| Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Respawn Entertainment |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Director | Stig Asmussen |
| Producers |
|
| Designers | Jason de Heras Jeff Magers |
| Programmer | Jiesang Song |
| Artists | Ken Feldman Chris Sutton |
| Writers | Aaron Contreras Chris Avellone |
| Composers | Stephen Barton Gordy Haab |
| Series | Star Wars Jedi |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platforms | |
| Release |
|
| Genre | Action-adventure |
| Mode | Single-player |
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a 2019action-adventure game developed byRespawn Entertainment and published byElectronic Arts. The story is set in theStar Warsuniverse, five years afterStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. It followsCal Kestis, aJedi Padawan who becomes a target of theGalactic Empire and is hunted throughout the galaxy by theImperial Inquisitors while attempting to complete his training, reconcile with his troubled past, and rebuild the fallenJedi Order. The player can use Kestis'lightsaber andForce powers to defeat enemies, includingstormtroopers, wild beasts and bounty hunters. The game adopts aMetroidvania-stylelevel design where new areas are accessed as Cal unlocks skills and abilities.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was directed byStig Asmussen, who joined Respawn in 2014. The game began development as an original title unrelated toStar Wars, but Electronic Arts felt the action would work well as aStar Wars game, convincingLucasfilm to authorize and consult on the project. The game's visuals were influenced byRogue One andStar Wars Rebels, while the combat and levels were inspired byMetroid Prime,Dark Souls, andThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The game's voice cast includesCameron Monaghan as Cal Kestis andDebra Wilson as his mentor Cere Junda.Ben Burtt provided the voice for Cal's companion droid BD-1, whileForest Whitaker reprised his role fromRogue One asSaw Gerrera. The music, composed byStephen Barton andGordy Haab, was recorded atAbbey Road Studios with theLondon Symphony Orchestra and theBach Choir of London.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was released forPlayStation 4,Windows, andXbox One in November 2019, and forPlayStation 5 andXbox Series X/S in June 2021. The game received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised the game's combat, characters, performance, and world design, though it received criticisms for the technical issues at release. It sold over 10 million units by 2020. It was nominated for several end-of-the-year accolades, including Best Action/Adventure Game atThe Game Awards 2020, as well as won several awards includingAdventure Game of the Year at the23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. A sequel,Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, was released in April 2023.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is anaction-adventure video game played from athird-person perspective. The player can use their lightsaber to strike at enemies, or block incoming attacks. Blocking an attack depletes a character's block meter, opening them up to attack when the meter hits zero. If the player blocks just before an attack, this willparry the attack or deflect a projectile, causing their opponent's block meter to fall more quickly, opening them up for attack. Some enemies will glow red when they attempt to launch an unblockable attack. The player can either sidestep, dodge, or interrupt the attack by using Force abilities.[1] The player has one lightsaber at the beginning of the game, and they can earn the ability to dual-wield lightsabers or use a double-bladed lightsaber later in the game.[2][3]
The player has access to severalForce powers, which are used in both combat and puzzle scenarios. The player begins the game with a "force slow" ability that slows down enemies, and slowly earns more force powers such as wall-run, double-jump, force-push, and force-pull, allowing them to reach previously inaccessible areas.[1] The usage of these Force powers is governed by the Force meter, which will replenish when the player damages an enemy using regular attacks.[4] As players progress in the game, they gain skill points which can be used to upgrade their combat skills, which are divided into three major categories: Survival, Lightsaber, and Force.[2] Enemy types include wild beasts native to certain planets, as well as stormtroopers, droids, and Jedi-hunting Purge Troopers.[1] The game'sbosses include Inquisitors, bounty hunters, larger wild beasts, and large vehicles such as AT-STs.[5] Some of the bosses are part of the main story, while others are optional.[1] Throughout the game, the player is accompanied by a droid named BD-1. The droid helps the player access chests and terminals, as well as healing them using Stim Canisters.[4]
