Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order struck a chord with fans and critics alike when it launched in late 2019, as it seemingly marked a return for single-player, story-driven Star Wars games that had been notably absent for a long time prior. Despite publisher EA’s original plan to put out multiplayer Star Wars games meant to sustain a dedicated player base for years to come, the recent offline Star Wars adventure has proven to be a hit. As such, EA is actually doubling down by investing in its future, per a recent earnings call.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order given the impending expiration of Disney’s publishing deal with EA — which previously granted the latter company exclusive publishing rights for Star Wars games. But instead of simply waiting around for a sequel to be properly announced, fans of Jedi: Fallen Order should consider checking out some of the games that the title takes a few of its cues from.
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The influences of the Dark Souls trilogy are fairly obvious in Jedi: Fallen Order. The single-player Star Wars game boasts combat, progression, and respawn systems that are all twists on conventions established by these genre-defining games, and if Star Wars fans had to choose one of them to play, they ought to go with the outstanding original.
Dark Souls 1 is a tad slower and stiffer than players of Jedi: Fallen Order may be used to, but the contrast between the two makes for a nice change of pace when jumping from one game to the other. Additionally, it can be fascinating to see firsthand the origin of some gameplay elements that helped shape Jedi: Fallen Order into the game it is today.
Sekiro is a third-person action game with a focus on sword-play — a premise that should sound familiar to fans of Jedi: Fallen Order. Both titles prominently feature elements from the Souls series of games, but differ from it in a few key ways. Each title is significantly faster-paced than the Souls games, stars a pre-defined protagonist who only utilizes one primary weapon type throughout the story, and each heroes’ abilities can be upgraded via skill trees.
Both Sekiro and Jedi: Fallen Order’s combat systems call for a great sense of timing; knowing when to strike, when to block and perhaps most importantly, when to parry. However, Sekiro’s combat offers a little more depth, thanks to the inclusion of stealth elements and more vertical methods of travel. That said, Sekiro is also a great deal harder than Jedi: Fallen Order, so those looking for a leisurely chaser to the latter should approach this title with caution.
Like Sekiro, Bloodborne was also developed by FromSoftware — creators of the Dark Souls franchise — and while it may not bear the Souls name, it is often considered a de facto Souls game. Bloodborne is a little faster-paced than Dark Souls, but a bit slower than Sekiro. Appropriately enough, so is Jedi: Fallen Order, which may very well make it an optimal choice for Star Wars fans.
Star Wars comparisons aside, Bloodborne is certainly a game worth playing for its rewarding gameplay and delightfully frightening aesthetic. Still, players should be prepared to put up with a choppy framerate, even if playing Bloodborne on a PS5.
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While the Metroid series hasn’t seen nearly as much love as Nintendo’s other franchises in recent years, that hasn’t stopped it from being one of the more influential series in the video game industry. It’s one-half of the “Metroidvania” genre, which typically refers to a 2D platformer featuring puzzles, upgrades, and collectibles hidden around every nook and cranny. Jedi: Fallen Order fits the Metroidvania bill, but exists in a 3D space. Those looking for a similar exploration-driven experience should check out perhaps the most iconic 3D Metroid title.
Metroid Prime’s deep exploration and rewarding sense of progression should likely resonate with fans of Jedi: Fallen Order, but unfortunately, one might have a bit of trouble actually playing this game. It isn’t available on any current-generation consoles, having only been released for the GameCube, Wii, and Wii U. Despite rumors circulating of a Metroid Prime: Trilogy port on Switch, Samus’ 3D adventures have yet to hit Nintendo’s hybrid system, and it’s unclear when or if they ever will.
Both Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Jedi: Fallen Order take place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, and that’s where these two games’ similarities stop and start. If Jedi: Fallen Order’s gameplay is representative of the skill and precision Jedi must have to succeed in battle, The Force Unleashed showcases the allure of the dark side: raw, unrelenting, limitless power.
The game is a lot more straightforward in its gameplay and level design than Jedi: Fallen Order is, but offers a nice reprieve from the Star Wars soulslike’s meticulous gameplay. One can really cut loose with the force in this game by mowing down hordes of enemies in a gratifying manner. Additionally, chances are that consumers of most any Star Wars media outside of the films hold some degree of interest in the series’ canon, and this game tells a story with close ties to the Rebel Alliance and even Darth Vader himself.
These are some of the top games referenced when the “good old days” of single-player Star Wars games are brought up, and quite a few of their core elements can be felt in Jedi: Fallen Order. The Jedi Knight series is notable for boasting some of the most in-depth, thoughtful lightsaber combat to ever grace a Star Wars game, and like Jedi: Fallen Order, offers up some solid level design and cameos from some fan-favorite characters from the Original Trilogy.
Both Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy are available on a plethora of systems, but it’s hard not to recommend the PC versions of each game. Both titles have lively mod scenes that showcase the high degree of creativity that exists within the Star Wars fandom, with mods that range from new character models to total overhauls of the base game. Furthermore, each titles’ multiplayer servers are populated by a dedicated player base, giving players the opportunity to test their lightsaber skills in an online arena.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2 is rumored to be in development.
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