Much of 'Star Wars Jedi: Survivor' takes place on Koboh, which is a planet with plenty of environments and history to explore. Photos: Electronic Arts/TNS
"Star Wars" has delivered plenty of duds over the last few years. "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor" is not one of them. Instead, it’s the finest "Star Wars" video game to date, and one of the best space adventures you may ever take.
The sequel to 2019′s "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" once again casts you as Cal Kestis, a young Jedi Knight. The game is set five years after "Fallen Order," with the Jedi fragmented and scrambling. And things open with Kestis seemingly on his own, ostensibly having been captured.
Few games make a cinematic first impression quite like this one. As the action starts, Kestis is being airlifted to an Empire base, surrounded by guards, and the sense of scale is instantly immense.
You’ll eventually land, and quickly thereafter you’ll escape the guards, but these first few minutes establish a game that’s going to have a tremendous sense of both scale and detail. Developer Respawn Entertainment builds out bustling areas packed with little things, like the shine on the pipes above you, or a senator spouting Empire propaganda on an ultra-big-screen billboard.
It’s an ambitious start to Survivor, and Respawn keeps building on that, sending Kestis to unique and heretofore unseen areas of the galaxy. Simultaneously, the game dares to explore the protagonist’s personal journey as a Jedi, imbuing him with a strong sense of character that makes him distinct. This isn’t a clone of Luke Skywalker, or Anakin, or Obi-Wan – and it’s not an empty video game character, either. Kestis, played by Cameron Monaghan, is a Jedi with his own story.
Actor Cameron Monaghan returns to the role of Cal Kestis in 'Star Wars Jedi: Survivor' along with his trusty droid BD-1.
That story includes plenty of fear and self-doubt – and plenty of Kestis’ own moments of teetering toward the Dark Side. He opens the game impetuous and overaggressive in his desire to take down the Empire, and he’ll endure his share of loss and frustration in this story, keeping you on the edge of our seat. At times, you may even wonder if he’ll succumb to the Dark Side.
Whatever side he’s on, he’s a tremendous warrior, and Respawn ensures that he feels that way from the start. The cardinal sin in many action-adventure sequels is one of progression: You’re often forced to relearn everything you knew from the original game, with powers gated for the sake of being gated. "Jedi Survivor" does not do this to you.
You have a strong complement of force powers from the very start, and Cal can use his lightsaber in a variety of ways, parrying enemy shots, and using a host of interesting and elegant slashes to down the Empire. You’ll eventually unlock a series of stances, all of which have strengths and weaknesses. You can only equip two such stances at one time, which forces you to gradually understand your own playstyle. Battles in "Jedi Survivor" are nuanced, and Cal has a stamina meter, too, so no, you can’t just wail away and expect to find victory.
The final product is "Star Wars" (in any form) done right, thoughtful and entertaining and daring to explore the thin separation between good and evil. And it’s a must-play for any diehard of the franchise. Respawn Entertainment and "Star Wars" got this one right. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
