Jedi: Fallen Order Video Preview
Jedi: Fallen Order is an upcoming action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment that presents the tale of Cal Kestis, a former padawan who spent years in hiding following Order 66. In an attempt to save his friend, Cal exposes himself by using the force in the presence of the Empire. Now a known fugitive, he joins a scrapping crew and embarks on a valiant mission across the galaxy as he learns the ways of the force. Suffice to say, the force is remarkably strong with Jedi: Fallen Order, and in an extensive hands-on demo we found that the game far exceeded our expectations and impressed us in almost every way. Hit play on the video below to see our in-depth preview and bask in the glory that is this incredible Star Wars adventure you’ve always dreamed of.
Respawn’s talent is ever-present, as the unity of satisfying gameplay progression and compelling narrative grips you like a force choke. The crew members and characters surrounding Cal’s mission are a lot of fun to experience, and while we can’t disclose much, there’s tremendous depth to each of the characters we’ve encountered and we can’t wait to witness their stories unfold.
Exploration is especially validating in Jedi: Fallen Order. The environment itself is a character, rich with new lore, creatures, and enemies to encounter, all of which are logged with bios in an encyclopedia you build throughout the game. We were repeatedly rewarded for venturing off the beaten path, and the planets you can explore have a fair amount of replay value as some pathways are blocked until acquiring specific abilities or upgrades, giving reason to revisit for additional quests and discoveries.
Combat features its own immense satisfaction. At long last, we can confidently state that we have a nuanced lightsaber combat experience in a Star Wars game. Quick attack, heavy attack, block, parry, force powers, dash, and dodge roll are the basic mechanics, but each enemy presents their own unique challenges. You can’t simply swing your lightsaber wildly and hope to prevail. Enemies are adept, and they’ll viciously retaliate. You possess a stamina bar that depletes while defending oncoming attacks and a force gauge that’s replenished by attacking. The parry mechanic is highly responsive and useful for quickly taking down enemies in large groups. Some attacks can’t be blocked, indicted by a red glow, prompting you to avoid them with a dash or dodge roll. Force powers are great for mixing up the action, from pushing enemies off cliffs to slowing them when you’re overwhelmed.
If you love Star Wars and you love video games, Jedi: Fallen Order is poised to be a glorious amalgamation of the two based on our time with the game so far, and we are unabashedly stoked for it. For more on Jedi: Fallen Order, stay tuned to COGconnected as we have additional content on the way, including a video interview with developers.
