It has been a while since the last giant game in this movie franchise has come out. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a sequel that took four years to arrive and the pandemic definitely hurt its production like so many other game studios out there.
One of the biggest questions on the minds of fans from the first game in 2019 is how Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is different. Right off the bat players can see time has passed, five years, because Cal now has a beard. That’s actually tied to a new mechanic because players can customize Cal’s head and facial hair. What other changes are there of note?
8 Lightsaber Stances
The first game gave players two Lightsaber modes to play with. There was the classic single Lightsaber stance and then there was the late-game addition of the dual Lightsaber combo that Darth Maul made famous. There wasn’t much difference between the two but both paths have been refined in the sequel.
Also, three more stances have been added to the roster. One is like a heavy weapon that looks like Kylo Ren’s Lightsaber. Another gives Cal two split Lightsabers and then there is also a Lightsaber and a Blaster combo.
7 New And Refined Force Powers
As a budding Jedi, Cal didn’t have a lot of Force powers in the original game. From the start of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, that has changed as he is now a better-trained warrior. Players can use the Force to push or pull enemies to and fro. They can use Confuse to turn enemies on each other.
The time abilities have been boosted as well wherein players can get closer to how powerful Kylo Ren was with time manipulation in the new trilogy. This game finally makes Cal feel like a powerful Jedi, giving players tons of tools to work with from new Force powers to better Lightsaber combat. It is the ultimate fan's dream.
6 Animal Mounts
There is another Force ability that Cal can gain early on which will allow him to tame wild beasts. There are flying mounts that look like small pterodactyls along with grounded mounts that look like Chocobos from the Final Fantasy series.
Taming them will not turn them into permanent pets as they are temporary allies. Some mounts will transport Cal a short distance like the various flying animals in the game and some will stand by as Cal dismounts to explore. All of the mounts involved in the game are appreciated because there is a lot to explore.
5 Fast Travel
One of the biggest issues in the first game was fast travel in that it lacked this common feature for area traversal. The environments were not that big as it was a more contained a Metroidvania-like experience. It wasn’t Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s biggest issue but it could be annoying at times.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor fixes this problem and allows players to fast travel between Meditation points in each area. One cannot travel between planets which makes sense and is perfectly fine.
4 Bigger Locations
The game, overall, is much bigger in scope. The first planet is a tighter, more linear affair, but the second planet has a daunting amount of things to do. As it is all rocky, it can be tricky when trying to figure out where one has been.
The map can be helpful but it is in 3D and like Metroid Prime, can be overly complicated at times. Small gripes aside, it feels great to wander around in these semi-open-world areas. Maybe the finale of this trilogy can go full open-world.
3 Here Come The Battle Droids
There were a lot of enemies to slay in the first game from classic Stormtroopers to monsters to The Inquisitors. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor adds more enemy variety by including a bunch of Battle Droids. They talk just as much as they do in the cartoon spinoffs like Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Cal even makes a joke about how he forgot they talk this much. This makes taking them down satisfying if only to gain a little peace and quiet for the galaxy.
2 Battle Allies
This sequel does not include co-op which could be another cool thing to see in a third game. What Star Wars Jedi: Survivor does bring to the table are AI companions.
Bode appears in the first mission and he is a mercenary armed with blasters and a jet pack. He will automatically attack enemies in his vicinity but players can also order Bode around for special attacks. He can also help Cal unlock pathways in the environment. Are there more companions for Cal to control? Let’s not spoil things and leave it at Bode for now.
1 A Grappling Hook
One of the coolest new additions to the game is the grappling hook. Players can combo between wall running, double jumping, and then swinging around with the grappling hook like some sort of Jedi parkour master. Getting the hang of these three mechanics can feel great.
It’s almost a shame there aren’t more pure platforming sections in the game because Respawn Entertainment really knows its way around the genre. Mario could learn a thing or two from Cal.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was released on April 28, 2023, and is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.