The game adopts the "Metroidvania" style of exploration and progression. It features five major explorable planets that players can return to regularly; Bogano, Zeffo, Kashyyyk, Dathomir and Ilum.[6] The starshipStinger Mantis serves as the small hub area where the player can talk tonon-playable characters, and is used to travel between planets.[7] On each planet, the locations are interconnected, and players can find shortcuts to traverse areas more quickly. Many areas can only be accessed once the player unlocks new abilities or items.[8] When requested, BD-1 projects a holographic map of the planet, including the location of the player's objectives. Doors that can be opened are highlighted in green, and gates that cannot be opened yet are highlighted in red.[4] As the player explores different locations, BD-1 occasionally requests to scan items, granting players a small amount of experience points. Exploration reveals chests, which unlock cosmetic items that change the appearance of the player, their ship, and BD-1. The player can find "essence" items that give a permanent increases to theirhealth or force meter, as well as "echoes" that reveal more of the game's story.[9] BD-1 can be upgraded to help with navigation and combat, though some upgrades can be easily missed.[10] Each level contains "meditation circles" where the player cansave the game, spend skill points to update their character, refill Stim Canisters, and rest to recover health, healing items, and force energy. However, resting causes all enemies to respawn. Dying in battle costs players experience points, though lost XP can be regained by damaging the opponent that has previously killed the player.[11]
With the addition of aStar Wars Day update released in 2020, players can access the Meditation Arena through the meditation circles. The arena offers combat challenges where the player fights waves of enemies based on locations from the main game. Completing a challenge awards the player with up to three stars, based on the player's health. These stars can be used to unlock cosmetic changes for BD-1. The Meditation Arena includes a battle grid, where players can select their abilities and opponents for a custom challenge.[12]
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order takes place five years after the events ofRevenge of the Sith, in which the democraticGalactic Republic was replaced by the totalitarianGalactic Empire, which effectively controlsthe galaxy and oversaw the near-extermination of the Republic's peacekeepers, theJedi Order. The game followsJediPadawanCal Kestis (Cameron Monaghan), one of the few survivors of the Empire'sGreat Jedi Purge, who embarks on a mission to try and rebuild the Jedi Order while being hunted by the Second Sister (Elizabeth Grullón) and her partner, the Ninth Sister (Misty Lee), both trained by theSith LordDarth Vader (Scott Lawrence) as part of theImperial Inquisitors program. They were first introduced inMarvel Comics' comic book seriesStar Wars: Darth Vader - Dark Lord of the Sith.
During his journey, Cal is joined by several allies, including former Jedi Knight-turned-mercenary Cere Junda (Debra Wilson); her friend Greez Dritus (Daniel Roebuck), owner and pilot of theStinger Mantis; BD-1 (Ben Burtt), a smalldroid previously owned by Jedi Master Eno Cordova (Tony Amendola); and Merrin (Tina Ivlev), one of the last surviving members of theNightsister clan ofDathomir. Other characters includeSaw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), the leader of the Partisan rebel movement against the Empire that was featured in previousStar Wars media;Dark Jedi Taron Malicos (Liam McIntyre), who usurped leadership ofDathomir; Wookiee chieftain Tarfful, who leads the Wookiee resistance against the Empire and first appeared inStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith; and Cal's former Jedi Master, Jaro Tapal (Travis Willingham), who is featured in flashbacks alongside severalclone troopers (Dee Bradley Baker).
Five years after theRepublic's conversion into the Empire and the Great Jedi Purge, former Padawan Cal Kestis is hiding from the Empire on the planet Bracca, where he works as a scrapper salvaging ships from theClone Wars. An Imperial probe catches Cal using the Force to save his friend Prauf, and twoInquisitors—the Second Sister and the Ninth Sister—are sent to capture the Jedi. After the Second Sister kills Prauf for speaking up against the Empire, Cal makes his escape. He is rescued by formerJedi Knight Cere Junda and pilot Greez Dritus, who transport him on their ship, theMantis.
