Post
by Raid » Wed Feb 14, 2024 10:10 pm
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
Given how much of a Star Wars nut I am, and how excited I was for this, it's surprising I managed to hold off on it for this long to let them sort the various issues the PC version had (I don't have a current-gen console, so couldn't play it on anything else). It's been largely worth the wait though. I haven't touched Fallen Order since I completed it years ago, but I immediately sank back into this like a good pair of slippers. It helps that the first significant boss you come across reminds you of the importance of parrying to break an opponent's guard, as the game is far more difficult if you don't do it. I didn't learn to do that until, well, the same boss in the first game (about two thirds of the way through) where it was fundamentally necessary, and it was hard to break out of the jump/evade muscle memory by that point. It's *so* much more generous with the timing of parries than other games of this ilk, and it remains the only one I've ever gotten along with because of it. I'm playing on the second-hardest difficulty, and find I'm finishing most of the bosses in one or two attempts - they're satisfying fights, but they don't outstay their welcome. I probably spent as much time running back to boss fights in Elden Ring as I've spent playing the entirety of my ten hours in Jedi Survivor.
There's been a little too much platforming in this one. It's not the climbing sections are especially long or difficult, but they're the game's weakest content and the bits most ruined by the slightly frustrating camera. Thankfully the game is extremely generous with unlocking shortcuts, and it's rare that you ever have to repeat any platforming sections. Still, I'd much rather be swinging my lightsaber, as the combat's as fast and satisfying as ever, and the new stances feel varied enough to warrant their inclusion.
But the best thing? It has Battle Droids. I love the B1 Droids from the Clone Wars series; they're bafflingly inept, but their voice acting managed to make them charming and almost adorable. Survivor got the same voice actor in to voice the game's B1s, and just standing around listening to their often quite funny voice lines has become a simple pleasure before you one-shot them with their own deflected blaster bolts.
The story's engaging, the acting is surprisingly decent (helped by some of the best mo-cap faces I've seen in a game), and it's filled with charm. I'm loving it so far.