One More Go

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the latest release from Respawn Entertainment, a follow up to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a generally well regarded third person action game with a few rough spots, or smooth spots if discussing all the needless sliding in that game. Fallen Order introduced us to Cal, a Jedi padawan in hiding since the fall of the Galactic Republic, thrust into the spotlight when the imperial inquisitors come looking for him. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is set a few years later and begins with a boombastic opening section set in the depths of coruscant, possibly in a nod towards the cancelled 1313. It does a great job of setting the scene for what’s to come, slicing stormtroopers, deflecting blaster fire, and evading an onslaught of TIE fighters.

While Fallen Order was mostly focussed on the imperial threat, Survivor draws on all of the Star Wars timeline to fill its roster of combatants. There are still plenty of stormtroopers left to fight, but their numbers are bolstered by separatist droids left over from the clone wars, their hallmark comedic optimism intact. Survivor even reaches as far back as the High Republic to create some of its narrative beats, a time largely unexplored, but used to great effect here as Cal traces the history of a long lost Jedi.

Another fun addition are the companions who join Cal on his missions, supporting him in exploration by moving obstacles or creating handholds in the environment, but also in combat, adding context controls to grab or fire at enemies. As in Fallen Order, combat works by fighting back and forth in a rhythm of parry and attack, until either the enemy’s stamina or health is depleted. When low on health or after a successful parry, enemies can be left stunned, offering Cal a chance to perform a finishing strike. The animations for these attacks are always a joy, especially so when the companion characters get involved, working with Cal to create a dramatic end to the battle.

While a lot of time will be spent splitting things in two, Cal’s mobility is the magic at the heart of Survivor, and with each successive unlock, Cal’s ability to traverse the world grows. There’s a whiff of metroidvania about Survivor, certain areas and rewards can only be reached once Cal’s full suite of abilities are unlocked, often hidden behind long and challenging platforming sections. The most complex of which are locked away behind force tears, essentially platforming levels using a remix of assets from Cal’s past, think nebulas, star destroyers and lots of ziplines. While in the open world the traversal sings as Cal bounces from obstacle to obstacle, inside these force tears it comes unstuck, the camera not really knowing how to behave in amongst the abstract geometry of the level, or poor signposting for where Cal needs to reach next. Throw in a world that doesn’t reset with each respawn, and these challenges quickly start to feel tiresome. A stark contrast to how easy it is to get into a flow state during Survivor‘s action set pieces.

High speed chases, high stakes platforming, and levels set in the midst of ongoing battles, Survivor, is a game packed full of exciting set pieces. One of my favourites sees Cal barrelling through the air, narrowly avoiding falls to his death while TIE fighters soar all around. It’s genuinely thrilling in a way that games of a similar ilk typically aren’t, and I think that’s because of how well Respawn utilises the Star Wars license as set dressing. The howls of a passing TIE fighter, the animations as your ship jumps in and out of hyperspace, Cal’s lightsaber scoring the environment, everything looks and sounds as you would expect it to, adding to the feeling that your playing a part in a movie come to life.

In contrast to that, Respawn avoid the temptation to flood Survivor with cameo appearances, and eskew the usual Star Wars philosophy of trying to fill gaps in its wider narrative. Instead they have carved out their own niche in the Star Wars universe, opting to tell their own story, rather than contribute to an existing one. One of the main themes of Survivor‘s narrative is adopted family, and as such on Koboh, Cal finds his adopted home in Pyloon’s Saloon, a cantina now run by Greez, a returning character from Fallen Order who continues to shine. As Cal explores Koboh he meets more of its denizens, and eventually the cantina becomes a bustling hub of characters, most of which feel new and novel but still manage to feel like they belong in universe (looking at you Turgle). Character work in general is really well done, and while sometimes waiting for peripheral characters to finish their stories can drag, a result of Cal not really being able to interact with them, the main cast are portrayed with enough colour and humanity that the story can create genuine moments of tension and jeopardy. There is a late game encounter with a familiar Star Wars character that is absolutely spectacular. As far I’ve discovered, the only such call back, making it an effective use of the character, placing them in the middle of a dramatic set piece and closing the loop on a promise established in Fallen Order.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, though not without fault, is an accomplished take on a Star Wars story, probably one of the best in recent years. It delivers on its promise of being a Jedi power fantasy, while also creating an interesting world to explore, supported by mobility mechanics that make that exploration fun. If that’s not enough, in comparison to most open world games, it’s relatively short, which hopefully means more people will be able to see it through to the end. For anyone feeling a little fatigued by the volume of mediocre Star Wars content, Survivor is a game that will likely remind you of why you fell in love with Star Wars to begin with.