Cere takes Cal to the planet Bogano in the hopes that he can access an ancient vault. On the way to the vault, Cal befriends a smalldroid named BD-1, who shows him a message from Cere's former Jedi Master, Eno Cordova. It reveals that the vault was built by an ancient civilization called the Zeffo and that a Jedi Holocron containing a list of Force-sensitive children has been hidden inside by Cordova. Cere believes the list could help rebuild the Jedi Order, but the only way to access the vault is by following Cordova's path. Cal heads to the Zeffo homeworld and explores an ancient temple, finding a clue pointing to Cordova's friend, theWookiee chieftainTarfful. Heading toKashyyyk, Cal encounters notorious insurgentSaw Gerrera, whose Partisans are aiding the local Wookiee resistance. Cal helps Saw liberate an Imperial slave labour camp in exchange for arranging a meeting with Tarfful. Unable to locate Tarfful, Cal revisits Zeffo in search of additional clues but is unexpectedly ambushed by the Second Sister, who unveils herself as Trilla Suduri, Cere's former Padawan. Trilla explains her capture by the Empire after Cere's betrayal undertorture and warns Cal of the inevitable betrayal by Cere as well. Cal discovers the necessity of a Zeffo artifact known as an Astrium to access the vault, but is captured by abounty hunter working for the Haxion Brood crime syndicate over Greez's debts to them, forcing him into a gladiatorial arena owned by the Haxion boss, Sorc Tormo. Following a rescue mission by Cere and Greez, Cal returns to Kashyyyk, where Tarfful instructs him to investigate the pinnacle of the Origin Tree. At that location, Cal uncovers another recording by Cordova, revealing the presence of an Astrium within a Zeffo tomb onDathomir, but his exploration is interrupted by an encounter with the Ninth Sister, whom he manages to defeat.
On Dathomir, Cal's progress is impeded by an army ofrevenants led by Nightsister Merrin, who blames the Jedi forthe massacre of her people during the Clone Wars. Cal has a flashback of his former master Jaro Tapal sacrificing himself to protect Cal duringOrder 66, unconsciously destroying his lightsaber'skyber crystal in the process. He meets former Jedi Taron Malicos, who crash-landed on Dathomir during the Purge and succumbed to the dark side of the Force, usurping leadership of the planet. Malicos seeks to learn the Nightsisters' magic and tries to tempt Cal to the dark side, but the latter refuses and flees after Merrin attacks them both. Aboard theStinger Mantis, Cere admits she cut her connection to the Force after briefly falling to the dark side upon learning Trilla became an Inquisitor. After traveling toIlum to rebuild his lightsaber, Cal returns to Dathomir, where he retrieves the Astrium and overcomes his guilt over Jaro's death. He then defeats Malicos with the unexpected aid of Merrin, who agrees to join theStinger Mantis crew.
Back on Bogano, Cal unlocks the vault, experiencing a vision where he rebuilds the Jedi Order, but they are defeated and tortured by the Empire, whom he eventually joins. After escaping the vision, Trilla attacks him and steals the Holocron. Cere reassumes her role as a Jedi andknights Cal before they infiltrate the Fortress Inquisitorius onMustafar's oceanic moon Nur to recover the Holocron. After battling their way through almost an entire company ofstormtroopers, they reach Trilla, whom Cal defeats, taking back the Holocron. Cere reconciles with Trilla, but before the latter can be fully redeemed,Darth Vader suddenly appears and murders Trilla for her failure. Unable to defeat Vader, Cal and Cere escape from his grasp and are saved from drowning by Merrin. The crew celebrates their success on theStinger Mantis, until they realize that the children listed on the Holocron will only be in more danger if they become Jedi. Cal destroys the Holocron with his lightsaber and asks his crew where they should go next.
