E3 2019: Jedi Fallen Order New Gameplay Impressions

E3 2019 is officially here, and we’ve got a ton of ‘tent for you to enjoy in the coming week. If you’re a regular reader, you know I’ve closely covered EA’s trials and tribulations with their Star Wars license… So it makes sense that we kick our E3 2019 coverage off with impressions of EA’s biggest ticket – Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order.

The new gameplay starts with Cal gets some marching orders from Saw Gerrera on Kashyyyk. Cal and his adorable droid need to infiltrate an Imperial refinery and shut it down, which surely is easier said than done. This gameplay was all still in Alpha, but we got a peek at some maps, menus, and interfaces which all look pretty clean.

The fact alone that we’re getting Saw Gerrera is pretty amazing, and it looks like they had Forrest Whitaker come in to do some face capture. I couldn’t tell whether or not it was his actual voice, but if it wasn’t – whoever’s voicing him did a great job.

The gameplay is fast, intense, and extremely pulse-pounding. Vince Zampella and Stig Asmussen said the person behind the controller was “extremely skilled”, so something tells me Jedi Fallen Order is going to be a pretty intense experience. Lots of folks are already drawing “Souls” comparisons, but since that’s the biggest cop-out going when it comes to gaming takes, I’m gonna avoid buying into that just yet.

In terms of visuals and sounds, everything seems to be in order here. All the typical soundtracks and bytes that you’d come to expect are all in full effect, not that that’s ever been EA’s weak point when it comes to their Star Wars products. I didn’t expect anything less than a completely immersive environment in Fallen Order, and it looks like that’s what we’re getting.

Capping things off with the overall story, Stig and Vince made clear that this is a “Jedi” story, meaning that there will be no option to make a Dark Side switch like The Force Unleashed. That’s absolutely fine by me, and I’d rather have a linear, focused story than something that involved Canon and non-Canon endings. I love what Respawn is doing here, and I truly can’t wait to see more.

What we’re seeing from Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order thus far is nothing short of action-packed, atmospheric, and awesome. EA knows they need a banger here, and Respawn seems intent on delivering just that. I have full faith that this is going to be the Star Wars experience we’ve all been waiting for, but only time will tell if EA and Respawn’s latest bundle of joy will truly live up to expectations. Fingers crossed, folks. Fingers crossed.

—

Love the brand? Support your boys! Buy a shirt at the official WGG Shop right here, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to us on Spotify and Twitch! Also, if you’re looking for a high-quality monitor mount that won’t break the bank – use code WICKEDGOOD over at Echogear to get 15% off your purchase!