STAR WARS: Jedi - Fallen Order

"We will always struggle, but that is the test. It's the choice to keep fighting that makes us who we are."

Even as a total layman and knowing little to nothing about Star Wars, this Action-Adventure singleplayer is one of my all time favorites. Respawn Entertainment created a beautiful cannon storyline in the Star Wars universe with introducing us to Cal Kestis and his little companion BD-1.

We first get to see Cal in action after the release in November 2019. Electronic Arts provided us with the game on Xbox, Playstation 4/5 as well as on PC, so every player has a chance to experience it. Soon, in March 2023, its sequel STAR WARS: Jedi - Survivor will follow and this is why, I want to recommend this game to all of you.

As I already mentioned, Cal Kestis does not travel these planets alone. Together with BD-1, they go on a mission to find the next generation of force sensative children in order to train them to become jedis. This mission is extremely important given that almost all of them were slaughtered or send back into hiding by the clones. Having these circumstances in mind, Jedi - Fallen Order takes place between Star Wars: Episode 3 and 4, and therefore is cannon to the whole Star Wars Universe. Now it is Cal's responsibility to locate the holocron created by Cere's old master in order to prevent the enslavement of all jedis by the dark side aka the Empire.

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First and foremost, I would love to emphasize my love for Cameron Monaghan, the actor who plays Cal Kestis. Throughout the game, the player falls in love with the relationship between BD-1 and Cal. Even though I knew nothing about Star Wars or this game, Cal immediately hooked me to continue playing and therefore taught me a lot about this franchise. And this is only possible if an actor puts his everything into a role and brings them to life, which is exactly what Cameron Monaghan has done for us. Seeing his love for the character and the excitement to see him grow, immediately impacts the player and creates a fun experience during the game.

Furthermore, Fallen Order provides the player with a detailed Codex that allows even laymen like me to learn by doing. This means, you do not need to be particularly familiar with the franchise in order to gain a great understanding of what is happening during the story. Thereby, the player receives the chance to enjoy the game fully without wondering about franchise related information. Besides, the Codex and its detailed descriptions forge a learning environment for the player. These aspects shaped a love for Star Wars in me and hooked me enough to finally watch the films and shows, so I hope it does the same for you.

Along with a brilliant Codex, Fallen Order delivers a splendid customization mode. Not only clothes or skins can be customized, but also your entire lightsaber from head to toe which allows you to personalize your experience in the game. However, it is unrealistic for you to like every design the game provides for you. Personally, Cal's poncho designs not really fit my vibe and as I progressed and opened chests, I caught myself hoping for better ones. Unfortunately, the customization for Cal himself turned out to be quite narrow, while providing us with tons of designs for the lightsaber. In the sequel, I desire to see plenty of new options to customize to your heart's content. Nonetheless, the lousy designs are just an extra and will not ruin the story itself, so there is still loads of fun for you to see.

Last but not least, we have to talk about the souls-like combat. As you already realized, combat is not my strongsuit and therefore often ruins the experience for me. The boss fights in Fallen Order seem to be trickier than necessary and so force me to redo my runs various times. However, needing more than one try does not make you a bad gamer and simply means you need more time adjusting to the enemy's patterns. Additionally, the metroidvania elements unlock new skills over time, so the player gains the opportunity to either access prior inaccessible areas or to unravel new abilities in the skill tree. Due to the new abilities, the combat becomes more achievable in the end. Alternatively, you can switch to 'easy'-mode and allow yourself to sit back and mostly enjoy the storyline. Either way, the boss fights are feasible and eventually raise your confidence in yourself.

To briefly conclude, Jedi - Fallen Order provided me with an excellent gaming experience and aroused my interest in the Star Wars franchise. While also forcing me to question my abilities in fighting, it eventually elevated my confidence and taught me crucial patterns of enemies. I truly recommend this game to anyone who likes to reinforce their love in Star Wars or ignite it.

- A