Cal Kestis is the hero of "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order." He was once a padawan training to become a Jedi, but the Jedi Order was executed by the Empire before the start of the game.
"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" goes back to the series' roots, with a story set just before the original "Star Wars" movie, and a hero that echoes Luke Skywalker's own coming-of-age story. It's not a retelling by any means, but a parallel tale that aims to capture the spirit of adventure that makes players want to become Jedi in the first place.
"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" follows Cal Kestis, a young man whose Jedi-training was cut short by the nebulous Empire's rise to power. During the journey, players work to restore Cal's connection to the force, gaining new powers to fight the Empire in the process.
Cal is searching for a set of ancient alien temples to repair his connection to the force and restore the Jedi Order.
Cal isn't alone on his quest — he's accompanied by BD-1, a helpful droid who keeps a map for Cal and scans the environment for information.
The game itself is pretty challenging, though there's a story-specific difficulty if you just want to breeze through and see the story unfold.
"Fallen Order" is designed to beat you down and make you stronger, so even when you're struggling to push past waves of enemies, you'll gradually improve Cal's skills and take steps towards mastery.
Combat in "Fallen Order" is intense and can quickly turn deadly for Cal. Your lightsaber will cut foes down quickly, but you'll need to learn how to parry and dodge enemy attacks since you can only heal in limited amounts.
"Fallen Order" will immediately draw comparisons to the "Dark Souls" series or "Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice" for its intense and punishing melee combat, but the game feels much more flexible thanks to its variable difficulties.
There's also a greater emphasis on exploration and platforming in "Fallen Order," and less focus on mastering the combat system. You'll even have to do a bit of puzzle-solving when you encounter ancient alien temples.
There aren't a ton of enemy types, but they each feel unique and require slightly different strategies to beat. Mashing the attack button will leave Cal open to attacks.
"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" has a quite a few bosses, too — beating them requires a mix of strategy, proper use of force powers, and good timing.
Cal explores several planets, each with their own environment. You'll have to battle against animals and the elements to complete the journey.
Cal doesn't have his own ship, so you'll spend your time mapping out the planets on foot and finding ways to reach unexplored areas. There's no fast traveling either, so you'll have to get used to navigation and platforming.
Respawn worked with Lucasfilm to ensure that each planet in "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" had a distinct personality, and bizarre alien creatures to match.
Between clashes with the Empire and adventuring across the different planets, "Fallen Order" will provide a challenge for most players. Luckily, you can change the difficulty at any time.
The story-driven action sequences in "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" are some of the game's finest moments, but you have to restart the game to replay them.
The story isn't anything life-changing, but it will feel fun and familiar for fans of the "Star Wars" movies.
As always, "Star Wars" fans can expect some twists and turns as the story unfolds, and the game is short enough to warrant multiple runs.
Completing "Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order" took me about 12 hours on the second-hardest difficulty, Jedi Master. I could easily spend a few more hours collecting hidden treasure, upgrading Cal's abilities, and just enjoying the combat.
"Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order" is the best "Star Wars" game in a very long time, and a refreshing return to story-driven games for the "Star Wars" franchise.
"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" is a wonderful "Star Wars" game that pays proper respect to the franchise and encourages players to immerse themselves in the universe.
It does lack some of the polish that I would expect from a major studio game, with some graphical errors and frame rate issues occasionally interrupting an otherwise great experience.
But all in all, "Fallen Order" sits squarely on my list of must-play games for 2019.It's available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