Following his exit fromSony'sSanta Monica Studio,Stig Asmussen, who had previously directedGod of War III, joinedRespawn Entertainment in 2014. He served as the studio's game director, leading the studio's second development team while the first development team was working on theTitanfall games. Prior to the game's development, Respawn discussed the possibility of making aStar Wars game with publisherElectronic Arts (EA), who controlled an exclusive license fromLucasfilm to develop newStar Wars games. This plan did not go through.[13][14] When this plan did not go through, Respawn began development on an original game concept, and EA felt the project could work well as aStar Wars game.[15] As owner of theStar Wars intellectual property, Lucasfilm was protective of theJedi as a "sacred" part of the franchise and encouraged Respawn to make a shooter game about a smuggler or bounty hunter. However, Asmussen pushed back with his vision, convincing Lucasfilm to focus on a game with Jedi and lightsaber combat. Lucasfilm would continue to check in with Asmussen and Respawn, ensuring the game's fidelity to theStar Wars setting.[16] Visually, the game was heavily inspired byRogue One andSolo.[17] The team also took inspirations fromStar Wars Rebels, which took place in the same period.[18]
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Aaron Contreras led the game's writing team, which includedChris Avellone, and several writers experienced with theStar Wars setting from their work onStar Wars: The Clone Wars andRebels.[19][20] The team wanted to develop a story between the events ofRevenge of the Sith andA New Hope, to explore recognizableStar Wars elements that had been under-utilized in other media. Level designer Jeff Magers described the events afterEpisode III as "a perfect place for a video game hero, as a flickering candle of light in a very dark place".[21] The team wanted to evoke feelings of theStar Wars original trilogy, while creating an "authentic" Jedi story and a classichero's journey.[22][23] At the beginning of the game,Cal Kestis is not yet a Jedi, as his training ended abruptly as the Jedi were purged during Order 66.Fallen Order, therefore, was envisioned as a "David and Goliath story", focusing on "the classic battle of good versus evil".[24] Asmussen and Contreras also wanted a mythology to provide a historical context to explain the Jedi's downfall, which led them to come up with Eno Cordova and the Zeffo, the latters who parallelledAncient Egypt with their similar mistakes.[25]
TheMacGuffin changed a couple of times, being a lost starship or Inquisitor's secret prisons at one point, before becoming a Holocron.[25] The writing team described "trauma" as one of the main themes, telling a story about how people react in moments of desperation. This was reflected through Cal's growing confidence in his abilities, and his gradual trust of his companions as they resist the Empire.[20][24] Another broad theme was "survival", but most importantly was "letting go", which the main characters learn to trustThe Force and let destiny work itself out by doing the right thing instead of putting everything under their control like the Empire does through oppression, which culminates with them destroying the Holocron.[25]Cameron Monaghan provided voice and motion capture for Cal. The game chose a human protagonist as more relatable than an alien and also decided he should be male to differentiate fromRey, the female lead in theStar Wars sequel trilogy.[26] Cal's original name was going to be "Boone", as the creative team looked to theWestern genre for inspiration. He was also envisioned to be an "untrusting" and "laconic" character.[25] Elizabeth Grullon provided the voice for the Second Sister. The character's British accent was improvised during the recording sessions as she "had a strong intuition" that Trilla had a British dialect when she first read the script. The character, along with the Ninth Sister, first appeared in theMarvel comic seriesDarth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith.[27] The team chose characters and planets so long as they were meaningful and unique to their story, resulting in the team scrapping visits to a number of Star Wars planets such asHoth andMustafar and removing an appearance by theGrand Inquisitor in the story.[25]
The shipStinger Mantis was designed byStar Wars artistDoug Chiang. Its captain Greez Dritus belongs to a new alien species made forFallen Order. According to Asmussen, the character was inspired by "John C. Reilly and Mr. Furley fromThree's Company".[13] BD-1 took two years to design. Throughout the game, Cal gradually bonded with BD-1, a relationship which Asmussen compared to that ofCharlie Brown and his animal companionsSnoopy andWoodstock.[13] The droid was initially codenamed "bird dog", as its design was reminiscent to that of a bird, while having the personality of a dog.[28] As a companion robot, Respawn designed it to be very "personable", and described it as Cal's best friend. The team initially design a bolster for BD-1 so he could fly around, but later settled for a bipedal design because the team wanted him to be an exploration droid. It has a pair of big eyes, which allow him to scan different objects and project a map hologram. The team initially brainstormed about giving the droid lines of dialogue, though ultimately decided to work withBen Burtt to create its beeping sounds.[13] Cal was initially envisioned as a "tinkerer" who would create BD-1 from scraps, and BD-1 would serve as Cal's backpack. This idea was abandoned. Early design of the BD-1 is reminiscent to that ofBB-8 from the sequel trilogy, though they had to change its design once they saw thetrailer forThe Force Awakens. Purge Troopers were created in conjunction with Marvel Comics. While they were first seen in the abovementionedDark Lord of the Sith comic book series,Fallen Order would mark their first appearance as enemy combatants.[29]
