TechRadar Verdict
Jedi Survivor is an ambitious and faithful Star Wars adventure. Though far from flawless, its engaging soulsborne-style combat and immersive visuals thrill and delight.
Responsive and deep combat
Strongly delivers on the Jedi fantasy
A detailed and immersive sci-fi world
Mixed traversal sections
Characters aren’t given enough time to shine
Suffers from a muddled second act
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Cal Kestis, Jedi Knight, just can’t catch a break. Whether it’s his constant persecution at the hands of the Empire, the exhaustive gauntlet of tricky climbs and jumps he must face, or the yawning gulfs of emotional distance he seems compelled to place between himself and his friends, poor Cal rarely seems to be having a good day.
However, given that this is the dark second act of apotential trilogy, bleakness is very much in vogue, andStar Wars Jedi: Survivoris stronger for it. Available onXbox X|S,PS5, and PC, Respawn Entertainment’s latest title delivers on the Jedi Knight fantasy, couching its mostly engaging story with a commitment to immersion that leaps from the game’s environments at every turn.Star WarsJedi: Survivoris an ambitious and impressive beast, held back by a slow second act and overreliance onUncharted-esque traversal sections.
Across the 20-hour main campaign, Cal’s adventure takes us from theplanet-sized metropolis of Coruscant, to the frontier world of Koboh, and to a handful of places in-between. Following on from the events ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal spends the course of the adventure balancing his need to escape the longarmof the empire with his desire to save others from its pernicious boot.
Time played:20 hoursPlatform reviewed:PS5Available on:PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
Survival instincts
Star Wars Jedi: Survivoris a game of stark contrasts. At its best, it’s a thrilling sci-fi romp, oozing with enough Star Wars goodness to keep even the most dedicated fans happy. At its worst, though, it’s a bland pseudo-open-world monolith, reminiscent ofAssassin’s Creed: Valhallain its aimlessness. Much to its credit, Respawn’s latest offers far more examples of the former than the latter, even though it fails to produce an entirely perfect bouquet.
For example: early on in the game, you run into a very old force user who, finding Cal suitably unimpressive, challenges him to a duel. I won’t spoil anything, suffice it to say that the scene is a glorious and iconoclastic mix of Star Wars elements old and new, answering pressing questions but raising new ones. Also contained within one of the game’s earlier chapters was a traversal section sufficiently counterintuitive that I spent an hour bashing my head against a wall before I realized that the weathered surface I was attempting to cross could, in fact, be used for wall-running. In hindsight, it blows my mind that these two experiences came courtesy of the same game.
Protagonist Cal Kestis is part Jedi, part Olympic climber, and all goatee
This is not to say that all (or even most) ofJedi: Survivor’s traversal sections are banal. At best, the platforming sections add new and interesting mechanics to the mix, forcing you to think laterally. One mountain path, in particular, required me to manage wind currents to help with my jumps, leading to lots of satisfying “aha” moments.
The presence of these more compelling traversal sections is for the best, since getting from A to B accounts for a surprising chunk of the game. Cal is consistently confronted with dizzying gauntlets of platforming puzzles and wall running with a speed and consistency that would make even Nathan Drake lose his lunch. Cal Kestis is part Jedi, part Olympic climber, and all goatee.
Across the stars
Strangely enough, there are few things more Star Wars than the contrasts that underpinJedi: Survivor. After all, it’s a franchise that gave us bothThe Empire Strikes BackandAttack of the Clones: hits and misses are almost as Star Wars as The Force itself.
In this regard,Jedi: Survivor’s story is indelibly Star Wars. A thrilling opening section gives way to a meandering second act which, in turn, becomes dramatically upended through an unexpected and impressive plot twist.
Jedi: Survivor’s cast simply isn’t given enough time in the spotlight
The game sets up a cast of memorable and likable characters, often arming them with charm and sparkling dialogue. However, it often feels like these figures are wasted in the context of the game’s pacing.Jedi: Survivor’scast simply isn’t given enough time in the spotlight. The avuncular Greez and the brooding yet soulful Merrin are treats and I was disappointed that I didn’t get to spend more time with them. I’d have much preferred to spend more time learning about Merrin’s soul-searching journey across the galaxy or Greez’s family history than traipse through yet another treacherous swamp.
An elegant weapon
That said whenJedi: Survivorshines, it is truly resplendent. I poured over the game’s lightsaber customization menus for a full half hour before I was satisfied with my choice of weapon, and that was just the tip of the personalization iceberg. The five lightsaber stances available in combat offer meaningfully different and uniquely satisfying means by which you might dispatch your enemies. In conjunction with the game’s skill trees, you are given a wide range of tools by which you might confront the game’s tightly paced and deeply satisfying souls-like combat.
By telling a Star Wars story with this personal element, Jedi: Survivor has done something special
In contrast to the likes ofElden Ring, however, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor boasts a range of difficulty levels, providing a range of different experiences. You can have anything from a light, story-centric journey to a full-on Dark Souls slogfest. This sort of mutability runs through the title, allowing you to curate a Jedi adventure that’s truly your own. Despite its flaws, I finished my time with Jedi: Survivor feeling like I’d charted my own path through the game’s trials and tribulations.
By telling a Star Wars story with this personal element,Jedi: Survivorhas done something special. Despite its occasional blunders, the title is a treat for Star Wars fans, even if it left me wanting more cutscenes and fewer overwrought traversal sections.
An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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