Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has a lot of changes to the first game.
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00:00Early on playing Star Wars Jedi Survivor I made aware of how different a game this is.
00:13I came across a sleeping Biomore, and thanks to Cal's new Force Confusion ability, I'm
00:18able to influence the beast for a short time, and turn it on nearby enemies. Rising from
00:23its slumber, the creature spews out an unpleasant brown gunk all over the unfortunate fellows
00:29The sludge spouting animal makes quick work of the stormtroopers for me, but it's not
00:34long before the effects wear off, and I'm its next target, so I better leave. Every
00:39movement from Cal feels more fluid, he has clearly grown from the padawan he once was,
00:45and his connection to the force is stronger than ever. While the combat itself is very
00:49familiar, new force abilities, additional stances, a wealth of cosmetic customisation
00:54options and the introduction of new means of traversal mean this is a very different
00:58game. It feels bigger in every sense, and just as I use the Biomore to take out my foes
01:04instead of attacking them head on, the new powers have been brought in to encourage different
01:08approaches in combat. We wanted to introduce new powers that could make you approach encounters
01:12in different ways, so that's kind of our high level goal as designers. You know, push
01:17and pull, you could do different things to certain enemies that make you play a certain
01:21way, or an encounter may end faster, stuff like that, so more agency for the player to
01:26approach encounters in different ways. I think it was kind of always the goal, and we see
01:32what power works and what doesn't and we work with Lucasfilm and make sure it feels authentic
01:36where it can, says design director Jason DeGeras. My time with Star Wars Jedi Survivor begins
01:42an hour into the adventure on the planet of Kobo, after the Mantis crashes. From the off
01:47this planet feels much bigger than anything I've explored before in Fallen Order, promising
01:51so much to discover and explore. Survivor still retains the Metroidvania style set up
01:56of old, with blocked paths that you must navigate or puzzle your way through, but it's vastly
02:02more open. Kobo is also teeming with life, and not just of the hostile variety, so many
02:08local residents dotted around the locations will speak of notable areas or occurrences
02:13that will trigger side missions. I set out to find ship parts, but it's the mention of
02:17one familiar name that sends my excitement soaring. Grease. The lovable forearm pilot
02:22now owns a cantina on Kobo, and nothing motivates me more than the prospect of a reunion. So
02:28as keen as I am to see Grease again, there are happy distractions along the way, and
02:32you're always rewarded for doing so, be that by the way of new unlockable cosmetics, force
02:37echoes or force tears. Just like Fallen Order, it's always hard to tear yourself away from
02:42the exploration, but it's even harder in this game since the planet has so much more
02:47to offer. Not only that, but the expanded means of traversal brings freshness to exploration.
02:52Now that Kal has restored his abilities, he's more agile and can make use of new ways to
02:57reach areas. The ascension cable grappling hook for instance is a welcome addition that
03:02zips across walls and latches onto vines to be climbed. Kal can also now wall jump between
03:07tight spaces to access higher platforms, and I occasionally found myself climbing across
03:13ceilings. The ability to tame creatures is also a great addition, with the Neko for travelling
03:18across distances on land, and the flying belter that lets me glide through the air. To aid
03:23this sense of fluidity, you can now fast travel from meditation points. FINALLY! As DeHarris
03:29explains, making Kal feel better in terms of combat and traversal was something the
03:33team were eager to bring to the experience of Survivor, along with additional lightsaber
03:37stances of which there are 5 in total. The twin stance was something we always wanted
03:41to do in the first game, but we had to cut it for time, so obviously that was one of
03:45the first things we worked on to flesh it out. And then from there, we kind of had our
03:49three stances. And then we kind of say, okay, where do we want to go with the other two?
03:53And that's kind of what was the driving force behind that. So for game design and gameplay,
03:58make Kal feel better in traversal and combat. While the improvements and new features in
04:02combat and traversal definitely excite me, the characters and the bonds they share continue
04:06to be the biggest draw for me. Once I finally find my way to Grease's Cantina in the town
04:11of Rambler's Reach, the saloon is full of its regulars who can all be interacted with,
04:15which just makes everything come to life with so much character. Of course, it's not complete
04:19until Grease finally enters the picture, and just as it's a reunion for Kal, it really
04:25feels like I'm seeing an old friend again. The relationship between the pair and the
04:28conversations they share continue to be highlights, just as they were in Fallen Order. What's
04:33most interesting though, is that my presence in Rambler's Reach actually has an effect
04:37on the town, with new shops and activities opening up as a result. As I discover, Survival
04:42will see you encounter different outposts that you can influence by recruiting residents
04:46around the locations to come and assist your journey. I don't get to see too much of this
04:51new feature, but I love the idea of having a direct effect on the places I visit as Kal.
04:56And with the chance to open up new elements in the outpost, there's added incentive to
04:59do more. When my session came to an end, I didn't want to stop playing Star Wars Jedi
05:04Survivor, which I think says it all. There is so much to do and see, so many new things
05:08to discover, and yet, with so many features returning, I felt right at home in this follow
05:13up to Fallen Order. The wealth of new features, quality of life improvements, new narrative
05:18stakes, make everything feel bigger and better, as an experience that builds on just about
05:23everything that came before. It's clear Respawn is striving to make this a Star Wars adventure
05:28anybody can enjoy. So, what are you most looking forward to now that you've seen a
05:32bit more of Star Wars Jedi Survivor? Let us know in the comments below.
05:59Oh, but then I won't see the scenery. Hmm, now that's a dilemma.
06:07Dilemma solved.