Worth: $15.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Intro:
… may just remind those who’ve become a little alienated by the less stellar Star Wars content of late just why they fell in love with this universe in the first place.
It seems of late that Star Wars, that popular franchise set in a galaxy far, far away, has been going through something of an identity crisis. Since Disney’s acquisition of the tasty IP, the output has been… uneven. Sure, there have been highlights like Rogue One (2016) and the recent unreasonably excellent Andor series, but we’ve also had to suffer through the sequel trilogy (which even during its best moments felt directionless) and Obi-Wan which was a sorely missed opportunity for something truly interesting. Other mediums, however, have been carrying the torch with a little more alacrity and for a perfect example of this, you’ll need look no further than Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the big budget follow-up to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. And you know what? It’s actually pretty solid.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor reunites players with space ranga Cal Kestis, just in time to have the young Jedi Knight set off on a brand new adventure. Things have changed since Fallen Order and Cal has become a little more jaded and world weary. The toll of fighting against the Empire is paid in blood and belief, and Cal has spilled a lot of the former and is rapidly losing the latter. However, when a droid from the High Republic era proves to hold a secret to some ancient Jedi truths, Cal seizes on the chance to improve his lot and perhaps make the future a little brighter for those who wield The Force.
Serviceable, if not exactly extraordinary, the story works as an excuse to go tripping around the galaxy to various worlds, gaining skill points, unlocking new abilities and scoring new lightsabers, each of which have their own move sets and gimmicks. Combat once again is a slightly uneasy mix of Dark Souls-like melee battling with some Jedi powers and abilities thrown in. It takes a little while to get used to, and the saber play is never quite as precise or well-tuned as you might hope, but it works for the most part. The overall atmosphere, however, is what really elevates Jedi Survivor, making Cal and his friends feel like they’re actually living and breathing in a universe that’s doing its best to survive in the all-encompassing shadow of the Empire.
The launch state of the game was an absolute shocker on PC, and variable on consoles, and while patches are semi-regular and have improved a lot, it’s probably still worth giving EA another few weeks to sort out the bugs and screen-tearing. Still and all, when it works, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a compelling and engaging game, delivering players into a world that feels lived in, fun to explore and may just remind those who’ve become a little alienated by the less stellar Star Wars content of late just why they fell in love with this universe in the first place.
