EA Play came and went, and we got to see some admittedly very cool stuff from the publisher in the form of both new titles and existing ones. While one of their latest, Anthem, was notably missing from the mix, we did get to finally see some gameplay footage for the next Star Wars game, which is now being billed as a single-player, story-driven experience with no lootbox or microtransactions.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is set for release on November 15, later this year, and EA and developer Respawn Entertainment is ramping up the hype by showing audiences at EA Play 15 minutes of gameplay footage which involved a lot of lightsabers, force throws and typical Stormtrooper shooting. Check it out below to see for yourself.
If I had to sum up the whole gameplay video, I would definitely say that I’m interested, but very cautious. The footage shown was said to be in an alpha state, and while it definitely shows, it’s also somewhat too polished to be called an alpha. In any case, the gameplay footage centers on a particular mission taking place on Kashyyyk, the Wookie planet. Cal Kestis and his droid BD-1 open the video by traversing a section using wall running, which lets you know that this is indeed a Respawn title. He then meets up with rebels including Saw Gerrera, who’s so far appeared in The Clone Wars, Rebels and Rogue One. Here in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, he’s played by Forest Whitaker, who played the character in Rogue One.
After receiving his mission of helping the rebels, Cal sets out. What is noticeable at first is his animations while walking is off, especially the way his legs are separated. I don’t know why, but that bugged me quite a bit. We then see combat in action, and Cal uses a mix of Force powers and lightsaber skills to fend off Stormtroopers. The lightsaber combat feels a lot like the recently released Sekiro, in which combat flows naturally and damaging only happens whenever you drain an enemy’s stamina, for the melee ones, of course. Stormtroopers who use blasters are still pretty damn incompetent at their job, and you can mostly kill them with one swipe.
In terms of Force powers, Cal can use Force pulls and pushes, as well as one that completely stops an enemy in his tracks, which can also be used for blaster shots. It does open up cool-looking kills due to the variety available to players, but it does feel a bit overpowered, especially when you think about the fact that Cal is not an actual Jedi yet.
Another one of the video's highlights is Cal's one-on-one battle with a Purge Trooper, those tasked with hunting down the Jedi after Order 66. Combat really shined through for this part; the slashing feels weighty, and you can’t hack-and-slash your way out of a situation. This is probably what Respawn meant when they said that the combat will be “thoughtful,” and it definitely shows.
While in general, the overall combat looks good, I can’t help but feel that it’s still largely unrefined. The animations, for instance, feel so forced; I find myself cringing every time Cal pulls out his lightsaber, which I feel has too long and unnecessary of an animation. It would be so much nicer if it were more subtle, but then again, the game is still in an alpha state.
There are a couple of other cool things on display, but again, I am still pretty cautious despite it showing promise. Electronic Arts has been known for their questionable practices when it comes to games, and if the past is any indication, it would be better to actually wait for the release if you have to buy it. That way, you can find out from various reviews or videos if the final product is worth the price of admission. All of this said, if Respawn and EA pull this off, they’ll be looking at possibly one of the better Star Wars games to be released. Let’s just hope for the best until then.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be released on November 15, 2019 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Pre-orders are now available through here.
