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Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: January 4th, 2023, 11:36 am
by JaySevenZero
Here's where you can contribute your thoughts and opinions for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

A friendly reminder that where the feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but keeping it brief is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mostly reading out essays. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.

Re: 568: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: January 6th, 2023, 4:31 am
by Tolkientaters
Star Wars Fallen Order feels like an ok game that could have a good sequel. Basically everything about it is average, from the Sekiro lite combat, to the story, to the visuals.

Unfortunately the movement and platforming can be pretty janky, it seems to be almost whole inspired by the tomb raider reboot in terms of structure, which feels a little odd for a Star Wars game.

I think Respawn didn't quite have the resources to achieve their vision and struggled to properly pace a longer experience. Hopefully the sequel remedies a lot of those issues.

Re: 568: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: January 6th, 2023, 11:09 am
by Alex79
Totally agree with Tolkientaters, absolutely average all round, from the combat to the graphics to the story to the characters. Nothing stood out, but I had an okay time playing it. It might not help that I have no investment in Star Wars whatsoever. I like the original trilogy enough and some of the games, but I've not even seen the new films or one of the prequels. But this game still managed to make me feel a little nostalgic with the sound effects and music.

The lead character has to be one of the most boring nobodies in the history of AAA gaming. The locations were mostly dull with a few interesting exceptions, and I wasn't keen on having to revisit the same few planets multiple times. But again, as I said, I had an okay time with it. It's a bang average 6.5/10, but the sequel could be great if they get it right.

Re: 568: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: January 7th, 2023, 1:39 pm
by markfm007
Jedi Fallen Order ticks a lot of boxes for me. Soulsborne inspired levels and checkpoints, third person lightsaber combat and force magic, cinematic set pieces and story telling. Check, check, check. It’s a comfortable game to switch on and lose myself in.

It’s a jack of all trades though. The set pieces never approach the level of Uncharted. The lightsaber combat is noticeably lacking after playing Sekiro, which is much better at making the player feel and register each successful hit, block and parry, and creating a sense of danger and spectacle.

The story starts and ends well, but rarely takes off in the middle. I do appreciate its focus on new characters though, and how it fits into the Star Wars story without leaning too much on legacy characters - and when it does, it’s to good effect. By the end I cared for the characters and wanted to see more. It just leaves it a bit late.

The levels might be my favourite aspect, they’re very well crafted, fun to explore and full of hidden secrets. Only downside is the atrocious map, which I gave up on. Overall I enjoyed the game, and like it a bit more than I let on here. But it’s a little too safe, a little too crafted to my personal taste. There’s good moments but little wow factor. Hopefully the sequel will change that.

Re: 568: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: January 19th, 2023, 11:22 am
by Magical_Isopod
As someone who's not really a Star Wars fan, I went into this one with a degree of trepidation... I really like Respawn as a developer, and I remember feeling personally betrayed when they announced Fallen Order, and not Titanfall 3!

But I must admit, even from the early trailers, the game looked stunning. After being impressed with the narrative after catching a few streams on Twitch, I eventually picked it up when it dropped to 20 bucks used.

And you know what? I wound up absolutely loving this game! I even got the Platinum trophy. I think I went in expecting a really cynical licensed cash-in, but what I got instead was a surprisingly well-written, exciting narrative with fantastic exploration elements and a fun combat system. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, and I genuinely cared about the story in a way I never have with the movies. I think this game does a really great job of honouring the series lore without being excessively referential, while also carving its own path using the tools provided by decades of multimedia fiction. The part where you're piloting the big quadripedal mech thing and blasting away at enemy entrenchments had me smiling ear to ear, that stands as one of best moments I've ever had in gaming. The Titanfall pedigree shone through there. ;D

One thing I would like to mention though... I have seen people talk about this game like it's a Tesco brand Dark Souls wannabe be, and I have to say I am not sure where that ideation comes from. It seems to be that every game with a dodge roll or a parry system is now considered a "Soulslike," and I feel like that really sells this game short. It's an action exploration game with a solid combat system. It's not trying to be brutally hard or overly reliant on quick inputs like the Dark Souls games are, and I wish gaming spaces could respect this game for what it is, instead of slighting it for something it was never trying to be. If you want more Dark Souls, games like Steelrising and The Surge exist. Fallen Order is not competing in the same galaxy.

