Random Video Game Review - Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

So I find out not too long ago that LucasArts are still operating. However because of their large shrink in employees by Disney, they are now just a licencor which is still OK for them (though I doubt we will ever see Star Wars: 1313 ever again). But of course Disney themselves decided to not be directly involved with video games in general and they too became a licencor while still having involvement in the mobile gaming market. So when this happened, this allowed Capcom to continue their VS Capcom series which is known to feature many Marvel characters, Square Enix to continue their Kingdom Hearts series which features lots of Disney franchises and characters, Bandai Namco to start making games based on the company's Tsum Tsum range and WB Games to continue turning Disney franchises into LEGO games via TT Games while also publishing the Cars 3 video game. Star Wars meanwhile was given to Electronic Arts who were given a lucrative deal with the franchise and assigned many of their developers onto various projects for it. This included many mobile games as well as reviving the Battlefront series which its micro transactions from the second game drew a lot of problems even going as far as politics. So like with Disney's films, EA decided to change strategy and make their next game a single player game without any of their usual stuff thrown in. What came about was a brilliantly done game that borrows elements from the Dark Souls and Batman: Arkham series and EA managed to regain trust from the gaming industry and community thanks in part to its success. So let's see if this game is worth having the force with it or not:

Set in the canon timeline just five years after Revenge of the Sith, we meet Cal Kestis (voiced and motion captured by Gotham's Joker, Cameron Monaghan), a former Jedi Padawan who survived the Jedi Purge and hides as a junker on the planet Bracca. When his friend Prauf (voiced by JB Blanc) almost falls to his death, Cal uses the force to save him. His actions attract the attention of a group of Imperial Inquisitors led by the Second Sister (voiced by Elizabeth Grullon) and the Ninth Sister (voiced by Misty Lee) who arrive on Bracca to find the Jedi. Prauf decides to save Cal by sacrificing himself to the sisters which gives Cal time to escape. He eventually is rescued by former Jedi Knight Cere Junda (voiced by Debra Wilson) and her pilot Greez Dritus (voiced by Daniel Roebuck) and on their ship the Mantis, they go on a journey to find a Jedi Holocron that can help rebuild the Jedi Order and one that allows Cal to regain his access to the Force and become the Jedi Knight he was destined to always be. So after the "tutorial" parts, gamers can explore a wide range of planets with some being original and others coming from already well established Star Wars lore such as Kashyyyk (home of the Wookies and Chewbacca), Dathomir (home of the Nightsisters and former Sith lord Maul) and Ilum (the planet with lightsaber crystals are mined as well as what would become Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens). Each planet has a variety of things you can do including killing a bunch of enemies such as Stormtroopers and local but hostile beasts, finding crates that contain equipable things for the player to use and solving puzzles using the Force. Stealth is non existent which allows players to jump into a situation in which they can either kill all enemies or just simply run away. The droid BD-1 (voiced by Ben Burtt and is just the cutest thing ever) can help Cal in all sorts of situations and as he regains Force powers, the droid also gets some upgrades of his own that can help Cal out. Across each planet is what I am calling a Force circle which can be used as a save point (the game is sort of lacking an auto save feature) as well as a means to upgrade your skill tree and heal up at the cost of respawning enemies. And at one point, Cal will receive a map of the planet he is on which can help players with finding things like new stim canisters (which are health packs that BD-1 can give Cal) and areas in which Cal can use the force to find out what happened which may give you a boost in health or how much force you can use. As well as some secret but tough bosses that include randomly encountered bounty hunters and beasts that while look like beasts you have beaten before, are actually more difficult this time around.

This is an EA game. An EA game should suck hard but this one doesn't. It's very challenging, great fun, full of Star Wars lore and you really do feel like you are on the journey of becoming a Jedi. All the characters are memorable, the boss fights are tough but totally worth all the effort and you get a few familiar faces within the adventure such as Saw Gerrera (reprised by Forrest Whitaker) and a certain well known Sith lord right at the end of it all. Its the Star Wars game that we have been waiting for with great graphics and great use of motion capture and of course it was a risk for EA that pulled off thus showing that they can find success without putting in their usual c**p. So the films may have divided fans, but this game can bring them all back for sure. Well done EA and lets hope your redemption doesn't end here. 9/10