There has been a veritable feast of Star Wars games released over the years, covering a variety of genres, consoles, and characters. Some have been more successful than others, but on the whole, there's a solid list of titles for fans of the franchise to play. The list is only getting bigger, with some exciting new releases on the horizon like the mysterious Star Wars Eclipse from Quantic Dream and the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The sequel, titled Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, will also follow Cal Kestis and his droid companion BD-1 as they continue to evade the Empire.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has a lot of interesting lore to build upon, from the intriguing alien race known as the Zeffo to the continued exploration of life for the Jedi after the execution of Order 66. The trailer released earlier this year has hinted at a few new mysteries, but there are some aspects of the Star Wars canon that fans are hoping the game dives into as well, like the concept of the Will of the Force.
Philosophical And Religious Themes In Star Wars
On the surface, Star Wars may seem like an epic adventure full of spaceships and bizarre aliens, and while it certainly contains those elements, there's a lot more to the sci-fi franchise than blaster fights and colorful creatures. Star Wars features some incredible world building that has fleshed out the fantastical galaxy with complex societies, mythologies, and religions. On top of the classic examinations of good versus evil, the standard trajectory of a hero's journey, and the prophecies of Chosen Ones, Star Wars explores many different ideologies and philosophies through its incredibly vast canon.
One philosophical concept in the world of Star Wars that deserves more screen time is the Will of the Force. This is a particular school of thought created by the Jedi in order to explain events that otherwise don't have an obvious explanation, and could be likened to the will of a god or gods behind occurrences that humans might not necessarily be able to explain away. This theory followed by some Jedi meant that they could remain passive and just go where they felt the Will of the Force needed them to, as all future events were already decided.
Another aspect of this was the Living Force, which encouraged Jedi to live in the moment and trust their feelings and instincts. They believed that the Force would guide them and there was no point fighting against it. This continued into the Unifying Force, which was the belief that everything was already predestined, and all aspects of life were unified into one ultimate destiny that everything was always working towards.
How Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Could Explore Them
One of the reasons that Star Wars is so successful is that the society it presents is anything but straightforward. It has so many different levels, niches, and races, each with its own intricate history and ideologies. Even within the Jedi, there isn't a common consensus or belief system. While some may believe in the Will of the Force, others would argue that the Force allows for more free will than the Unifying Force concept would allow. This is a perfect reflection of real-life belief systems and religions, as even within the same religion there can be vastly different interpretations of religious dogma.
Cal is already an outsider, living away from other Jedi for years as he tried to hide his powers after the Empire's crackdown. The Jedi as he's known them are gone, but there are still some spread across the galaxy. This is the perfect opportunity to rebuild a new version of the Jedi Order, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor could continue to explore this. Cal and the other surviving Jedi have a chance to re-examine the beliefs of the Jedi and the way they viewed the Force, especially considering the grave missteps the Jedi Council made over the years.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's story could also play with ideas of destiny and predetermination as described in the Will of the Force concept. The game is in an interesting position as it takes place before six of the films in the main Skywalker Saga, so many players will already know how the major events in the world will work out. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor could explore the idea of how important Cal's actions actually are if everything is working toward an ultimate fate anyway, which is an intriguing dimension to the Star Wars story.
What We Know About The Next Game So Far
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was incredibly well-received by fans, and many are looking forward to diving back into the world of Cal and BD-1. The first game left a few loose ends, so it will be interesting to see how Star Wars Jedi: Survivor tries to tie these up, as well as whatever other elements it brings in. The story takes place five years after the end of the first game, which leaves plenty of time for Cal to continue to hone his Jedi skills and gather more people to help combat the Sith threat.
Other elements of the upcoming game are even less clear than the story, but it's probably a safe assumption that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will follow in the footsteps of the previous game and include some Soulslike mechanics and challenging gameplay. Cal might have some juicy new Jedi abilities to work with as well as his lightsaber skills, which would help to differentiate the sequel from the first game.
Much of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor remains a mystery, but it seems likely that it will continue to pull from established Star Wars canon while also creating its own unique elements. If this is the case, then incorporating concepts like the Will of the Force makes sense and could also add some complexity to the narrative.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor releases in 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
