Jedi Survivor review: A worthy sequel
By Sioph LealFrom the moment the game loads, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor boasts its graphic capability in a captivating opening sequence that stunningly recaps the previous game if you forgot what happened, and have not had a chance to replay. The story of Cal Kestis (Cameron Monaghan) continues in a new adventure as he is pushed further, fighting to protect the galaxy from falling into darkness. From the opening montage, you are reminded of his growth in the first game and now that he has grown into a powerful Jedi Knight, he is burdened with the expectations of the Jedi Order as he continues his crusade against the Empire.
The first moments of the game have fugitive Jedi Cal as an agent for the Rebel Alliance as he hunts down a corrupt senator in a thrilling chase as you explore Coruscant, fight stormtroopers and explore the region. There are some new, friendly, faces that add a little more to the game and have a great combat style when paired with Cal that others will enjoy. There are familiar force moves that had not been available in the predecessor that make for a fun addition to the introduction that leads on throughout the games. Of course, some familiar faces return but they work well together with the new.
Survivor features an expanded open world design with fuller details and bursting with life (and enemies) where you can spend much of your time getting lost in the exploration to enhance an already great story. Hours are spent looking though the vast worlds to encounter the secrets, history and inhabitants as well as enemies of which there are many so you can take full advantage of the improved combat style with the inclusion of new stances.
Speaking of stances, there are five different fighting stances that create some of the fiercest battles in Star Wars. Finding out you could only equip two at a time first seemed disappointing and rather limited, but as you progress and get used to them. The seemingly limited equip feature makes sense, and you can really give Cal more personality as a fighter. Although limited to two stances, you do have the opportunity to swap them out at a meditation circle, so there is plenty of opportunity to explore the new stances and styles. Even if you aren’t particularly good at fighting and cannot seem to dodge too well (guilty), the animations create gratifying and immersive fights that leave for some brutal scenes with severed body parts of storm troopers and other creatures. There are more force abilities to incorporate into your fights, but nothing is as satisfying as the old favourite- using the force push/pull to send enemies to their demise.
If you are looking for anything to nit-pick, and there isn’t much, there are times when the story is the slightly weaker part, but that does not last long. Cal as a protagonist is much stronger in this game, and that helps the story. He has a grittier edge to him and is performed masterfully by Monaghan, who brings more depth to this hardened Cal. Some arcs could have been extended, but other than that, there is not much to criticise. The story does its job of getting you excited and wanting to keep playing. With expansive worlds with a variety to offer, the story does not push you away from them or make you rush exploration. There is a good balance to that, with the freedom to explore at your own pace and to get lost in the worlds, should you choose.
Jedi: Survivor has everything that Star Wars fans will love. It is visually astounding, a great story, entertaining no matter what difficulty you play it on with impressive mechanics to enhance the combat and personality of the game. Not only is it a worthy follow up to Fallen Order but improves it and brings more to Cal’s story with the promise of more to come.
Overall rating: 10/10.