Three Word Review:
Best Since Podracer

Re: 568: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: January 19th, 2023, 5:21 pm
by ashman86
As a lifelong Star Wars fan as well as a fan of Respawn, I was over the moon when the studio announced they were working on Fallen Order. Add to that the fact that Chris Avellone, who had written KOTOR 2, was set to work on the game, and my expectations were sky-high. Of course, this was before he had been accused of sexual misconduct by three separate women, which has since cast his work in a problematic light for me.

Even still, I'm very happy with the game that we got. While some Souls fans might write it off as a shallow knock-off, I thought From's obvious influence on the game was additive rather than anything central to Fallen Order's design. The game, instead, plays out like a 3D Metroidvania, which I thought made for a really wonderful and unique kind of Star Wars experience. The combat--while not as deep as the Souls game that inspires it--is fast and fun, and it provides plenty of challenge if you're willing to push the difficulty level to just beyond where you're comfortable.

But more importantly, I fell in love with the game's characters--especially Cere, Merrin, and The Second Sister--and in exploring its different worlds. I liked the lonely atmosphere of most and especially the sense of danger that Dathomir offered, particularly when I visited the planet too early on in my journey at the advice of one of the developer's on Twitter.

And the game's ending was as close to horror as anything I've ever gotten in a Star Wars game.
Spoiler: show
That chase with Lord Vader: absolutely unforgettable.
Three word review:
Spoiler: show
Aaaaa! It's Vader.

Re: 568: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: January 23rd, 2023, 4:52 pm
by Rhaegyr
Sadly it can't solve the lightsaber conundrum that most Star Wars games struggle with - it feels like you're wielding a glowing baseball bat instead of an extremely powerful sword of light that can cut through practically anything with little effort.

Re: 568: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: January 23rd, 2023, 6:19 pm
by ratsoalbion
Aye, and the potency of those blades is also a thing that the films have struggled with.

Re: 568: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: February 14th, 2023, 2:02 am
by seansthomas
Played on a harder setting, I really didn't like Fallen Order. I grew tired of dying to stray Stormtrooper blasts and repeating sections over and over. And the Souls mechanics felt tacked on. I merely wanted to feel like a powerful Jedi, not cannon fodder.

So I bumped it down to the easiest setting and the game morphed into an entirely different yarn. I found myself deflecting lazer blasts, cutting through swathes of enemies and the pace of the game ramped up hugely. It morphed into a breathless mixture of parkour, exploration and swift combat.

The game did a great job of also making me feel like I was visiting a new part of the Star Wars universe; something that the films and shows at this point had failed to. The swamp AT-AT set piece and the chase through the scrapyard in particular stayed with me.

I also enjoyed the Force puzzle Tomb Raider esque elements and the upgrade system.

The only things that let it down a tad were the boss fights and undoubtedly the map. That thing is flat out broken and I often would spend 30 mins walking round completed levels trying to figure out how to exit the level.

But as a first attempt to create a new story and way of being a Jedi within the Star Wars universe, I think Respawn got a lot more right than wrong. I hope the extra time they've had on Survivor's development will see them bring even more of their own ideas to the table.

Re: 568: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: March 30th, 2023, 3:57 pm
by MattL
I never expected an attempt to combine gameplay aspects of Dark Souls, Uncharted, and Metroid with the Star Wars IP to come together this well. The worlds were fun to explore. The combat was always engaging and stylish. And the story wasn't half bad. I'm super hyped for the sequel. Strong recommend.

Three Word Review: Luke Soulswalker Simulator

Re: 568: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: April 11th, 2023, 4:41 pm
by Squibster9
Fallen Order does a lot well. Great gameplay with solid combat and exploration, accompanied by another cute droid, and a Vader cameo that all makes it feel like the Star Wars universe. I've heard it's a Souls-lite, and d combat is complex, fair and tactics rewarding, but thankfully accessible for normal reflexes on the easier difficulties. The sabre felt stylish and fun, especially switching between single and double wielding. A great soundtrack including Mongolian throat music showcased in your sister pod. Some solid, satisfying puzzles and metroid like elements, which hovered the line of fun and frustration. Cal Kestis was likeable, bringing an emotional truth, perhaps a bit dull maybe he's still finding his path.

But its ambition doesn't reach greatness - weak supporting characters, and a plot that promises a lot but feels a bit hollow in the pay-off. Exploration was at times too metroid-like for a space-opera not making the best of its grand setting. I hope 'Survivors' dials-up the ambition, and moves us away from the inquisitors (a tired staple of recent lore) but Fallen Order is a real solid satisfying base to build from.
Saqib.