Everybody loves Star Wars. Even the people who say they don’t love Star Wars love Star Wars. It’s not a secret that the epic space opera created by George Lucas is one of the best of its time, as it has become a worldwide pop cultural phenomenon. And after spawning multiple films and countless merchandise, the idea of a Star Wars video game came to the mind of its creators.

Among the most successful of these video games are The Force Unleashed and its sequel The Force Unleashed two, and Star Wars Battlefront One and Two. And now, game developers Respawn Entertainment have made another Star Wars themed game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order follows a young padawan, Cal Kestis (voiced and motion captured by Cameron Monaghan) on the run from the empire after The Jedi Purge (codenamed Order 66) decimates the Jedi Order kills most of the remaining Jedi. The young padawan has been hiding on the planet of Bracca working as a scrapper of ships. But as he and his friend Prauf (voiced by JB Blanc) encounter a life threatening situation, he is forced to use his force powers to save his friend. This would get the attention of the Empire and one of it’s Inquisitors, The Second Sister. (The inquisitors are a branch of Dark Side Force users who were dispatched by Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine to hunt down any remaining Jedi as well as any force sensitive children.) Cal is forced to escape with some newfound friends before deciding to kickstart his journey towards helping other Jedi’s escape from The Empire.

When you first open up Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, you are greeted with a plethora of great features. When you first spot Cal in the game he is wearing headphones and jamming out to Black Thunder by The HU. The way the song was integrated into the game makes it sound like an actual song made for the Star Wars Universe, and the different races and droids working together in a scrapyard while the song played in the background makes it sound even better. 

During the first thirty minutes of the game, the player gets to control Cal for the first time, and run around the junkyards of Bracca, trying to keep up with Cal’s friend Prauf. This allows the game to show the player what exactly are the controls, while still keeping the person playing the game immersed in the great dialogue and fascinating location. It also allows for the game to show off the multidimensional character that is Cal, as he cracks jokes constantly, even in the worst conditions.

The game mechanics and game flow are natural, and climbing and wall running is easier than in most games. The combat system is also very advanced, as Cal has choices between using his force-related powers or his lightsaber. Overall, movement and combat in the game is smooth and natural, and any player can understand it and use it with relative ease.

Something that makes Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order different from all of the other previous Star Wars games is its puzzle solving. Unlike many of the other Star Wars games, where it’s a straightforward objective, Fallen Order makes the player explore around the map. It makes players take the longer way and forces them to find vines to climb on, slopes to slide down, and ropes to swing off of. There isn’t a straightforward path in any of the maps, and it forces Cal and the player to think more strategically in order to avoid even longer paths and fight unnecessary enemies.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order brings a new breed of action, adventure puzzle solving games to the video game industry. I see it as a cross between the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed two and Uncharted 4: A thief’s end, while having its own unique aspects and elements that make it a very strong contender for Game of the Year.