Respawn wanted players to explore the world without needing excessive guidance.[13] The team was inspired by the design ofMetroid Prime, in particular how frequent new upgrades are offered to players. The team believed that the game's Metroidvania structure enabled players to explore each location freely, while allowing the team to deliver occasional handcrafted moments.[13] "Re-traversal" was one of the game's core design pillars.[17] The Force powers, in particular, were described as "lock-and-key mechanisms" which can be used to solve puzzles and unlock secret areas.[30] The game's Metroidvania design further reflected Cal's narrative growth as a character as he became more confident in himself and his connection with the Force.[31] The game does not feature afast travel system, as the team believed that players would explore each location more thoroughly and look for shortcuts when they are not allowed to skip through the critical path.[32]
The combat of the game was described to be "thoughtful" and "methodical".[33] The team decided early in development that Jedi warriors focus on "precision and efficiency". It was not combo-based, as the team did not want players to mash buttons. Instead, the game was about striking at enemies and using Force abilities at the right moments and catching enemies off guard. The player must study an opponent's move set and react to them accordingly with different tactics and timing of attack.[13] To stay true to theStar Wars universe, Cal can kill stormtroopers with one hit using his lightsaber. To make the combat more challenging, some enemies were designed with natural armor, and others were given a Block meter.[31] To balance between challenging and accessible gameplay, the team looked for a middle ground betweenMetroid,The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and games developed byFromSoftware such asBloodborne andDark Souls.[34][35] In particular, the team did not want the game to be unforgiving or punishing.[36] The team introduceddifficulty modes that mainly change enemy aggression, as well as the player's parry timing and health loss. Even in the most difficult game mode, the design team wanted Cal's weapons to deliver lethal damage.[37] As moments ofdismemberment were rare in theStar Wars films, Lucasfilm and Respawn agreed that the game would not feature human dismemberment.[38]
Gordy Haab andStephen Barton served as the game's composers.[39] The former had previously composed the scores forStar Wars: The Old Republic andStar Wars: Battlefront while the latter had collaborated with the studio on theTitanfall,Uncharted, andApex Legends. The score was recorded atAbbey Road Studios with theLondon Symphony Orchestra and theBach Choir of London.[13] According to the game's audio director Nick Laviers, the game's music was designed to evoke those from the original film trilogy, being both "futuristic" while having a "1970s, warm and familiar technology vibe".[40] Haab described the score of the game as "dark", with some songs bordering on "gothic horror". The team felt that Cal's theme was challenging to create, since they did not want to foreshadow too much of his character development and his heroic journey. Haab intentionally avoided listening to establishedStar Wars music in order to create something new forFallen Order.[39] Asoundtrack album for the game was released on August 21, 2020. It is over 3 hours long and it was produced by the composers Barton and Haab, Nick Laviers,Alan Meyerson, andElectronic Arts President of Music Steve Schnur.[41][42][43]Mongolianfolk metal bandThe Hu wrote and recorded a song, "Sugaan Essena", which featured prominently in the game. The song lyrics were written in Mongolian, then translated into a fictionalStar Wars language.[44]
The project was revealed by publisherElectronic Arts to be a third-person action-adventure game set in theStar Wars universe in May 2016.[45] PublisherElectronic Arts announced the game atE3 2018,[46] AtE3 2019, Electronic Arts showcased a 15-minute demo of the game.[47] The game's development was completed on October 18, 2019, with Respawn confirming it had been declaredgold, indicating it was being prepared for duplication and release.[48] It was released forPlayStation 4,Windows, andXbox One on November 15, 2019, a month before the theatrical release ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.[49] The release ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order marked EA's return toSteam, eight years after releasing games exclusively on its ownOrigin platform.[50] The game was released in two editions: a Standard Edition, and a Deluxe Edition. The Deluxe Edition featured exclusive skins for BD-1 and theStinger Mantis, a digital artbook, and a "Director's Cut" behind the scenes video.[51] One of these cosmetics that were available through pre-ordering the game, the orange lightsaber crystal, was later made available through an update to all players.[52] At launch, the game received criticisms for its abundance ofsoftware bugs. Respawn once considered delaying the title to further polish the game, but ultimately decided to release the game during the holiday season.[53]
