As far as remakes go, they don't come much better than this year's Dead Space. Taking the 2008 Sci-Fi horror classic and improving on it in every conceivable way, the Dead Space Remake received universal acclaim when it released back in January of this year, and for good reason. Improved enemy AI, improved graphics and animations, additional voice acting, and new gameplay mechanics were all just a few of the phenomenal improvements the Dead Space Remake made over the original, and there's one feature that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor may have borrowed from.
Much like the Dead Space Remake, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor sought to outdo its predecessor in every way imaginable, and for the most part, it seems to have succeeded in its daring mission. But while Jedi: Survivor's improved combat mechanics, level design, and platforming systems are all obvious improvements, one of the best refinements over its predecessor is actually one of the game's most subtle features: its menus.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's UI and Menu Changes Are Some of the Game's Best Improvements
One of the longest-lasting criticisms of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was its clunky menu UI, in particular with its map interface. When pulling up BD-1's holographic map in Jedi: Fallen Order, players would often have a tough time discerning exactly where they were on the map and how to proceed to the next area. Blocked and open paths were poorly labeled, as were hidden collectibles, making it needlessly difficult to 100% complete the game. And with Fallen Order's lack of shortcuts and fast travel, even those trying to just get through the main story could run into navigation issues.
Thankfully, Respawn has clearly listened to fan feedback, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's menu UI is definitively better. The most obvious improvement can be found in the game's wonderful new 3D map. Though its premise is the same as Fallen Order's, Jedi: Survivor's holographic map uses a lot more solid colors to highlight environments and open and blocked paths, ensuring that they stand out from whatever background BD-1 is projecting it on. This map is only made all the more clear when players unlock upgrades for BD-1 that mark out unseen Force Echoes, scans, and otherwise hidden collectibles, which makes the Platinum trophy hunting process so much easier. It's much rarer for a player to get lost during Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's main story, and much of that is due to this refined map.
But Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's UI improvements don't just stop at BD-1's map. Every menu has been given a system overhaul in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, both in terms of mechanics and visuals. One of the biggest and best examples can be found in the game's newly streamlined customization menus. In Jedi: Fallen Order, customizing Cal Kestis' appearance and lightsaber was straightforward, but it lacked finesse. Jedi: Survivor provides that by letting players cycle through each individual component of the lightsaber with just a tap of the analog stick, with the customization options being presented there in real-time as opposed to requiring another button press to select each item. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's skill tree menu has also been given an immersive visual overhaul, with huge stone slabs now rising from the ground like ancient Jedi tablets as opposed to just a standard skill tree menu on a plain background.
This year's Dead Space Remake did a similar thing with its own menu UI, greatly improving on the original's. Dead Space Remake's mini-map was updated to give players a better view of their surroundings at a glance, and expanding the map in the main menu offers a clear overview of the room the player is in, and those connecting to it. On top of that, Dead Space Remake's inventory also received a much-needed overhaul, keeping all of the in-game information the player needs while streamlining the look of everything, and the management system. Both games were huge successes in this department.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
