About 20 years ago I stood in a supermarket in front of a small shelf with VHS video cassettes and decided to buy "Star Wars". It was a singular feeling for me to watch this movie for the first time in the living room. This resulted in a connection with many ups and downs. Tonight I'm back in front of the TV playing "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" and to my surprise it's back, that feeling.
In 2013, the "Star Wars" license Electronic Arts was entrusted. One had until the last feeling that the company has done so one thing above all: nonsense. Because in just over six years, they brought out only two multiplayer shooters, which were packed with micro-transactions and Lootboxen.
A successful hybrid
"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" plays between episodes 3 and 4 of the movies. Anakin Skywalker has already become Darth Vader and the Death Star is eagerly built. The player controls Cal Kestis, a young Jedi Knight fleeing the Empire and his Inquisitor, the so-called "Second Sister".
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The search has an end: "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order""Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" is a successful hybrid of the "Uncharted" series and "Dark Souls". The player jumps, runs and climbs through the game world, solving puzzles and doing so with the agility of a Nathan Drake.
The structure of the worlds in turn is reminiscent of "Dark Souls": You fight through caves, space stations or jungles and finally discovered shortcuts in the form of initially closed doors or elevators. The storage system was also taken over by Dark Souls. At certain points, the player can meditate and save. But when he lets his energy fill up while meditating, all already finished opponents reappeared. You can also spend captured experience points and get new abilities.
The battles in "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" stand out. Because these are not simple "upside down" mechanics. Again, there are significant influences of "Dark Souls" to notice. Every opponent needs his own strategy. Shots from laser pistols must be thrown back with the lightsaber, large opponents should be brought to the ground with the help of "power". Only those who learn to appreciate the blocking as well as the attack can pass the demanding fights.
Not just for fans
So much for the mechanics of the game, all of which work wonderfully and are fun. The special feature of the game is the atmosphere, which is even more important in a video game than in a movie. It's very important to me that I'm a "Star Wars" fan.
As I navigate the worlds of the game, I see the environment, hear the sounds differently than someone who does not care about the show. I stop in places that I recognize, listen to the music and admire the sound of the lightsaber, where others just look for the end of the level. The fun of it also do not break the occasional graphic weaknesses. Respawn Entertainment, known primarily for "Titan Fall" and "Apex Legends," have done an amazing job here.
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DISPLAY
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Standard Edition - [PlayStation 4]
Publishing company:
Electronic Arts
Price:
EUR 59.99
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Alone the soundtrack of Gordy Haab and Stephen Barton approaches so much the musical expressiveness of the films that he contributes a large part to the atmosphere of the game. There are also familiar characters from the movies or even familiar-looking planets such as Kashyyyk, the planet where the Wookiees live.
But that does not mean that people who can not do anything with "Star Wars" could not appreciate this game. On the contrary, "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" offers enough substance to appeal to people who are just looking for a fun and exciting video game.
The search is over
Lastly, I would like to speak again as a fan: I have been waiting for a long time for a game that manages to make this gigantic universe playable for single players. To translate the material of these films into an independent game. "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" does just that.
And that's the big surprise for me. Without microtransactions, without lootboxes, without all these money-making mechanisms, it's an honest game that wants to tell a story and convince with its own quality - not the option of paying money to get you ahead of time.
In short, "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" is the best "Star Wars" game in decades. And one of the best games of the year. Who would have thought that?
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