For example, the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed subfranchise took a hack ’n slash approach to lightsaber combat, which captured the overall power of the lightsaber but failed to really require technique or thought. It took a powerful weapon and remove any required civility from it. On the other hand, one of the most popular Star Wars games, Knights of the Old Republic, had the civility but lacked the power. This came as a result of the game’s structure and didn’t necessarily take from the lightsaber combat of the game, at least for the time, but Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order combines all of this into fluid, powerful combat.
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Like a true Jedi, Fallen Order players are able to block and deflect blaster shots and the Stormtrooper’s special weapons. Players have to react quickly to deflect the blast bolts back, whereas blocking will truly like a Jedi blocking from the movies. Managing these deflections while engaging in melee combat empowers the player and forces the quick thoughts of a Jedi. Dodging and using Force abilities in Fallen Order, which are not as powerful as previous games, to complement the lightsaber combat feels more natural than any previous games.
Every lightsaber clash, strike, and manuever puts players right into the action, so much so it feels like something that shouldn’t be possible in a video game. At its core, these are basic mechanics found in several games, but these mechanics makes the combat so visceral. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order doesn’t feel like a video game with lightsabers; it feels like a game designed for lightsabers.
Lightsabers improve over time, as players will find different upgrades, including one for a double-bladed lightsaber in Jedi: Fallen Order. It plays entirely different from the single-bladed lightsaber, with it being more fluid and quicker and requiring players to adjust their way of thinking about the combat. Players will be able to swap between lightsabers based on preference and combat situation, adding more to the overall flow of the game.
Beyond the combat, players will be able to make cosmetic adjustments to their lightsaber that, while doing nothing for the overall stats of the lightsabers, add a personal flare to the combat. Using a orange-colored lightsaber, for example, reflects upon a player’s personal preference. It’s a simple process but one that really sees Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order players get invested in the combat.
At the end of the day, if Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order fell short everywhere else (but it does not), it would be rememberable for this combat. Given the reception thus far, the game’s overaching story, and the game’s lightsaber combat, it seems safe to say that Fallen Order is the Star Wars many have been looking for.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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