Live from EA Play 2019 we finally have game footage for the forthcoming Star Wars game Jedi Fallen Order. The gameplay does not disappoint! This game is described as a single person adventure intelligent combat game. It hearkens back to Force Unleashed, Tomb Raider or Uncharted. Take a look at the Fallen Order footage for yourselves:
Quick Reactions and General Thoughts about First Fallen Order Footage
First off, the graphics from this Fallen Order footage looks extraordinary. They follow in the vein of Force Unleashed and again games like Tomb Raider and Uncharted. This being Star Wars would anyone one expect anything less?
Actual gameplay looks straight forward and similar to Force Unleashed on a more toned down note. Then again given the difference in levels of training that is to be expected. As the speakers say, this is Cal with a lightsaber with some training, but not Jedi status or level. So with pretty cut and paste formula does this game look like it will be anything special? OH HELL YES!
Oversimplification is great for making points, but it strips things of their uniqueness. The Fallen Order footage displayed, and the game play in general, looks to be fantastic for reasons I’ll go into in just a moment. This game promises a quality and depth that always makes Star Wars games exceptional when executed properly.
Game Play Mechanics
Something to note: this footage was a run through by a fairly qualified individual who has played the game a few times. Also we cannot see the complexity of the buttons being pushed. From what the creators said after the footage, I’m guessing there will be a lot of combos to know.
First thing I looked for in the Fallen Order footage were the life bars. How easy is it to stay alive and is there any regeneration. At first I thought it was the center bar, but I believe that to be force powers. The life bar is over on the left. There is no regeneration, but the new companion, BD-1, can pop out a stim pack to heal you. He only has so many, although they can be found as you journey, plus they make you defenseless while using them. This will make them hard to use mid fight, I’d imagine.
The Terrain looks to be very Croftian in that you have to recognize different terrains and structures that you can climb. Also with the force you can summon things like vines or knock down pillars to walk across. I have a feeling this will lead to some areas where players will really need to search for the item needed to traverse an obstacle.
Use the Force, Cal
We still do not know the full extent of force powers for this game, but three were demonstrated. There is force pull, force push, and force slow. Push and pull are pretty much givens, but the new force slow seems to be similar to what Kylo uses to freeze people and blaster bolts. As shown in the footage, combining these 3 simple powers can add some real depth to fights. Cal can also ‘double jump’ which will be helpful at times.
Keep in mind this is not early Cal nor is it end-game Cal, so powers will change through out the game, but do not look for Force unleashed level abilities from this game.
Who Do I Kill and When?!
The enemy AIs are interactive so what you do does affect what the other NPCs do. As with the spiders and troopers, you can charge in for maximum points or let them weed themselves out for an easier mop up fight.
The creators also mix up the types of troopers and what they do. This is nothing new, but it helps diversify combat. Players must learn who to take out first in order to have a higher success chance. While basic NPC’s go down with a hit, bigger bosses do not. The Purge Trooper looks like it will take some study to learn his moves and they aren’t even Inquisitor level!
Also, the force powers look to really augment combat if players wish to get creative. At one point the gamer slows a blaster bolt, force pulls the same trooper to him and then moves the trooper in front of the very same bolt the trooper originally shot! Also, regular troopers were force flung into the purge trooper to impeed his abilities.
The Most Specialist of Ingredients
The combat and graphics are amazing.I am sure I will find a nice spot about 2 hours into play that will have me stuck for a week, but I don’t know that any of it is that new or outstanding compared to other games. So what will set Jedi Fallen Order apart from the field? STORY!
Top level Star Wars games may have ingenuity and a certain unique aspect to their game play, but it has always been the story that sets them apart. Games like KOTOR and Force Unleashed were fun to play, but they also had amazing stories. This Fallen Order footage seems to follow that template.
Creators have been very coy about where Cal’s lightsaber comes from. The mission shown takes place on Kashyyyk, home to the beloved wookies. Saw Gerrera is shown in the opening cinematic clip. He wears the same suit as Rogue One, but he has all his limbs and the suit is armor instead of a life support suit. While not confirmed, the creators on stage played coy with Watto being in the game.
This is a CANON story, so it counts towards lore, which means all characters in it have to lead somewhere. Will Cal die? Or will he end up in a different part of the galaxy from Luke and Company? What happens in this game story wise will have consequences on the surrounding galaxy. Creators are keeping such a tight wrap on the story side of things, it builds expectations and chances for major galaxy changing events. Thus far, the Fallen Order footage we’ve seen looks promising.
