Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Review: Lightsabers and Stormtroopers

I feel this game is amazing for Star Wars fans as it captures so much of what people love about the franchise and it allows you to step into the shoes of a Jedi for the first time in decades. This was a really fun game that I am glad I played and it makes me quite excited for Jedi: Survivor!

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Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order is a video game released by EA in 2019 and it took 4 years to beat the game. So, I have experience with this game, with a lot of it dying over and over again. I have poured more hours into this game than any game I have ever played.

Yes, I did in fact give up on this game a couple of times taking breaks that were months long before getting back into the game. I became lost in the huge world, in good and bad ways, and I would be slapped around by the bosses constantly. I continued this game because I love Star Wars and it was a genuinely enjoyable game. 

This is only the third game I have ever beat on my own with the first two beings games we reviewed Marvel’s Avengers and Super Mario Odyssey.  Don’t get me wrong the game was not that hard, but I was determined to try and beat it without using videos or reading articles to help me. Only on three occasions did I use something as a reference to help me beat a level or find the next stage.

Is Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order Worth Buying?

If you like or enjoy Star Wars in any way, I would say this is definitely worth it. It expands upon the lore, explores locations never brought onto a screen, and introduces us to some new and compelling characters. The game feels like it was made by people who love Star Wars and who wanted to pay tribute to the elements they love while also making a compelling game.

On the game front, my experience is mostly with Nintendo titles but I will say that this game has a lot of elements that are typical in RPG adventure games. Now this game isn’t an open-world game where you can just wander about. You can explore quite a bit and most of the planets have lots to see, but this game certainly has a leash on exploring.

It is a story-based game that uses its narrative to allow you to explore the galaxy. I have played this type of game for sure and I think this is a game that can be comfortable for gamers and non-gamers. It isn’t overwhelming by being a fully open world but it isn’t a straightforward level-by-level game, you still have to discover what to do next.

 The main game of Jedi Fallen Order is about 17 hours of story with extra side missions added it could take up to 22 hours. I did not check to see how many hours I played but I have to figure that with my years of playing the game my hours have to be up there. The story of the game follows Cal Kestis a former Jedi padawan who had to flee after the events of Order 66.

After being discovered as a Jedi, Cal is hunted by the inquisitors and specifically the Second sister. Cal is rescued by a former Jedi named Cere, and a pilot named Greez, and Cal meets a droid name BD-1. Together they are searching for an object that can help them stop the Empire and its war on force-sensitive children.

All the cut scenes in this game are very well animated, with really engaging voice performances and they do a good job of fleshing out the story. None of the scenes overstay their welcome, and you get a good balance with the gameplay. This game may be 4 years old yet I still won’t spoil it but let me say the ending of the game is intense and heart-pounding in the best way.

I think the story was really well done and it makes you understand where we are in the timeline. The Jedi are hidden and are threatened by the Empire. 

The characters that are introduced are all engaging and likable. Greez is a fun alien pilot who is reluctant to fly into danger and would rather avoid fighting the Empire but he continues to prove himself. Cere has a tragic past as she lost her padawan to the Empire and has since cut herself off from the force and her past.

BD-1 is a great droid to accompany us on our adventure as he is the right mix of cute and helpful. Cal Kestis fits right in as a Star Wars protagonist with him being the reluctant hero, but he chooses to do what’s right and try to save force-sensitive children across the galaxy. I enjoyed following these characters and am excited to see what they are doing come to the sequel.

To talk about the actual mechanics of the game, none of the controls are hard and you will get into a rhythm the longer you play. In terms of combat, the mix of lightsaber and force techniques are varied and complement each other. With your skill tree, you can choose what you want to focus on and put emphasis on that. 

When fighting you have a variety of combos with your lightsaber attacks and you can combo between lightsaber and force abilities as well. There are puzzle challenges that mainly rely on your force abilities and these puzzles usually reveal the next path that you need to keep going. In terms of customization, you can customize and change every single element of your lightsaber including the colour.

You can also collect different sweaters for Cal to wear, different colours for BD-1, and different colours for your ship the Mantis. Like I mentioned before I feel this game isn’t too difficult even for non-gamers as it does help you along the way and will guide you through the story.

I guess all in all for me I feel a deep connection to this game. It is important in my journey as a gamer and learning how to actually finish a game instead of giving up. I put a lot of my energy into trying to finish this game and I feel accomplished having done it. This would rank very high on games I have played.

I feel this game is amazing for Star Wars fans as it captures so much of what people love about the franchise and it allows you to step into the shoes of a Jedi for the first time in decades. This was a really fun game that I am glad I played and it makes me quite excited for Jedi: Survivor!