So much ofStar Wars Jedi: Survivorrevolves around Force abilities that it can be easy to overlook how foundational the lightsaber was inFallen Order, whereStar Wars Jediwas in an elementary state but absolutely nailed the elegance and power elicited when brandishing a lightsaber.
Fallen Orderis a far simpler game as it was theStar Wars Jediguinea pig and yet that simplicity helped contribute to how special and concentrated it was as an action-adventure game dabbling in Soulslike and platformer features.Star Wars Jedi: Survivorblossomed in many ways as a sequel, and in that expansion it loses focus on what made Cal Kestis’ lightsaber such a novel weapon.
Cal Kestis’ Lightsaber Has Been Made Less Meaningful in Story and Gameplay
Cal’s lightsaber takes a backseat to the Force inSurvivor—in terms of how revered the lightsaber is and how impactful it seems in gameplay, anyway. At least part of why has to do with the fact that there are a handful of stances to select from.
Two can be equipped at a time, giving players a lot to consider when they haveall five lightsaber stances inSurvivorand experiment with each to see which they favor. But with five lightsaber stances, no matter how dynamic, diverse, or satisfying they are,Survivorinadvertently makes the lightsaber seem more trivial as a weapon.
If Cal’s willing to take Bode Akuna’s blaster pistol and needlessly incorporate it into his arsenal, for instance, it allows players to perceiveCal’s elegant weapon for a more civilized ageas underwhelming on its own and in need of an accompaniment. It doesn’t help that Cal’s lightsaber has never been as overpowered as it should be aside from when it’s cutting down measly stormtroopers in one or two strokes, even if disbelief is gladly suspended forStar Wars Jedi’s Soulslike gameplay to be exhilarating.
Personalization is reprised as an entertaining element ofcustomization for Cal, his lightsaber, and BD-1, but with a whole new item to customize when players ascertain the blaster pistol there isn’t much the lightsaber’s customization does to stand out as greatly as it did when there were fewer customization options inFallen Order.
How Survivor’s Sequel Could Make Cal’s Lightsaber Important Once More
Even though puzzles and platforming make far more sense when dealing withCal’s assortment of Force abilities, it shouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see his lightsaber become integrated into those systems more, such asSurvivorhaving players quickly descend walls by igniting the lightsaber inside them and carving a white-hot slice as Cal slides downward. Still, knowing how much the broken lightsaber meant to Cal as a weapon he’d received from his fallen Master and how it would be a remnant symbol of the Jedi Purge, it’s unfortunate how little that matters inSurvivor.
Cal seems fully ready to move forward now and maybe part of that development is no longer having an attachment to the lightsaber, especially if he’s able to modify and interchange its components as much as he wants. BothFallen OrderandSurvivoropen with a tutorial sequence that doesn’t allow players to wave Cal’s lightsaber around quite yet and that makes him suddenly wielding it in each instance far more climactic and exciting, such as when he usesForce Pull to retrieve it from Senator Sejan on Coruscant.
It would make sense, then, to assume the third game will have a similar tutorial opening that will hopefully reintroduce the lightsaber epically and satisfyingly. Withholding it from the player for even longer could be to its advantage, too, as players would be anticipating its reprisal in gameplay at any moment and earn delayed gratification if it wasn’t immediately given to them thereafter.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
WHERE TO PLAY
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor™, a third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This narratively-driven, single player title picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™ and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness. Pushed to the edges of the galaxy by the Empire, Cal will find himself surrounded by threats new and familiar. As one of the last surviving Jedi Knights, Cal is driven to make a stand during the galaxy’s darkest times - but how far is he willing to go to protect himself, his crew, and the legacy of the Jedi Order?Explore an Untamed Galaxy – Discover new planets and familiar frontiers in the Star Wars galaxy, each with unique biomes, challenges, and enemies. Master new skills, equipment, and abilities that will augment the ways you explore, fight, and roam. With larger areas to explore and more to discover off the beaten path, players who adventure beyond the horizon will find hidden rewards.
