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I'm making this review for the benefit of the upcoming Summer Steam sale, 2025, when I'm sure there'll be a lot of folks thinking about adding STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor to their library.
As a Gen X guy who grew up on Star Wars, whose favourite Star Wars console game was probably Force Unleashed for PS3 and XWing for the old 386DX PC, I'll say that Jedi: Survivor is a fantastic console game with great writing, characters, graphics, and gameplay.
I didn't connect well with this game's predecessor, Jedi: Fallen Order, so I was pretty apprehensive about this one. I didn't like how I felt FO was too heavy a platformer-puzzle game vs. fighting and maybe being a Jedi? I don't know, but I didn't connect with it.
This game started to feel like that, stiff, puzzle-y, so I was unsure. Sticking with the game, however, and as Cal gains more abilities and unlocks new ability trees, the experience truly 'opens up' to allow the player to revisit earlier levels to access what was previously cut off.
From a writing perspective, I'm graciously offered an update to all the plot I didn't see when I chose not to continue playing Fallen Order, and the pieces of the past game mesh nicely with the plot of the current AND ties to the greater STAR WARS canonical past. There are also very good moments where Cal, now separated from the Jedi order, comes to terms with human emotions without guidance. It's good, and allows some credence to some of the otherwise more violent choices that Cal makes in his sometimes very agressive combat.
Speaking of combat, it flows well. The player starts with a basic lightsaber, but in short time they will be given a series of lightsaber stances (like dual wield, or double bladed staff, plus new and older styles), force powers (a variety of interesting ones), and it feels very satisfying to slice through hordes of combat droids with huge swinging arcs of lightsaber combined with force crushing and pushing off high spaces.
Graphics are 2025 standard. What I mean is that if you have an RTX capable card you'll be rewarded. Sound is equally impressive if you are one of the select few of us who know that onboard audio controllers suck. I crank my Edifiers through my SBGC7 and it feels movie-quality.
Play for a few hours and you'll eventually get access to your 'hub' of activity, where you can access stores, do mini games, exercise your right to view your collection of Star Wars trinkets you bought, give yourself a mullet and long handlebar moustache, before going to revisit older levels with your newly-learnt mobility power.
I am a slower player, and I'm about 50 hours in to the game. I have quite a long way to go. I have not completed the main plot (although if I'm wrong in my assumption as to where this plot leads I'll be absolutely shocked: if there's a twist incoming I've seen it all along), so the verdict is out on what happens next. Side note: I used to love how, in Force Unleashed, you could be Starkiller as a Sith with the right skins and powers - I wonder if that's an option for Cal? I don't think so. I doubt it. Cal feels like he's just going to be a good guy.
I'd be remiss to not mention the humour that runs throughout in this game. There are so many very well-written characters that are both brand new and based in some of the more contemporary Star Wars canon (like from the Mandalorian, for example).
Are there those platforming sequences that feel like just a big puzzle? Yes. Yes there are. Cal climbs everywhere - everywhere! He's constantly jumping from clingable wall to rope to ledge to ceiling to wall run and everything in between. But thankfully, the most difficult of these sequences are few and far between and when they are present, I'll tell ya, they tend to be visually stunning experiences.
SO. You have this game on your wishlist and it's on sale for Steam Summer in 2025? Do you like Star Wars? Do you like to use a controller? Do yourself a favour and grab this game.
I'm confident to say that Jedi Survivor is my new favourite Star Wars game (although playing Starkiller as a Sith was pretty rad)