When Jedi: Fallen Order arrived in 2019, it showed EA that single player Star Wars experiences were worth making. So, a sequel was inevitable. One that could expand on what Fallen Order offered. The trailers and interviews for Survivor seemed to say that had happened, and now that it is out, I can confidently say it has.
Right from the off with Coruscant, it looks beautiful. And the game gives you time to appreciate that. When the gameplay truly begins, the feel and flow of movement and combat are easy to get into. Every mandatory upgrade to Cal’s powers is present right from the off, allowing you to push, pull and ruin some trooper’s day. Yet there’s still plenty of new abilities to gain across the adventure.
Coruscant serves as a way to get you into the flow of movement and combat, as well as introduce the buddy system. Bode is the newest member of Cal’s new crew, who joins in on the fighting as well as helping open means of traversing. Unlike other games, there’s no need to worry about your buddies getting hurt, as even if you’re the one trying to attack them, they won’t feel a thing.
The old crew of the Mantis has split in the five years since Fallen Order, but they’re still as important to this story as Cal. Just as Cere, Greez, and Merrin were guides for Cal to accept the past in Fallen Order, so they are guides this time around for Cal to face his present. But if they are no longer around, how do they get involved?
After the escape from Coruscant once things go horribly wrong, Cal heads to Koboh. Greez has set up a cantina on the planet, and despite lending it to Cal, the Mantis is still his ship. Who better to make sure it’s fully operational again? It is here where the main story kicks into gear, with the Bedlam Raiders hunting for something that Cal finds. That discovery gives him a reason to contact the rest of his old crew and puts him on a new path.
This story follows the same sort of planet-hopping structure as Fallen Order, where there are a few planets that see repeat visits, with each visit guiding you to a new area. It’s the character interactions that really sell the story. Again, this is a story that is driven by Cal, where the cast of characters that surrounds him – both ally and foe alike – guide his actions and help him reflect on who he wants to be.
In general combat, there’s hostile creatures who will attack. The Empire is here in full force, with its various Stormtroopers, KX Security Droids, and AT-STs. And then there’s the Bedlam Raiders, a group of marauders under the command of Rayvis. These raiders have taken control of an army of battle droids, meaning their delightful humour is mixed with the dry commentary of the Empire’s troops.
In the open areas, these factions can occasionally come to clash against each other if they encounter each other on patrols. It is fun to be exploring, hear a bit of battle, and then find two B1s firing upon a Stormtrooper patrol upon investigating. Then hear those troopers congratulating their victory only to find the battle not yet done as some droidekas roll up to the fight. It’s a wonderful thing.
Of course, all these enemy types mean there’s plenty to be aware of in combat. Some can block ‘saber strikes. Others will have quick agility. Some can hit hard. Though with how versatile Cal’s combat options are, it’s just a case of finding out what works. The same can be said for the bosses, too. Each will have phases of attacks they employ depending on how much health has been taken from them, meaning switching things up slightly to deal with them.
The five difficulty options make combat suit your playstyle. Easier modes will see you deal more damage while taking little yourself. A button-spammer’s paradise. The timing needed for the parry is greatly reduced on easier difficulties too, making it a breeze to break someone’s defence and quickly cut them up.
I’ll admit to struggling on one particular boss to the point where I dropped the difficulty to is easiest, which… was a mistake. I didn’t mind the challenge, but it was getting late and I was so invested in the current events happening that I wanted a quick resolution. Not that quick of one, though. What had previously taken minutes to work through before being defeated took just seconds on story mode. But hey, that’s what difficulty modes are for. Allowing all skill levels the chance to enjoy everything the game offers.
And it does offer a lot beyond the main story. There are plenty of collectibles to be found across these worlds, as well as many optional battles against legendary foes. At the cantina of the Koboh outpost, new people arrive as you find them across the worlds you explore, each giving you something new to do. There’ll be a fish tank to fill with exotic fish, a garden to grow seeds from many worlds, a DJ who plays music… and a lot of rumours.
Rumours act as side quests, pointing you in the direction of a place and expecting you to overcome the challenge there. Some of these will put you into battle against one of those optional legendary foes. These can also be found on other planets, but Koboh is where the majority are found. Some you’ll encounter before you have the right abilities to get to them, though it doesn’t matter when you get around to completing them.
There’s crates that unlock new customisation options, as well as crystals to unlock new perks or further boost your health and Force meters. That customisation is another area expanded from Fallen Order. You have clothing options that can be found, rather than just a change of poncho. Hair and beard options can also be applied this time. Parts and materials for your lightsaber, BD-1, and blaster allow you some personality in the equipment you use, even if you can’t really see much difference.
Combat stances also offer some personality in that they change how you approach combat. Along with the single blade and double-blade stances from Fallen Order, you have dual-wielding two lightsabers (which before was only a part of a few special moves), a ‘saber-blaster combo stance, and a crossguard lightsaber. Each has its advantages in battle, though you can only have two accessible at a time. These stances can be further improved through the skill tree.
Where with Fallen Order you only had one skill tree that branched out into health, lightsaber, and Force, you now have many. One for each of the five combat stances, three for Force abilities, and one for health. Skills points are gained through combat, and can be applied to any of the skill trees. There’s no chance, unless you spend plenty of time exploring, that all the trees can be filled by the time you complete the story, so focusing on the areas you want to improve on is necessary.
Though exploration is a big part of the game, the map is the one area that hasn’t been improved. Though canonically accurate, the 3D rendering of these locations in transparent blue makes things difficult to read. The added red, yellow, and green highlights to show available paths don’t really help, and neither does the line that shows where you’ve been.
There’s also a few optimisation issues present here. A bit of slowdown can sometimes show itself, though for me these have never happened in moments of peril. More when transitioning between areas. A few crashes have also happened, seemingly at random. There was also a cutscene that seemed to be running at sub-30 frames for some reason. I haven’t felt they’ve affected me too much, though it might vary between consoles and system. Oddly enough, I think the Series S might have got the best hand in terms of optimisation, as I’ve seen it’s worse elsewhere.
I simply adore this is a beautiful game. With great character interactions that drive the story forward, fast and fluid combat that puts an emphasis on awareness, and great worlds to explore, it is an easy recommendation to anyone wanting some action and adventure. Star Wars fans are in for a treat here, with exploration of some areas of the lore that have recently been introduced in the last few years. The Force is certainly strong (if a bit unstable) with this one.
Images Taken From:
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | Xbox Series S
