Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was at the top of my list of games I wanted to play upon branching out of my Nintendo exclusivity.

So far, it has not disappointed.

I was expecting to enjoy myself, but I wasn’t expecting to enjoy myself this much. While not perfect, I have still been hooked since the day I picked it up. I think that’s largely because the game has a bit of everything in it.

What I mean by that is the game is largely considered an action-adventure because its main premise involves you collecting new items and abilities in order to advance.

That said, I’ve also noticed elements from platformers, RPGs, Metroidvanias, shooters, and Soulslikes. There are even elements of sports games as some section require protagonist Cal Kestis to skate down long ramps.

On top of that, the game lives within the Star Wars franchise, borrowing heavily from Star Wars Rebels, Revenge of the Sith, and Rogue One in its storytelling. All of this makes for an extremely well-rounded and fun experience.

Star Wars can be hit and miss when it comes to gameplay. For every good game, there are several mediocre ones. There are many reasons for that, but I believe it’s because they feel like much of the same for the franchise.

Fallen Order breaks the mold and follows a new character in Kestis as he works his way through the galaxy five years after the Jedi Purge. He works to bolster his connection with the Force and strives to be the Jedi he was meant to be prior to the Purge.

This all makes for an interesting tale, but it is not the main reason for this game’s success. To me, it’s the gameplay.

As mentioned, Fallen Order combines a host of different genres together. This keeps gameplay really fresh. This helps me, as a player, not to feel bored.

Exploration is fun in this game and that’s because of its Metroidvania approach. In fact, the game reminds me a lot of Metroid Prime where different upgrades allow Cal to advance.

Unlike The Legend of Zelda, this is not centralized on unlocking the next area. Rather, there are certain doors through each level that will only open once you get an upgrade to your droid thus drawing the parallel to Metroid Prime.

Combat is a blast because it draws from Soulslike games. While not punishingly difficult, players still need to learn each enemy’s pattern and find a balance between attacking, dodging, defending, and stunning.

If you lose in battle, Cal will respawn but not after losing his experience points. He can gain them back by landing a hit on the enemy that previously killed him.

All of this makes for an extremely rewarding and satisfying combat system that Star Wars fans have dreamed of for years.

What makes Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order more impressive is it blends all of these elements and more together into a single game. I’m sure other games have done that, but this one is particularly impressive.

To me, it’s this blending that will make Fallen Order so memorable. If I had to pick one area, I think it is its similarities to Metroid Prime that endear it to me the most.

I loved wandering through Tallon IV just exploring. The backtracking, something I normally despise, wasn’t that bad because of how fun it was to explore.

I feel the same about Fallen Order, but it’s still much more than that thanks to its ability to not fit neatly inside one box.

What about you? What did you think of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order? What aspect of it was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

Featured Image: Electronic Arts (via Steam)

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