Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order - Game Infinite Review
Final Score 10/10 Legendary - Reviewed on Xbox One X
2019, the year of star wars. 2019 is a year I re-found a love for Star Wars that I didn't know I needed. Don't get me I always loved Star Wars since I was a small child. I showed up to the Last Jedi 4 hours early just to get seats. But 2019 was my favorite year for Star Wars. I was able to attend Star Wars Celebration 2019 in Chicago where I got to see or meet some incredible actors like Same Witwer (Starkiller) and
It was also there that I got to meet John of Nerdherder Podcast who eventually became GiFriends Mods and mod for Star Wars Infinite. Their passion for Star Wars inspired me and also helped boost our Gi Channel Program!
Star Wars Celebration was only the beginning to a year of amazing things for Star Wars. The first trailer for Rise of Skywalker caused me and a sea of nerds to jump for joy when we learned of the title during that week. Later in the year we got to see the actual movie, and (screw what the critical minority thought) was the most absolutely amazing end to a sage I have spent my life so far watching. Disney+ gifted us with not just the first live action Star Wars shows, but also broke the internet with Baby Yoda and other amazing memes and amazing art. The Mandalorian has become a massive hit and is the amazing Star Wars show I never knew I needed.
Lastly we arrive at a gift that gifted us not one but two gems this year, Respawn Entertainment. EA's golden goose and the only developer they have right now that can do no wrong. I feel less bad about bumping Apex Legends to #2 spot on this list because we have another first for Game Infinite. The #2 and #1 spots on this list were not just made by the same publisher but also the same developer as well. I can't say enough how much I would love the opportunity to meet the amazing team at Respawn. They granted us two of the greatest games of the year and they show no signs of stopping. Apex Legends is a live service consistently supported and early rumors already show Respawn is hiring for help on Jedi Fallen Order 2. They have made four games, Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order and all 4 are amazing groundbreaking and instant classics.
All I can hope is EA releases what they have and gives Respawn a blank check and no leash on any project they want because they can do no wrong.... (except make a 300$ Axe)
Now let me get to Jedi Fallen Order itself. I knew this game would be good, and I told my friends as such claiming Respawn was 3/3 so I trusted them. I also love Star Wars so it couldn't be that bad right. We knew early this was a single player game with no micro-transactions so we knew going in we were avoiding the mess that was Battlefront 2. What I didn't know was just HOW good this game was going to be, and it wasn't until the final act of the game that I knew just how amazing it was. Some games are weighted so heavily on their ending you can't appreciate them unless you finish them. So if you don't understand why this game is at the top of the list you maybe didn't finish the game.
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order is one of the best Star Wars video games we have seen so far, up there with greats and personal favorite such as Republic Commando, Jedi Academy, and Force Unleashed. However, it is not just a great Star Wars game, perhaps that would not be enough for GOTY, it is also an amazing game outside of the franchise.
I understand the bias and weight that is the Star Wars brand, but it stands alone from that as well. It tells an intriguing story of oppression. It is one of the few times we get to see what it is to trully have lived under the Empire much like in Rebels or Rogue One. It gives us an entirely new ensemble cast of characters and does not rely heavily on cameos or known characters. The few cameos it does have are incredible. The main character Cal Kestis is an amazing lead that is believable as a Jedi but not an unstoppable wrecking ball like in the Force Unleashed games. You feel challenged because of his inexperience. Even the way he levels up abilities is explained in story.
Another quality of the game is its vast difficulty curve. Jedi Fallen Order is and can easily be described as Star Wars: Dark Souls both in its difficulty and combat. The combat feels thoughtful and tactical. It is some of the most detailed and realistic combat we have ever seen in a Star Wars game. Timing matters for parry and deflecting blasters. How you attach matters. The game will punish you for charging recklessly. You will die, a lot, and Boss battles will make you rage hard. However, unlike Dark Souls or even this year's Sekiro, it offers lower difficulties to make it approachable for all. Games should be open to everyone but also willing to challenge seasoned gamers.
The game introduces us to amazing characters like Merrin, a night sister witch who is stoically funny, and gives us a incredible insight to a part of Star Wars little seen. We also get to meet a new droid BD-1, Cal's companion who also is an incredible part of the games traversal giving the droid real importance to the story. We also get to meet a new Inquistitor, the Second Sister, and she is incredible acted. She is believable and more than a masked villain. In fact, she is one of the better female villains in recent gaming history.
Where this game trully landed itself in the GOTY territory was in it's last act. The game could have been good as the Tomb Raider Dark Souls game it was, leading us a quest across several worlds and tombs, and it could have had a simpler ending, but it shot for true excellence. I don't wish to spoil it, I will copy this commentary with a spoiler ending in a full review.
I will say who you meet and what happens is the ending we don't deserve and made this game 10/10 amazing. I am still blown away by the experience the last act brought and can't recommend enough you give it not just a try but honest effort to finish. Jedi Fallen Order goes up there with some of my favorite endings such as Bioshock Infinite or Halo Reach.
For more gaming reviews and other gaming content make sure to follow Game Infinite on your favorite social media and stay tuned for more things gaming right here on gameinfinite.net
