Star Wars: Jedi Survivor Review

 

I played Star Wars: Fallen Order and had a lot of fun with it but in my opinion the game has wasted a lot of potential. Level design, combat system and general variety were my biggest criticisms. I can say this much in advance, the direct successor Star Wars: Jedi Survivor has improved all criticisms and completely convinced me. The developers have put 4 years of development into the game and it was definitely worth the wait.

In the fight against the Empire we control once again the main character Cal Kestis. I don't want to reveal too much about the story, as I think it's one of its great strengths. Even if one or two twists are predictable, they are always told believably.

The story is also brought to life by the multitude of really great characters. I've always been happy to meet new people. The facial animations but also the voice actors (English) are simply amazing. There were actually a few story moments that really gave me goosebumps.

Uncharted In Space:

The gameplay reminded me even more of Naughty Dog's Uncharted games this time. Climbing, exploring, and solving puzzles are among the most important gameplay aspects of the game. The gameplay loop are loosened up by some great fights. I really liked the balance and just couldn't stop playing. In my opinion, the puzzles are also well thought out, can be done at any time and are just plain fun. There are also many side quests that are nicely written and reward you with nice things as well.

Speaking of rewards, I also give two thumbs up for the exploration. It's always important to me that the exploration of the game world is rewarded appropriately. Star Wars: Jedi Survivor does a great job here. There are things hidden everywhere that strengthen your character or serve as individualization.

You can customize Cal Kestis to your liking. Be it the beard, the hair or the clothes. You can also customize your companion "BD-1". The animation work, when changing the protective cover, is just amazing. Here you can see that the developers have attached great importance to all the nice little details. In general, all the animations are great. 

If we compare Star Wars: Jedi Survivor with Uncharted, of course, the well-known large "set-pieces" should not be missing. And I can promise that Star Wars: Jedi Survivor doesn't have to hide from the big players here. One scene blew me away and is my hype moment of the year so far. Just stunning and accompanied by some incredible music.

You can now also move around with mounts at certain points. I think that's a nice addition. However, there are so many movement options available throughout your adventure, like double jump and the grappling hook, that "just" moving is a pure joy. Respawn really nailed it in that area, and proved it back then with Tifanfall.

The game also has a hub area that expands over time. Here you will always meet new characters, accept side quests or plant some flowers :).

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is not an open world game. Like Uncharted 4, there are larger areas that can be freely explored if your skills are sufficient. A small Metroidvania approach also comes into play here. Once you gain new skills, you can always go back to previously traveled environments and explore them as you please. So you can find new items or even secret bosses.

The level design has improved greatly compared to its predecessor. I always knew where to go next, and there were a few "ah moments" like Dark Souls, too.

I played about 30 hours, which is longer than the predecessor. If you really want to explore everything, you can easily add another 5 hours. It's also nice that there's a New Game Plus mode.

I also like the photo mode, with which you can once again create beautiful pictures.

Combat System:

The combat system is much better than the predecessor. There are now more possible combinations and also more fighting styles. From my point of view it's still not perfect. Especially when you fight against several enemies, the events can quickly become confusing. The combat system really shines in the 1vs1 battles. The boss fights are absolute highlights and will definitely find their way into countless year lists.

Presentation:

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor looks stunning on the PlaySation 5. Standing on a higher point and enjoying the panorama is just awesome. You just want to explore this game world. Throughout the game you will travel to different planets and locations. Personally, I would have liked a little more variety in the visual area.

I played in the 30fps mode and I have to say that the framerate sometimes dropped here too. The game reaches its limits, especially when it comes to fighting in the water. The cutscenes also run at a low frame rate, which is also annoying. I cannot recommend the performance mode due to the enormous stuttering. The loading times are pleasantly short.

The DualSense features are very good. The haptic feedback let you immerse yourself even more in the game world. The soundtrack is really great too. I keep listening to certain songs outside of playing the game. 

Verdict:

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is a great sequel and the best Star Wars game I've ever played. It doesn't have to hide behind the big players in the genre and is in my opinion a clear contender for the title "Game of the Year".

9/10

Code provided by PlayStation