Amongst the multitude of Trandoshans, Gonk Droids and Wookiees in the iconic “galaxy far, far away” lies a survivor of the Jedi purge and battler against the oppressive Galactic Empire. This is Cal Kestis, the protagonist of Respawn’s “Jedi Survivor” – a third person-action-Role Playing Game (RPG) released on Apr. 28 that is the sequel to the 2019 hit game “Jedi Fallen Order.” 

While still managing to be its own unique gaming experience, “Survivor” shows numerous similarities to its antecedent such as the inspiration taken from the “Dark Souls” and “Uncharted” franchises and its Metroidvania-style of exploration. Though the majority of his abilities also carry on from the previous entry, Cal will still pick up a couple of new ones along the way – in an attempt to keep the game feeling fresh. 

“Jedi: Survivor’s” story picks up 5 years after the events of “Fallen Order,” or 9 BBY in Star Wars fandom, and sees a drastic improvement in Cal’s abilities since his confrontation at Fortress Inquisitorius. Separated from his Mantis crew after a mysterious turn of events, the fan-favorite red-headed Jedi knight must embrace new (and old) allies in order to survive this totalitarian era of the Star Wars timeline. 

Daniel Martinez, a Junior at Sage Creek whose relative had the chance to test the game in its beta stage, sees the massive improvements made since then.  

“The game started out really strong, and I really like the pacing of it and some of the new stances,” Martinez said. “My cousin said that the FPS was originally really bad, even worse than on Steam right now, and the gameplay was a bit clunky, so really happy they fixed some of that.”

The primary issue behind the negative feedback the game received was due to its major frame rate drops and glitchiness through certain sequences. Players could be immersed in one of “Survivor’s” cutscenes or high-intensity missions and could suddenly experience a game freeze or “lag out.” Luckily, the developers have already addressed this issue, releasing a day one patch, along with continued maintenance support.

On the other side of things, “Jedi: Survivor’s” highest appraisals have been thanks to its satisfying, yet stunning combat and exploration. From switching between the five lightsaber stances and forming intense combos to grappling, double jumping, dashing and wall running through its densely packed worlds, “Survivor’s” approach at progression never manages to turn stale throughout its run.

Yet another step “Survivor” has taken and maximized from “Fallen Order” has been its vast customization options. Rather than vigorously exploring each planet just to find a new poncho color or mantis design like in the first game, “Survivor” has taken this to the next level. The reward that comes with acquiring fully unique outfits, hairstyles and upgrade materials for the player’s lightsaber and BD-1 companion is unmatched and hopefully further built upon in the future trequel.

Stig Asmussen, the developer of “Fallen Order” and “Survivor,” wanted players to see how Cal had grown in the time between the two games in all gameplay aspects.

“It’s about maturity. In the first game, Cal was raw, not even close to a fully cooked Force user, and you felt that in the game,” said Asmussen in an interview with VideoGames.si. “In this game, we wanted to start off with more confident characters. There’s been a five-year-jump, and we wanted players to feel that, in the controls, and in how Cal negotiates combat scenarios, navigates the environment, and – to a certain extent – dominates them.”

Skill progression was one of the many inconsistencies that plagued “Jedi: Fallen Order,” to which the sequel has seen some drastic improvements. Through various exploration methods, the player can use techniques like uncovering hidden experience point (XP) orbs or purchasing certain upgrades that could quicken the process of leveling up.

Aside from the already diverse options when it comes to movement, “Survivor” improves upon yet another one of “Fallen Order’s” weaknesses: map convenience. When deeply traversed in one of “Fallen Order’s” larger planets like Zeffo, the player would often have to rely on their backtracking skills for a long, seemingly pointless trek just to continue the story. “Survivor” has not only incorporated fast traveling between meditation (or spawn) points, but also a mounting system that makes the journey from point A to point B far less tedious.

Whether strong with the force or not, Reswpawn’s “Jedi: Survivor” uses elements from various genres of games in an epic way that far outdoes its predecessor. With the innovations it has contributed to the gaming industry, there is no doubt in fans’ minds that it will be a forerunner for the 2023 spot of Game of The Year.  

Gaming Edge, a critic for the videogame review website Metacritic, expresses how “Star Wars: Jedi Survivor” is an action-packed adventure for gamers of all kinds. 

“Exploring these worlds, slicing through enemies, customizing how Cal looks, uncovering the game’s lore: it’s all done perfectly here, in a way that should appeal to anyone, regardless of their familiarity with Star Wars itself.”