Jedi: Fallen Order is a surprisingly successful game. A story of an on-the-run padawan following Order-66, Jedi: Fallen Order is a rich story-driven experience, with several likable characters. The game is attractive, reasonably optimized and is animated extremely fluidly. Gameplay is comprised of Tomb Raider-esque climbing/traversal, puzzling set pieces and satisfying lightsaber combat. Force powers have oomph, if albeit lacking variety, and the game has more than one plot twist. The game is about 20 hours long, with tons of hidden achievements, secrets and collectibles.

While the game is often an excellent experience, the game would have benefited tremendously from more relevant collectible loot. Because all found items are simply aesthetic, exploration often feels pointless. A horde-based multiplayer mode that could be played cooperatively with friends would have been a truly welcome addition. In fact, I often found myself dreamily wondering what competitive lightsaber combat would have felt like, within the confines of this game. Some climbing areas felt unnecessarily difficult and often enemies would string/chain attacks that were so wantonly unfair that I actually lowered the difficulty numerous times.

Despite some small foibles, Jedi: Fallen Order is a solid contender for game of the year and I recommend it.

Recommended.

8.5/10

Jedi: Fallen Order is a surprisingly successful game. A story of an on-the-run padawan following Order-66, Jedi: Fallen Order is a rich story-driven experience, with several likable characters. The game is attractive, reasonably optimized and is animated extremely fluidly. Gameplay is comprised of Tomb Raider-esque climbing/traversal, puzzling set pieces and satisfying lightsaber combat. Force powers have oomph, if albeit lacking variety, and the game has more than one plot twist. The game is about 20 hours long, with tons of hidden achievements, secrets and collectibles. While the game is often an excellent experience, the game would have benefited tremendously from more relevant collectible loot. Because all found items are simply aesthetic, exploration often feels pointless. A horde-based multiplayer mode that could be played cooperatively with friends would have been a truly welcome addition. In fact, I often found myself dreamily wondering what competitive lightsaber combat would have felt like, within the confines of this game. Some climbing areas felt unnecessarily difficult and often enemies would string/chain attacks that were so wantonly unfair that I actually lowered the difficulty numerous times. Despite some small foibles, Jedi: Fallen Order is a solid contender for game of the year and I recommend it. Recommended. 8.5/10