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Could Jedi Fallen Order Be The Next Truly Great Star Wars Game?

Yesterday, Lucasfilm Games’ VP Doug Reilly and Respawn’s CEO Vince Zampella sat down with some folks with StarWars.com to talk more about Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. The interview itself (which you can check out here) was pretty scant in new information, but shed some light on the excitement and thought process behind the game’s development so far.

The interview wastes no time in pointing out that Jedi Fallen Order is set to be the first “all-story, single-player” Star Wars title in almost a decade, and in the age of triple-A licensed games either being completely hollow cash-ins or unfinished messes at launch, it’s no small secret that Jedi Fallen Order has a lot of preconceived notions to shatter, especially with the controversial launch of EA’s last Star Wars title – Battlefront II – still all too fresh in fans’ minds.

Though troubled at launch, EA has instilled some much-needed hope into Battlefront II, which leads me to believe that Jedi Fallen Order could truly be something great.
What does Jedi Fallen Order truly represent? Hope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t get me wrong, DICE and EA have done a spectacular job in pulling a complete 180 with Battlefront II, and in turn – so have I. Battlefront II is now one of the most entertaining and cinematic shooters in my collection, and the constant free content updates and community-focused tweaks and adjustments have taken it from a controversial cash-in to the game it’s always meant to be – an incredibly satisfying and engaging shooter that puts you into the boots and cockpits of your favorite Star Wars heroes and scenarios. And that is where we come to Jedi Fallen Order.

JFO puts you in the robes (or lack therof) of Cal, a Jedi padawan on the run after somehow narrowly surviving Order 66. Vince Zampella himself describes Fallen Order as a “hero’s-journey story” that is “very Star Wars”, and also mentioned that you can control the curve of Cal’s power throughout the game, and explore and discover new abilities as you play. This leads me to believe that there will be a good amount of RPG elements in Jedi Fallen Order, which is never a bad thing.

 

Is Respawn looking to the past of Star Wars and EA video games die?
Will Respawn let the troublesome past of Star Wars and EA video games die?

When you think about Star Wars RPGs, your mind probably goes directly to Knights of the Old Republic, which is widely recognized as one of the best games ever made, as well as the unequivocal greatest Star Wars game ever made. The StarWars.com interview brings up KOTOR as well, asking Vince and Doug about whether or not they looked to the past of Star Wars games to get some creative inspiration.

However, much like Kylo Ren, it sounds like the Respawn team is ready to let the past die (or even kill it if they have to) in multiple ways. Vince responded by saying that while KOTOR and the like are games that the entire team has played, they’re ready to set out and create their own game and legacy. This also strikes me as a means to separate themselves from the pre-existing animosity that’s surrounded EA and their exclusive Star Wars license, and follow the path and momentum of Battlefront II’s renaissance to truly create something great that stands on its own, and blows fans the fuck away.

 

Star_Wars_Jedi_Lightsaber

 

Whatever ends up happening with Jedi Fallen Order, I’ve gotta say that I have nothing but good faith in the Respawn team (I fucking loved Titanfall 2’s campaign), and can honestly say that EA Star Wars has been on a roll with Battlefront II. They’re showing that they are listening to their fans and community, and I have a good feeling about Jedi Fallen Order having a real chance to be the next truly great game in the Star Wars franchise. Yes, you heard it here first folks:

I have a good feeling about this.

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Papa Dom

Co-founder, lead blogger, graphic designer, and manager of WGG's writing team - Dom has been writing about video games for over ten years. Dom's work has been featured on some of the world's biggest gaming news outlets - including Dexerto, GameInformer, and IGN.

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