In an interview with Game Informer, Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order game director Stig Asmussen addressed criticism from fans that felt the design of the main protagonist’s lightsaber lacked the vibrancy Star Wars fans have come to expect from not only the film series but games like 2017’s Star Wars Battlefront 2.
Game Informer’s Leo Vader and Andrew Reiner spoke with Asmussen about the design of the weapon, specifically the lack of any bright white light in the center of the lightsaber. “We made a mistake on that one, and since then we’ve fixed it,” Asmussen said. “That was fair feedback and criticism. We’ve tweaked that, and we’ve also tweaked the shape of the lightsaber blade a little. You can see the difference right away.”
Criticism of the lightsaber design wasn’t the only backlash received following the release of the E3 demo. Respawn had previously received criticism from fans regarding the lack of detail seen on Wookie characters. During the same gameplay demo, multiple Wookie characters can be seen with little detail on their face and body despite being featured prominently throughout.
Given that the gameplay demo is technically Alpha footage, what’s been shown isn’t finalized and fans can expect changes to be made for the final product. Respawn has already addressed the lightsaber criticism less than a month after E3, going as far as to change the design and shape of the weapon. It’s clear the developer is taking feedback seriously and wants to make an authentic Star Wars game that fans will enjoy.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order follows Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis on the run from the Empire following the events of Revenge of the Sith. While the story has been confirmed to be linear, Jedi: Fallen Order will have Metroidvania-like elements and takes some inspiration from Knights of the Old Republic as well.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order releases on November 15 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
