First revealed in an off-hand comment at E3 many moons ago, Respawn Entertainment’s first addition to the Star Wars canon is, at long last, finally here.
Not that we’ve been counting down the days or anything, of course, but Jedi: Fallen Order is the first bonafide single-player adventure set in a Galaxy Far, Far Away to hit retail for almost a decade. Is Cal Kestis’ tale of survival against a Jedi-hating Empire the Game of the Year material many had hoped? Perhaps not, but Respawn has certainly delivered an exceptional title that wears its heart on its sleeve in terms of genuine love for the source material.
We should probably mention, too, that depending on which difficulty you opt to begin your journey, Jedi: Fallen Order can be a tough cookie to crack. Acutely aware of the universal appeal of George Lucas’ creation, casual Star Wars fans are equally able to enjoy Cal’s escapades with a dedicated story mode, but those looking for a challenge are more than accommodated for.
Not even on the hardest difficulty will Respawn’s latest reach the level of, say, FromSoftware’s Sekiro, but combat in both relies on a similar attack, block, parry rhythm that punctuates each encounter. Cal has access to a number of unlockable abilities to help tip the odds in his favor, though, some of which you’ll want to pick up as soon as they become available, beginning with Survival Skills.
With little else to spend your XP on so early on, the flat health boost provided by Survival Skills will not only increase Cal’s survivability but allow you to make more mistakes when experimenting with Jedi: Fallen Order‘s combat system. Next up is Force Attunement. This will increase the reserves of Cal’s Force Pool, allowing him to use abilities such as Force Slow and Push more frequently. The former, in particular, is an incredibly handy tool, as it will prevent Stormtroopers and other enemies from blocking incoming attacks.
Finally, there’s Dash Strike. Found on the Lightsaber skill tree, the skill, as the name implies, allows Cal to close the gap between himself and an enemy at lightning speed. With Lightsaber Throw being the only true ranged attack in the game and only being available later on, Dash Strike is an incredibly flexible tool in the early hours.
And that’s a wrap. If you’ve found success with any of the initial abilities in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order not mentioned here, feel free to let us know in the comments below!