Star Wars Fallen Order - Review

Star Wars fans are some of the most passionate people on the planet which means they can be a hard crowd to please sometimes. Between a new movie trilogy and the Battlefront action shooter games in recent years, each entry into the franchise regardless of the platform seems to receive a mixed reception. Luckily, Star Wars Fallen Order seems to gratify even the most die-hard of fans with exciting gameplay and an original story that is cannon to the SW Universe.

Published by Respawn Entertainment, the team that brought us Titanfall and Apex Legends, Fallen Order takes place afterRevenge of the Sith and follows Cal Kestis (Cameron Monghan) a Jedi Padawan who joins forces with members of the Resistance in order to fight off the Empire and prevent them from wiping out the next era of Jedi.

If there’s one thing you need to get right when making a game where you get to play as a Jedi, its perfecting the look and feel of being able to wield a lightsaber. Just as what the axe is to Kratos or webslinging is to Spiderman, the fundamental mechanics of something so pivotal needs to be well executed so we can truly feel the force of its power….and man, it is satisfying.

The fragments of light and energy that spark off your lightsaber as you combat enemies, or in some cases slice them in half, as well as the slow motion effect that takes over when executing a special move. It is used for melee attacks and as a defence against incoming combat or deflecting blaster bolts. It is also fully customisable from both build and colour choice.

Aboard your ship the Mantis, there are several main planets to explore that vary in enemy types and environments. From the desolate red misted planet of Dathomir to the lush green forest homeland of the Wookies on Kashyyyk, players are invited to explore varying landscapes with traversal inclusive of climbing, swimming, wall running and sliding. You also have Force abilities such as Force Pull and Force Push which help you in solving various puzzles in the same and gaining access to new areas as you progress through the story and build on your abilities in the skill tree.

And what Star Wars IP would be complete without your very own droid, in this case, a cute and friendly one named BD-1 who accompanies you throughout the game on the back of your shoulder. He provides access to holo-maps which without would almost be impossible to navigate some of the planets, especially when trying to access the alien tombs as pathways are not often clear.

While the game is not open world, the exploration size of each of the main planet is considerable which makes for wearisome and repetitive traversal at times, particularly if you are a completionist and need to make your way back through maps several times to find crates, stim canisters and seedlings. Depending on your chosen platform, there have also been many reported issues of glitches or bugs that affect gameplay at times that have as of yet not been rectified with patches or updates.

Despite this, Fallen Order delivers great game graphics and features notable action sequences that make it a worthwhile single player narrative game that is true to the lore and feel of the series. Since its release it has also been confirmed it will receive a sequel as the Star Wars universe continues to expand.