We all expect a certain level of finesse when it comes to the Star Wars franchise so I was eager to jump in and see what the all hype was about. I’m still unsure if I actually enjoyed it, it was ok I guess but it wasn’t unique and some of the characters felt a little too generic. I suppose it was entertaining enough to finish even if it was very cookie cutter. It’s like the devs copy and pasted a bunch of action adventure games together and slapped a Star Wars skin on it. It could’ve been passed off as a Nathan Drake spin-off ~ Uncharted in Space. The climbing, swinging, sliding & even the force pull and push to move crates around gave me total Uncharted vibes. The puzzles were very reminiscent of Tomb Raider games too.
The story itself holds its own within the Star Wars universe & you can tell that it’s set very close to Revenge of the Sith in the whole timeline. You play as Cal Kestis, a Jedi student now in hiding due to the galaxy-wide Jedi eradication imposed by Emperor Palpatine. Without giving too much away, you set off with a small resistance group to restore the Jedi order and regain your long forgotten powers. I felt that the game didn’t really come into its own until Chapter 5 though, right towards the end.
My favourite chapter was probably Kashyyyk where you climb and explore the Origin tree, once again this was very adventurish. Although the game is quite linear it is possible to get lost without checking your map which provides a three-dimensional hologram of the area. You’ll use this quite a bit to find unexplored paths & doors. The skill tree was a nice touch as were the meditation circles which acted as a save point and allowed you to rest up & regain your health. I also liked the way the recollection of your Jedi powers were spotted throughout the game & presented as memories where you’re sent back to the Jedi training room.
I wasn’t a fan of the long loading and respawn times or the bugs where you could walk/fall through certain parts of the terrain. Some sections of the game did feel a bit cheesy too like attempting to land on a huge flying monster known as Gorgara. The characters were colourful but not completely loveable. BD-1 had so much potential and with a little more personality would’ve really drawn you in. Some of the stormtrooper head movements in sections were very robotic which was odd.. and what was with those wookies? They looked awful.
Regardless of website reviews and ratings the gaming public generally like all Star Wars games. I mean c’mon, it’s Star Wars and there are lightsabers. People love Star Wars and will always find the best in it. I didn’t hate this game but it wouldn’t be something I’d play again. I would however play a sequel if that were to happen because that ending I didn’t see happening. That was the most exciting part of the game.
If you’re a Star Wars fanboy then yes, you’ll love it, but if the movies don’t grab you then the game won’t either.
Gaming, Pop Culture and Tech Enthusiast who has an obsession with the 90’s. I have a long running background in the IT & Audio Visual Industry, followed by substantial experience in Business Development, Sales & Digital Marketing.