AStadia version was released on November 24, 2020.[54] A photo mode for the game was added in December 2019.[55] On January 12, 2021, a free update was released that improved performance when running the game with backwards compatibility onPlayStation 5 andXbox Series X/S.[56] Native versions for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were released on June 11, 2021. The new versions improved the game's technical performance and stability, added support for higherresolutions, and vastly improved loading times. The update was free to those who owned either the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One versions of the game.[57] A free update with new cosmetics, game modes, and combat challenges was released on May 4, 2020, coinciding withStar Wars Day.[58]
In September 2019, Marvel Comics published a tie-in comic prequel series,Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Dark Temple. Written byMatthew Rosenberg and illustrated by Paolo Villanelli, it follows Cere and her master Eno Cordova as they explore the planet Ontotho.[59] In December 2019, Respawn added an outfit based on BD-1 to its onlinebattle royale video gameApex Legends.[60]Hasbro produced three figures in theStar Wars: The Black Series range for Cal Kestis (and BD-1), the Second Sister and the Purge Stormtrooper, with this selection of designs being adapted byFunko into Funko Pop! figures.[61] Starting from March 2022, Cal's lightsaber hilt can be purchased at Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities inStar Wars: Galaxy's Edge inDisneyland Resort, andDisney's Hollywood Studios after winning a fan poll in 2020.[62] AtStar Wars Celebration 2022,Lego revealed a BD-1 Lego model based on the game.[63] In the subsequent 2025 Star Wars Celebration inChiba, Japan, amanga adaptation of the game was announced.[64]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 81/100[65] PS4: 79/100[66] XONE: 81/100[67] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Game Informer | 8.75/10[68] |
| GameSpot | 8/10[69] |
| GamesRadar+ |   [70] |
| Giant Bomb | [71] |
| IGN | 9/10[72] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 73/100[73] |
| USgamer | 3.5/5[74] |
| VentureBeat | 93/100[75] |
| VG247 | [76] |
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according toreview aggregator websiteMetacritic.[65][66][67] Critics liked the game for being a self-containedStar Wars single-player title,[72][73] and felt thatFallen Order had successfully combined distinct systems from multiple game genres together.[71][76][77] Many reviewers noted the game's subpar technical performance.[71][78][68] The success ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, alongsideMarvel's Spider-Man, prompted Disney to encourage game developers to make more original games based on its properties.[79]
The exploration aspect of the game was widely praised. Andrew Reiner fromGame Informer described it as the game's "most dynamic and entertaining quality," though he felt some locations were designed in a "gamey" way that harmed immersion. He disliked sometimes having to revisit planets due to unimaginative narrative reasons.[68] Hornshaw noted that each planet featured in the game was beautifully realized, and added that players were always well-rewarded for exploring off the beaten path.[69] Ben Tyrer fromGamesRadar praised the game's many locations as "intriguing", and compared the puzzles favorably toTomb Raider.[70] Stepleton applauded the team for their "attention to detail" and their devotion to stay true to the source materials, though he remarked the in-gameWookiees were "offensively ugly".[72] Brad Shoemaker fromGiant Bomb disliked the lack of a fast travel option for making exploration a "chore" early in the game.[71] Tom Senior fromPC Gamer described the game's locations as "massive, tangled dungeon with a good mix of gorgeous exteriors and atmospheric Imperial bases", but he noted that the third-person exploration gameplay was "old-fashioned".[73]
The combat was praised by critics. Reiner noted each swing of the lightsaber felt impactful and each combat encounter was an intense experience.[68] Hornshaw and Senior lauded the difficult nature of the game, likening it toSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Hornshaw further added that each combat encounter can be an "exciting, cerebral exercise" because enemies can easily defeat the player. Both remarked that despite its challenging gameplay, it was rewarding enough for players to feel like they are controlling a powerful Jedi knight. He enjoyed the game for not giving Cal too much power, which in turn, made the Empire a "frightening threat" due to the differences in power level between the two.[69][73] Tyrer remarked that the game was "demanding" but not "punishing" and praised the difficulty options for allowing players to fine tune their experience.[70]VG247's Sherif Saed felt that the parrying mechanics were sometimes inconsistent and frustrating, and criticized several combat encounters where players are overwhelmed by too many enemies.[76]
