After four years, does Jedi: Fallen Order hold up?

This November marks four years since the release of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the hit game from Respawn Entertainment that just received a sequel in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor last week.

Star Wars fans and gamers alike will surely be reliving the first title in the series in order to get fired up for the latest entry in the story of Cal Kestis. A Jedi padawan who is thrust back into the fight against the dark side after years of hiding away from the Empire after the issuing of Order 66 that saw virtually the entire Jedi Order extinguished.

Along the way, Cal makes friends with a former Jedi, a Latero pilot, a Nightsister of Dathomir, and everyone’s new favorite droid: BD-1. Together they are guided through the galaxy in order to secure a Jedi holocron that contains the details of force-sensitive children that could be the future of the Jedi Order and the fight against the Empire.

When the game was released back in 2019 it was pretty well received. The varied environments were good, the platforming decent, and the gameplay reminiscent of the likes of Dark Souls or Ghosts of Tsushima, although in a somewhat watered-down capacity.

The real star of the show was the cast. Every major character was a new edition to the Star Wars galaxy with only one or two minor appearances from established figures. In true Star Wars tradition, even the very minor characters have an excruciating amount of detail and side stories. Echoes in the Force, found as collectibles throughout the game, introduce additional layers of storytelling for all the world-building junkies like me out there. Particularly popular was the enigmatic Inquisitor known as Second Sister who serves as the primary villain of the game and is encountered in several challenging lightsaber duels throughout, with more of her tragic backstory revealed in each encounter.

Some familiar faces include the chaotic partisan freedom fighter Saw Gerrera played once again by academy award-winning actor Forest Whitaker. A character that started life in animation, made the jump to live action and now is part of a major video game release. Truly a man for all seasons. Another was in Ninth Sister, who first appeared in the canon comic book Dark Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith by Charles Soule, given particular acclaim for her voice performance from Misty Lee which was agreed by all to have been exceptionally well cast.

For gamers and Star Wars fans alike wondering if the game is necessary “homework” in order to better understand the new game, it’s worth noting that the series is quite story heavy. While many details can be gleaned through context, there is no substitute for firsthand experience. Additionally, it is always a treat to notice and appreciate the changes and improvements between successive titles. The overall gameplay of Survivor is generally agreed to be superior to that of its predecessor if somewhat less challenging.

Overall, the series presents a cohesive narrative that should not be missed by anyone wanting to fully dive into the new game. Fallen Order is not particularly long and for those simply wanting to absorb the narrative and lacking the patience to lose to Taron Malicos thirty-two times in a row… there is always story mode!

The game’s publisher, Electronic Arts, has been the primary force behind Star Wars games for the past decade, having scored a license from Lucasfilm that is set to expire later this year. This means the future of the Jedi game series is up in the air, but with the success and popularity of the first two entries in mind, fans will surely remain vocal until they are delivered a trilogy to round things off.

Will you be playing Fallen Order before Survivor? Let us know in the comments below! For all things Star Wars, check out Dork Side of the Force!