A Way Too Late Game Review: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Welcome back Blerders! I hope everyone is continuing to stay safe during this time! Remember to mask up when out around others! Since a lot of us tend to have more free time, I’ve been completing games I’ve had in my PS4 backlog for a long time. This takes me away from playing COD or Madden all day so I am thankful honestly. Even with obtaining a new job, I still tend to have free time in the evenings and weekends so working on these reviews will hopefully become easier for me. I aim to be more consistent and be more interactive so be on the lookout!

I haven’t played a Star Wars game to completion since Knights of the Old Republic 2 so my expectations are usually high. I have played Battlefront 2 but didn’t really stick with it. I love Star Wars lore and the fact that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order adds to the overall lore along with it being canon really appealed to me. Even so, I went into this particular with mixed expectations…I wanted this game to be great but wasn’t going to be mad if this game didn’t meet my expectations. I finally had the time to play and beat it so let’s get into this review!

The Good:

Inclusion into canon– Thanks to the Disney/Lucasfilm merger, a lot of the original Star Wars stories (and games) became non-canon which kind of turned me off on new Star Wars games. Games like Battlefront 1 and 2 weren’t really “new” stories (though the perspectives were new). This game in particular seemed to be able to bring in new characters and worlds while tying it into the established (and new) canon with no problem. Adding to the established Star Wars lore while staying true to it’s own game is something I have enjoyed thoroughly.

Entertaining Game-play– There have been a few Star Wars games where one part of the gameplay is absolutely amazing and another part is just eh and forgettable. I will not say that this gameplay is the absolute best in a Star Wars game but it’s pretty damn cool. Being able to throw a lightsaber or use it to deflect blasters is so much fun! Switching from single blade to double bladed lightsaber is an animation that I never thought I would enjoy that much, yet I do it for no reason when running to objectives. While there are some negatives to the gameplay, one can’t deny how fun it is playing this game. The puzzles and somewhat interactive environment was enough to keep me entertained for hours. Could the gameplay have been better? Sure but that’s for most video games these days. For what this game was, the gameplay was fun and very fitting.

The graphics– Now this is essentially a cop out and I will admit that but I have no shame in doing so. Being that this game is on a next gen console (PS4), one would expect the graphics to be amazing. The motion capture expressions on the main characters was something I appreciated, especially with a voice acting legend in Debra Wilson. Though there are some flaws, the detail of each character, either primary, secondary or background was done well. The creatures looked amazing and real (I know they are’t real creatures) which is something I appreciate in semi-open world games.

The Bad:

The Camera angles were….ehhh– Now…this could be a me thing but this is something that bothers me often in some games. You would be running along and all of a sudden, you see a wall instead of your character. Maybe I didn’t set something right, or I just have bad luck with camera angles? I noticed this happened when I was trying to jump to ledges or fighting a mini boss. This would usually cause me to misjudge what I was doing or throw my light saber prematurely (I should of just “got gud”). I haven’t seen many others talk about this being an issue so again, could just be a “Me” thing. I already have bad luck with camera angles in games so this also can be a vendetta against shitty angles.

Objectives were kind of loose– When I say loose, I mean not everything you needed to do was explained or highlighted. You would know that you needed to go find somewhere but the objective wouldn’t be highlighted or it would be a general area that I was not sure where I needed to do or go. I understand that this game wants you to try and essentially figure things out to forge your path forward but I’m kind of used to objectives being cleanly laid out and put in front of me. After thinking about it a bit, I’m probably being nit-picky and looking for something to be wrong with this game but not really having anything substantial.

The Conclusion:

Star Wars Jedi: The Fallen Order is a fun and enjoyable game. The inclusion of this game’s story into the canon lore of Star Wars makes this game a little more enjoyable. It was a fresh new experience from Star Wars that differed from Battlefront 1 and 2 on current gen consoles. Being able to be a Jedi and use a lightsaber along with using Force powers most definitely has an appeal. I give The Fallen Order 8 Force pushes out of 10. Have you played Star Wars Jedi: The Fallen Order? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments! Until next time, Nerd Out!