The Vastly Expanded Combat Options

• The gameplay of “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” offers vastly expanded combat options compared to its predecessor.
• Players have access to bigger, more open maps and many more abilities to play with.
• The addition of wall-runs, double-jumps, and air-dashes allows for superhuman mobility.
• The lightsaber battles are epic and the fighting stances are brilliantly animated.
• Players can customize their lightsaber with different cosmetic parts and blade colors.

“Survivor kicks up the excellent dueling from Fallen Order by several notches with five different fighting stances that are all brilliantly animated to create some of the flashiest and fiercest Star Wars melee battles I’ve ever seen.”

The Fantastic Character Customization

• “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” offers extensive character customization options.
• Players can customize Cal’s lightsaber with different cosmetic parts and unlock all the available blade colors from the start.
• There is also a wide range of clothing options, as well as different hairstyles and beard options for Cal.
• The game allows players to make Cal more their own from the very beginning.

“Cal’s lightsaber has many customizable cosmetic parts and all of the available blade colors are unlocked shortly after the start so you can make Cal more your own from the very beginning.”

The Engaging Story and Memorable Cast

• The story of “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” successfully takes players from one exciting action scene to the next.
• While the big twists may be foreshadowed heavily, the characters are written and acted with enough depth to stand on their own.
• The return of the cast from “Fallen Order” is a welcome one, and their motivations and development feel genuine.
• The addition of new characters, such as BD-1 and Bode, adds diversity and depth to the cast.

“The story does the job that it needs to do well, getting you from one exciting action scene to the next.”

The Exciting Gameplay Moments

• “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” offers a variety of gameplay moments, from intense lightsaber duels to exploration and puzzle-solving.
• There are old abandoned puzzle chambers to explore, and optional bosses to defeat.
• The game provides plenty of opportunities for players to engage in thrilling action sequences.
• The expanded set of force powers allows players to perform impressive feats, adding to the excitement of gameplay.

“Naturally, BD-1 never left Cal’s side, but the rest of the crew are given very human reasons for their parting of ways after ‘Fallen Order’ and why they’re coming back together now.”

Gameplay and Allies

• Cal fights alongside allies on certain story missions.
• Marin is a treat to watch on the battlefield, blinking around and picking off targets.
• Allies cannot be hurt and can prioritize attacking annoying enemies.
• Allies are mostly used to open up new paths when prompted.

“Fighting alongside allies on certain story missions is a treat.”

Companionship and Banter

• Allies provide banter and companionship, livening up scenes in the game.
• Marin’s banter creates a different dynamic compared to BD-1’s adorable bleeps and whoops.

“Their banter and companionship definitely liven up scenes in a way that bd1’s adorable bleeps and whoops couldn’t do alone.”

New Enemies

• The game introduces new enemies to the Star Wars universe.
• Instead of focusing on the Imperial inquisitors, the Empire’s role is more in the background.
• Trooper types and security droids provide variety after fighting the main enemy army of raiders and separatist battle droids.

“Following a game of battling mostly Imperial inquisitors, it’s a relief to see the Empire’s role here is more in the background.”

Beasts and Creatures

• The game includes a variety of beasts and creatures.
• Each planet visited has its own unique assortment of giant bugs and angry creatures.
• This mix of enemies and subtypes builds upon the previous game’s lineup.

“No matter where you go in the Star Wars Galaxy, it seems life always finds a way to make giant bugs and big angry wampas.”

Mounts and Environmental Puzzles

• Cal’s new ability allows him to ride mounts, but it is not extensively utilized.
• A flying animal can be used as a glider at specific points.
• Environmental puzzles make clever use of the mounts and add to the overall gameplay experience.

“Riding mounts and gliding on a flying animal play nicely into environmental puzzles.”

Expansive and Varied Environments

• The game features a handful of never-before-seen planets.
• Each planet offers expansive areas and a variety of different environments.
• These meticulously thought-out levels contain their own puzzles and provide a diverse gameplay experience.

“This journey takes us to a handful of never-before-seen planets, each with its own variety of extremely different areas within them.”

Puzzle Design and Fun

• The game strikes a balance between combat and puzzle-solving.
• Puzzles include directing energy beams and painting paths, reminiscent of God of War Ragnarok.
• The puzzles are clever, well-done, and consistently fun.

“Puzzles in the game are clever and well-done, sharing some ideas with what we saw in God of War Ragnarok last year.”

Performance and Technical Issues

• The game is visually stunning, but experiences performance issues on PS5.
• Frame rate slowdowns occur during combat, especially when there is smoke or fog.
• There are instances of crashes and bugs that require quitting and reloading saves.

“Survivor is a gorgeous game with beautifully detailed environments and characters, but my PS5 playthrough saw some fairly gnarly slowdowns.”

Lightsaber Combat and Boss Fights

• Lightsaber combat in the game is challenging and requires learning the timing of parrying and dodging.
• The final boss battle can be particularly brutal.
• While the combat is well-made, it doesn’t offer anything especially novel compared to the previous game.

“Lightsaber combat in Survivor is challenging, with the timing of parrying and dodging being key.”

Navigation and Fast Travel

• The game provides a map for navigation but lacks usability.
• The map’s design resembles a Star Wars hologram, making it sometimes difficult to understand.
• The addition of fast travel between save points is a welcome feature.

“The map in the game isn’t always easy to understand, but the dotted lines generally point in the right direction.”

Side Content and Collectibles

• The game offers a wealth of side content, including bounty hunters and legendary creatures to track down.
• Combat challenges and collectibles provide additional gameplay options.
• The amount of content to explore and collect is overwhelming.

“Survivor is packed full of things to do around the edges of the main story, including bounty hunters and legendary creatures to track down and kill.”

Overall Impression and Sequel Potential

• Despite launch performance issues, the game is a worthy sequel to Fallen Order.
• The game improves upon the original in nearly every aspect.
• Respawn has created an exceptional Star Wars game that surpasses its predecessor.

“It’s a sequel that does virtually everything better than the original, which was already an exceptional Star Wars game.”