Got a couple requests on Discord to do this review, so here it is! Like many people, I am a lover of Star Wars media. I have been playing Star Wars games since I was a young kid, featuring such gems as Lego Star Wars, Jedi Power Battles, Rogue Squadron, Star Wars Battlefront, Star Wars Racers, the dreaded Super Star Wars games, and many more! There are certain hallmarks in Star Wars games that make most of them feel special and part of the series as a whole. If you are a lover of Star Wars, the mood, story, characters, and just about everything in the game will ring true to the series. This is one of the strongest points of the game. In simple words, Fallen Order is a welcome addition to the Star Wars collection! Fallen Order's main character is Cal Kestis, who was a Padawan at the time of Order 66. His Jedi training was left unfinished due to the shocking event, and has a slight disconnect to the force due to a long while of leaving it dormant. This leads to a thrilling sense of progression and connects the story and the gameplay in a meaningful way. Combat: Fallen Order draws heavy inspiration from FromSoftware and their combat. If you want direct comparisons, Dark Souls (but fair) is your best bet. The combat is tricky to newcomers like me and revolves around blocking, dodging, and parrying. There is a ton of combat in the game, so I thought I would address this first. If you do not like the combat, then you will likely not enjoy the game. The combat is good, fun, and offers a fair bit of challenge. I played on the second easiest difficulty and still had a fairly hard time with it. Platforming: The other half of the gameplay is the platforming. Cal feels like a human would in a lot of circumstances, for better or for worse. Running on walls, performing acrobatic feats, and navigating dungeons with incredible agility feels fantastic, but a few elements of the platforming falls short. In particular: the vines. Most games with platforming mechanics that I have played know how to make vines and ropes feel smooth, but Fallen Order's are incredibly difficult to use for no reason at all. It serves as an annoying roadblock whenever they pop up. This doesn't ruin the game by any means, but is an irritation worth noting. Performance: If you want your games to run flawlessly... you're gonna get a big yikes from Fallen Order. The clipping is dreadful (which I'm sure will be great for speedruns in the future). I can think of about a dozen occasions when I went partially out of bounds. The objects tend to melt into each other, and it just feels unprofessional. There are also several occasions of severe frame drop, multi-second buffering sessions that freeze the game, and pop-in. The game does not run well on my PS4 Slim. Honestly kind of embarassing for Respawn in this department. Music: For a grand Star Wars game, I was hoping for a more memorable OST. Sure, there was a handful of good pieces in the game, but it truly missed a lot of that signature Star Wars flair. Not a bad soundtrack, just heavily forgettable. Plot/Characters: If you want a Star Wars plot, this is it. Without spoiling anything, the story is fulfilling, accurate to Star Wars lore, and fits right in with the other great Star Wars stories. I did not have any complaints with it. It had a strong identity and a fantastic ending. The plot will likely not disappoint you if you are a long-time Star Wars fan. The characters have a lot of chemistry, personality, and purpose. The cast of characters isn't the best I've seen in Star Wars, but is among the best. Level Design: This is where Fallen Order truly hits the mark. A ton of the game is Metroidvania-esque with sprawling dungeons on unique planets. Discovering secrets is a ton of fun. The game is constantly rewarding the player for going off the beaten path and experimenting. I do not want to spoil any of the planets, but there is a lot of great level design to look forward to! Customization: You. Can. Build. Your. Own. Lightsaber. The options here are ridiculously detailed and totally welcome. Again, I do not want to spoil any of the possibilities, but know that the character customization is top notch and absorbed a lot of my time. Furthermore, you can collect all sorts of cosmetic upgrades and options by exploring different areas. The options can be totally overwhelming, but in a good way! I couldn't be much happier with how this was handled. Time for a grade! Fallen Order has some major issues that I am willing to overlook. The strengths in this game are overwhelmingly strong and give the game a lot of depth in the right places. The weaknesses can be overlooked in the general scheme of things, but greatly irritated me in the moment. I recommend this game to all Star Wars fans and general fans of the FromSoftware gameplay formula. Combat: 8/10 Platforming: 7/10 Performance: 5/10 Characters: 10/10 Music: 7/10 Plot: 10/10 World-building/Level Design: 12/10 Voice Acting: 10/10 Customization: 11/10 Homage to the Franchise: 10/10 Total Score: 90/100 Final Thoughts: Fallen Order is a fulfilling, fun, and memorable experience from start to finish. The plot and pacing are well done, the characters are interesting, and the overall homage to the Star Wars franchise as a whole is not only impressive, but thoroughly enjoyable. The game may struggle with accessibility to casual fans in the gameplay department, but excels at appealing to those who are seeking a difficult and fulfilling Star Wars experience. A truly fantastic game and one of the best games of 2019!