Reiner praised Cal as the game's protagonist and applauded the relationship between him and BD-1, likening the droid to a "friendly lapdog". He liked the story for its pacing and mystique and praised the flashback scenes for their character development.[68] Phil Hornshaw fromGameSpot also praised the droid's gameplay presence, which made it an inseparable part of the game. He enjoyed the narrative of the game, though he felt that it only started to excel when it began exploring the deepening friendship between Cal and the game's supporting characters.[69] Cal was generally well-liked by critics, and the game's cast of supporting characters including Cere and Trilla also received praise.[70][75][72] While Grubb praised the game's writing, he was disappointed that the story was a typicalStar Wars story about light versus dark.[75] Kat Bailey, writing forUSgamer, added that the story progressed at a "breakneck speed", though she applauded the story's dark moments.[74]
In Japan, thePlayStation 4 version ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order sold 26,761 units within its first week on sale, which made it the fifth best-selling retail game of the week.[80] In the United Kingdom, it was the second best-selling retail game during its first week on sale, behindPokémon Sword andShield, with 66% of sales being for the PlayStation 4 version and the remaining 34% for theXbox One version. It had the fourth most successful UK launch for a video game physical release in 2019.[81] In the United States, it was the second best-selling game in November and December 2019, only behind theCall of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot. With only two months of sales, it was still the sixth best-selling game of the year in the US, and Respawn's most profitable premium title of all-time.[82]
Electronic Arts confirmed thatStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order had the fastest-selling digital launch for anyStar Wars game within its first two weeks on sale.[83] The game sold over 8 million units by the end of January 2020, exceeding EA's expectations.[84] Over 10 million units were sold by the end of March 2020.[85] By June 2021, the game had attracted over 20 million players.[86]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Game Critics Awards | Best of Show | Nominated | [87] |
| Best Console Game | Nominated | |||
| Best Action/Adventure Game | Nominated | |||
| Titanium Awards | Game of the Year | Won | [88][89] | |
| Best Game Design | Won | |||
| Best Adventure Game | Won | |||
| 2020 | New York Game Awards | Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game(Debra Wilson) | Nominated | [90] |
| Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | Best Music Supervision in a Video Game | Nominated | [91] | |
| 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Adventure Game of the Year | Won | [92][93] | |
| Outstanding Achievement in Character(Greez) | Nominated | |||
| NAVGTR Awards | Art Direction, Fantasy | Nominated | [94][95] | |
| Direction in a Game Cinema | Nominated | |||
| Game, Franchise Action | Won | |||
| Performance in a Drama, Lead(Cameron Monaghan) | Nominated | |||
| Performance in a Drama, Supporting(Debra Wilson) | Nominated | |||
| Sound Editing in a Game Cinema | Nominated | |||
| Sound Effects | Won | |||
| Pégases Awards 2020 | Best International Game | Nominated | [96] | |
| SXSW Gaming Awards | Video Game of the Year | Nominated | [97][98] | |
| Excellence in Gameplay | Nominated | |||
| Excellence in SFX | Won | |||
| Excellence in Visual Achievement | Nominated | |||
| 16th British Academy Games Awards | Audio Achievement | Nominated | [99] | |
| Narrative | Nominated | |||
| 18th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards | Audio of the Year | Nominated | [100] | |
| Music of the Year | Won | |||
| Sound Design of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematic Cutscene Audio | Nominated | |||
| Best Dialogue | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Instrumental | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Choral Composition("Cordova's Theme") | Won | |||
| Best Audio Mix | Nominated | |||
| ASCAP Composers' Choice Awards | Video Game Score of the Year | Won | [101][102] | |
| The Game Awards 2020 | Best Action/Adventure Game | Nominated | [103] | |
| Society of Composers & Lyricists Award | Outstanding Original Score for Interactive Media | Won | [104] |
In January 2022, Respawn confirmed it was developing a sequel toFallen Order, withStig Asmussen returning as director.[105] TitledStar Wars Jedi: Survivor, it was unveiled in May and was released in April 2023 forPlayStation 5,Windows, andXbox Series X/S.[106] Respawn collaborated withLucasfilm Games for this sequel, which is set five years afterFallen Order.[107]
A tie-in novel titledStar Wars Jedi: Battle Scars was released on March 7, 2023. The book was written bySam Maggs, and bridges the events betweenFallen Order andSurvivor.[108]
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