Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor ahead. Proceed at your own risk.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor improved upon almost every aspect of its predecessor, but with the looming release of Star Wars Outlaws, the next game in Respawn's saga might consider walking back one of its new features. The added lightsaber stances were a welcome addition for personalizing the power fantasy and combat diversity in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, but its blaster stance has both narrative and gameplay reasons for not making it to the next title.
Midway through the final year of EA's 10-year exclusivity deal for developing Star Wars games, the publisher bid farewell to its stewardship of the franchise on a high note in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Studios like Ubisoft now taking up the Star Wars mantle will be held to the standard of Respawn's vaunted sequel, and between Star Wars Outlaws, Star Wars Eclipse, and the remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the next few years should hopefully maintain Respawn's precedent with a string of excellent games.
Though a Singular Franchise, Star Wars Wears Many Faces
The Ubisoft Showcase's detailed look into Star Wars Outlaws gameplay took many by surprise, boasting not only a thrilling high-budget cinematic trailer, but over 10 minutes of in-depth gameplay for Massive Entertainment's new title. Star Wars' more roguish, gritty, and grounded side was on full display, foregoing the lightsabers and robes for bandolier vests and blaster pistols. While gamers have dealt with promising promotional material that eventually fell short of expectations, what was shown of Star Wars Outlaws was incredibly promising.
The contrast between the Star Wars Jedi games and Star Wars Outlaws can be partially summed up by the motif of its weaponry. A Jedi, even one in hiding following Order 66, uses their lightsaber prominently. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's lightsaber combat was a definite strong suit, with its multiple stances, branching upgradable talents, as well as impeccable visual and audio design that made playing as Cal Kestis an immersive and joyous affair. While Star Wars Outlaws is not out yet, and thus can't be definitively outlined, the gameplay showcase highlighted the shift to stealth and shooting. While still unmistakably Star Wars, it has less pomp than playing as a Jedi, with a protagonist that has to survive on wits and bravado, rather than superhuman skills and iconic weaponry.
The Next Star Wars Jedi Game Should Double Down on The Jedi
For Respawn's next entry in the Star Wars Jedi series, the studio will most likely do a similar iteration upon the game's cores systems, improving most aspects of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor the same way it did with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Combat should be high on the list of things it will look to bolster, pushing its quality to new heights. The easiest route would be to simply add more, be it additional stances, combos, finishers, or customizations. However, with Star Wars Outlaws set to up the precedent for blaster-based combat, it might be wise for Respawn to shy away from the blaster stance it added to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in favor of something that plays to the game's biggest strength in combat: lightsabers.
There is a lore-friendly reason for the next Star Wars Jedi game to do away with the blaster stance. Namely, that the character who bequeathed the fighting style to Cal, in a classic twist, turned out to be the game's central antagonist. It would make sense for Cal to figuratively bury his knowledge of the fighting style while literally burying the blaster that Bode gifted him. It would also clear the way to hone in one more creative designs for new lightsaber stances, perhaps drawing inspiration from the extended universe. It would be a shame if the next Star Wars Jedi game had blaster-based combat that paled in comparison to Star Wars Outlaw's, which is why both games should just intently focus on their respective lanes.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is out now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
