Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Xbox Series X|S)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): April 28, 2023
- Release Date (EU): April 28, 2023
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Developer: Respawn Entertainment
- Genres: Action-adventure
- Also For: Computer, PlayStation 5
Game Features:
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor picks up five years after the events of 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, reuniting players with Cal Kestis, now a full-blown Jedi Knight. After his original crew disbanded, Cal pursued his fight against the Empire under Saw Gerrera.
Following a successful but devastating mission on Coruscant, Cal’s trusty space-faring vessel, the Stinger Mantis, suffers from severe damage; leading Cal to inadvertently seek assistance from Greez, who set up shop on the remote planet of Koboh.
While scavenging for parts under Greez’s direction, Cal encounters an ancient droid and receives Force visions that provide information regarding a potential hope against the Empire’s tightening grasp over the galaxy.
This newfound knowledge sets Cal off on a new mission that gets him to meet old friends, make new ones but also face off against a host of enemies across the galaxy.
A story not far away
For the most part, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s narrative packs the franchise’s flair. It introduces us to new, interesting characters, as well as to new planets teeming with their own fauna and flora and a healthy dose of enemies from Stoormtroopers to Raiders. Of course, it is set with a backdrop of the power struggle between the Empire and the resistance, as well as the opposing sides of the Force.
However, this new mission of Cal doesn’t offer the most compelling narrative from the Star Wars universe. There are some predictable beats and a slow-burn aspect before the plot draws in the player. I didn’t mind it much but the approach might not be to every player’s taste. But overall, the plot is decent, even though the franchise has better to offer.
What mostly overshadowed the plot for me was the overall presentation. Cal’s animations as he parkours across the galaxy’s surfaces, performs lightsaber finishes or squeezes through tight spaces are nothing short of incredible. This extends to the animation of allies, enemies and environment where the intricately rendered motions bring the game’s universe to life. Respawn Entertainment adds a dash of cinematic aspect to the presentation with seamless transition between cutscenes and gameplay accompanied by Star Wars-y audio score throughout.
This is further supplemented by the highly detailed environment. The first mission of the game takes place in a Coruscant chock-full of details that made me wish I was more free to explore the city and converse with its inhabitants. Then there are more open sections such as Koboh where you can actually converse with NPCs, ride friendly fauna and explore to uncover secret areas. The game’s minimal HUD further lets you bask in the gorgeously depicted landscapes.
The return of the Jedi
Gameplay-wise, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor follows Cal’s canonical arc and Jedi-ups his abilities from the start such as unlocking double jump and two-way zip lining which were not available from the get-go with the first game’s Padawan Cal.
That doesn’t mean this sequel doesn’t include new mechanics. Cal has a skill tree which can be upgraded to boost his stats as well as allows him to use the Force in different ways and on different enemy types. Moreover, as you progress, you’ll encounter new weapons and lightsabers which in turn unlock new stances with their own upgradeable movesets. My personal favourite is equipping Cal with the blaster stance which allows him to wield both his lightsaber and a blaster.
You’ll have plenty of opportunities to test your Jedi skills whether it’s against Empire troops or some of a planet’s various endemic fauna. Depending on the difficulty you’re playing at, encounters can offer quite the challenge but combining movesets remains satisfying, especially with the captivating animations.
You can use the Force to confuse enemies and make them fight each other or even take advantage of bigger fauna and lead them to attack enemies in your stead. There’s also a bullet time of sorts that gives you a brief edge when outnumbered. On some occasions, Cal has a pal (no pun intended) in combat. In those cases, you can further instruct your ally to take certain assistive actions. Combat is thus kept fresh and engaging; and it consistently delivers a rewarding feeling.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor also balances combat and exploration well. The latter involves quite a lot of platforming and parkour sessions on surfaces cleverly concealed within the environment that don’t stick out like a sore thumb. This requires you to keep your eyes peeled for interactive elements that could otherwise be missed. The fast-paced aspect of the exploration makes the experience fun while keeping you on your toes as you try not to fall to your death while wall-running several metres (kilometres?) above ground.
While exploring, you will occasionally find stats upgrades, Breath of the Wild-esque puzzle-filled Jedi Meditation Chambers, or even unlock customisation options. Whether it’s for Cal's appearance, BD-1's looks or Cal's lightsaber, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor features a lot of customisation options. However, it’s not an aspect I particularly indulge in and finding that an off-path exploration only led to the unlocking of an aesthetics item somewhat felt like a deterrent to explore further.
Is the Force strong with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor?
However, it’s not all roses with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. In particular, the PC version launched while riddled with performance issues, with EA even acknowledging the poor performance following outcry from players and has issued some patches on all platforms since launch. That said, my experience of the game on the Xbox Series S was favourable at launch, without any major performance issues. There are some weird pop-ins on the Series S and minor dips in frame rate, but nothing game-breaking or that I couldn’t easily overlook.
As for the gameplay, my main gripe is its reliance on repetitive aspects for puzzle-solving such as path-opening orbs or just having orbs in nearly all of them. Exploration also heavily leans on parkouring which isn’t necessarily bad for an action-adventure game but can occasionally feel more of the same.
But all things considered, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor makes a strong impression. It packs solid, engaging and satisfying gameplay mechanics, engrossing animations and detailed landscapes, despite having a plot that’s not immediately captivating. It's a general improvement on its already great prequel and I can't wait to join Cal again for his next adventure of what could be another Star Wars trilogy!
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Final Gameplay Trailer
Verdict
- Gorgeous environments
- Captivating animations
- Satisfying combats
- Some predictable and underwhelming story beats
- Some repetitive actions
