming to the first companion of the story, Bode Akuna, I loved how his story arc and narrative play out throughout the game. Once you meet Bode, you will know more about the Companion system and how it can help during challenging fights. With every companion having their skills, you don’t have to watch their health or babysit them around. Instead, you have the liberty to use their abilities to fight your way through enemies and some boss fights.
Imperials, Droids, & Raiders – Peak Star Wars Humor!
Aside from the Tin Bins and Imps, the Survivor had a fresh variety of enemies namely the Bedlam raiders with a pretty strong motivation. If you are a fan of the Clone Wars, you would also love to fight the Separatist B1 droids salvaged by the Raiders. But while tearing them vertically or horizontally apart is satisfying, I enjoyed listening to their funny conversations more. It was fun listening to the humorous laser-brain talk among these Droids and Stormtroopers.
Set in the post-Order 66 era between the Revenge of Sith & A New Hope, Survivor had some best canon references & cameos. The sequel naturally fits right into the timeline making it a part of the larger universe.
Lore, Cameos, & Star Wars’ Connections – This is the Way!
As you start with the gameplay, we see Cal Kestis working as a Resistance fighter under Saw Gerrera. If you have seen Clone Wars, Andor, or played Fallen Order, you will catch this Star Wars connection right away. Considering the Jedi Survivor is canon to the Star Wars universe, you will witness several such cameos, references, and connections. While that remains unspoiled from us, none of these cameos or connections feels out of place or forceful.
Being a Star Wars fan, you would enjoy every bit of these brief moments of fan service.
Verdict
Dank Farrik! The Star Wars Jedi Survivor expands everything that was missing in the previous installments and makes notable additions to the near-perfect Fallen Order. After nearly spending 25-27 hours, I can’t wait to hop back to the Jedi Survivor for some more Duel action and exploration. As for me, I think the Force is too strong with this sequel game.
A good time to be a Star Wars fan, it is! In my opinion, playing Cal as a fully trained Jedi Knight and Force user is ultimately the best part of The Jedi Survivor. To unlock the Jedi abilities, skills, or stances, you don’t have to re-learn or go through a cutscene revealing backstory. Instead, you are given full control and unlock them naturally in the game as you progress.
That’s all for our Star Wars Jedi Survivor review. If you enjoyed reading this, check out more Reviews in our dedicated section right here on Gamer Tweak.
