Top 5 Things I Want To See From Star Wars: Jedi Survivor

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is an excellent third-person adventure game set in the Star Wars universe with lots of lightsaber action and clever puzzles. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved! So with the success of Fallen Order and the sequel’s imminent release, it seems to be as good of a time as ever to talk about what we want to see in the sequel and how we think it can improve on its predecessor. And that’s what we’ll be doing in this article, so let's get into it and may the Force be with us.

1. Better Cosmetic Options

Here’s something that I know everyone will agree with — better cosmetic options! Now, I’m not referring to the lightsaber customisation in the game because I felt the variety of sabers and crystal colours we could choose from was fantastic. There really wasn’t all that much to improve on when it came to that aspect. But something that definitely needs to be improved in the next title is Cal Kestis’ outfits. As players explore Jedi: Fallen Order, they’ll come across chests that can be opened with the aid of BD-1, and these chests are usually well-hidden throughout the world, making for a fun surprise when you encounter them in the world. Now, imagine how disappointing it would feel to explore an area and find one of these chests thoroughly, only for it to open and give you yet another re-colour of the poncho Cal is wearing. Very few unique outfits are available for Cal in the main game, and most costumes are just ponchos with different colours.

So towards the end of Fallen Order, there is a hallucination of Cal wearing an inquisitor outfit, and it looked great, so it would’ve made for a nice unlockable. Except it’s not available to wear at all! We need more clothing options in this title because imagine dressing up Cal in something like the traditional brown Jedi robes or a rugged and battle-hardened bounty hunter outfit. Wouldn’t that be awesome!? Or maybe even an alternate Sith version of the former padawan with yellow eyes and black robes! Better cosmetic options would make exploration more rewarding, giving players much more freedom in expressing themselves through Cal.

2. More Fleshed-Out Characters

One of the best things about Star Wars, besides the lightsaber fights and the exotic planets, is its characters. It’s the characters interacting with the world and with one another that creates such a good experience. Fallen Order was no different, as it introduced us to a colourful cast of characters with their own personalities and backstories. But while each character was well-written in their own right, I can’t help but feel most of them were underdeveloped. Cal Kestis was a likeable character, but he felt a little basic. He’s a young guy trying to learn the ways of the Force, and he fights bad guys while tempted by the dark side but ultimately resists it. It’s an acceptable premise, but it’s one we’ve seen since the first Star Wars movie in 1977.

I’d like to see more depth in Cal’s personality, but I’m not sure how Respawn Entertainment could pull it off. His PTSD from Order 66 was a great plot point, and I’d like to see it explored more in the sequel. I don’t think he’ll fully turn to the dark side as he’s been to resist it before, but maybe he could be put in a situation where he has to choose between the two sides. Or perhaps he has to sacrifice someone he loves to prevent him from turning? If this is a continuation of the first game, it would be great to have a darker storyline.

One character that needs more screen time is Nightsister Merrin, as she was a fan favourite, but she only joined the crew relatively late into the game. So it would be cool to see her talk more about her ​​Nightsister background and her relationship with Cal. There’s also Greeze, the four-armed ship captain of the Mantis. Honestly, I found him very annoying when I first met him. However, as the story progressed, he started growing on me, and it would be great to see him take on some kind of conflict with a compelling arc in Jedi: Survivor, even if it’s a small one.

My favourite character was Cere! Watching her fear her power and cut herself off from the Force, only to return to it in the final act, and then almost succumb to the dark side was a fantastic feeling, and I felt it was done well. Judging by how close she almost came to giving to her anger, I would be disappointed that this isn’t explored in the sequel. We could also see the return of Saw Gerrera, who made a cameo on Kashyyyk during the last title. He is known for his darker and more extreme methods of resisting the Empire. It would be awesome to see some of that displayed in the sequel and it could also be a source of conflict for the main protagonist.

3. More Compelling Combat

One of the most common complaints I saw when Jedi: Fallen Order first dropped was that its combat felt lacking. It is a fun game, and the combat is great, but many players can’t help but feel it’s too bare-bones. To make the experience fresh and create a higher skill ceiling, Jedi: Survivor should do everything possible to improve on what it has already done. As for what exactly that means, there are a few different ways the developer could approach this problem. One idea I had was to introduce companions that could help you fight in certain boss fights and encounters. We already have three perfectly good characters: Cere, Merrin, and Greeze. When arriving at specific areas or some bosses, perhaps you could call for help from one of your main allies.

Cere would be an excellent combat character, Merrin could use her Night-Sister magic to give you buffs, and Greeze could use his blaster to provide support fire. Each would have their pros and cons in combat, providing a level of strategy in choosing who you want to help. They could be useful for unlocking new areas or solving puzzles.

Not all people have the same mobility Cal does, so obviously, you couldn’t take your companions anywhere you wanted, but they could tag along for certain parts of a level and some story missions. This might be harder to implement, but if the developers can pull it off, it would put new life into the boss fights and help Jedi: Survivor feel like the ultimate sequel. Another that could be a little bit easier would be a bigger emphasis on combo attacks. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed did this very well as players could only use a huge variety of combo attacks with the right button inputs. It made the gameplay much more engaging for those wanting something more complex and rewarding.

But whatever happens, it shouldn’t stray too far from the first game. I don’t want Cal to have a gaderffii stick or something like that…

4. Improved New Game Plus Mode

After finishing Fallen Order’s story, I was left wanting more. So like any modern gamer, I searched the options only to be disappointed by the new game plus mode. Your lightsaber unlocks and skills carry over, but you still have to unlock all of Cal’s Force powers again, and you won’t even be able to use them — or the associated skills — until that Force power is opened throughout the game. I don’t understand this; if anything, this defeats the purpose of a new game plus mode, and I have no interest in unlocking all this stuff again because I’ve already done it. The story has already been beaten, and I want to throw my orange lightsaber at those lowly Stormtroopers gosh dangit! Integrating new game plus modes into games is something the industry has been dragging its heels on, and it’s really bothering me. It’s not a dealbreaker, but putting the mode in Survivor would go a long way towards elevating the sequel ahead of its predecessor, and overall it would just make me happy. Is that too much to ask?

5. A Darker Story

Last on my wishlist is a darker story with much higher stakes. When the original trilogy was released, A New Hope and Return Of The Jedi were the joyful entries in the franchise, with Empire Strikes Back being more serious. It would also be great if Darth Vader had a more significant presence in Survivor, and he could even be hunting Cal and his crew just like the Inquisitors were, but with a more serious tone and a greater sense of danger and risk. It seems safe to assume Cal will spend less time rebuilding the Order and more time trying to escape the Empire. Darth Vader obviously knows about Cal and what he’s done, so it would make perfect sense thematically. Oh, maybe the ending this time could involve Kestis surrendering to the Emperor with his friends all being captured. This might be a downer for some people, but Jedi: Survivor shouldn’t just be Fallen Order 2. It should be something more. So a more serious tone, a better new game plus mode, more compelling combat, fleshing out the characters, and having more cosmetic options would do a great job of that.

Wow, that’s over a thousand words. Can you tell I like this game? Do you see anything I might have missed? Let me know!