Respawn Jedi Fallen Order

Hmmm. I have a fair few issues with this game so far.

nix wrote: »

Do tell

I'm trying stay positive as I really want to like this game! I'll write a quick rant in an hour or so when I'm free. I can't stop comparing it Sekiro which is definitely hindering my enjoyment.

nix wrote: »

Do tell

It feels similar to Sekiro because they're both third person, both star a ninja like character with a bunch tricks up their sleeves, both have similar leveling systems and combat. If I'm being honest, Sekiro is superior in every facet. Sekiro is one of the few single player games I finished in the past few years. Most games cannot hold my attention until I eventually switch them off so I really did love Sekiro. Its the best From Software game imo.

Maybe it's rose tinted glasses but I kinda wish I was playing Sekiro at times. This feels far slower and clunkier. I did drop the difficulty out of frustration. The combat is very hit and miss if you want a challenge. Sometimes the block works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the finisher moves will rotate your character and camera 180 degrees which means your looking the wrong way all of a sudden. The camera can lock onto enemies as you're running around them causing you to run in the wrong direction. The sensitivity on looking around is far too slow to counter this (on a controller anyway, haven't tried kb+m). It strangely makes you stand still briefly after the finishers too which leaves you open to hits. Creature enemies are rather difficult to predict. Your abilities are rather sparse compared to Sekiro.

The movement feels slow. If you move the stick, your character will turn and move half a second later. This bleeds into every movement in the game. The platforming is a slog as a result, although 3D platforming is notoriously difficult to get right. I didn't enjoy it from the get go and it has barely evolved. There's too much platforming when pressing the jump button makes your character to jump half a second later. A game like Celeste introduces lots of different platforming mechanics throughout, mixes them and builds as it goes on. That game is sharp and punchy. The mechanics in this have barely changed from the intro. Acquiring force pull has eased the rope swinging thankfully. Some people disagreed earlier but the climbing is a chore. Pure busy work. I think this slow movement was done with an eye on how the combat will look. It looks great. Animations flow into one another quite well. It just doesn't play great. I'd way prefer a super responsive, fast footed ninja over this slower Jedi. That's where the Sekiro comparison is spoiling this for me.

The metroidvania aspect is okay because the movement felt off and the majority of the collectibles are cosmetic or small plot points. I really, really don't care about a hilt upgrade or a new colour for the ship. I prefer slow incremental power increases to reward exploration. I do enjoy the small plot points though. There are some upgrades to your force limit and health but when I've already dropped the difficulty, it becomes a bit pointless. Fast travel to the meditation points could have helped this but I'm not sure how that would fit in the Star Wars canon (is force teleport a thing?). I just got to a point where I have to climb to big tree in the distance and I sighed. I want to see what happens but it's becoming tedious. The map is pretty tough to read but I'm not sure how else they can represent a 3D environment like that. Maybe hugely simplify it rather than it being an accurate representation.

That said, its a decent game solid 6 or 7 out of 10. This being set in the Star Wars universe is a biggest thing it has going for it. Light sabers are good craic. Force powers are good craic. It's the best Star Wars game I've played in around a decade but that's not saying much. The plot is interesting enough. I do want to rush through to progress the story. The chatter from the storm troopers is great. I do enjoy some of the puzzles. Having a little dog-like side kick robot is great. You're better off avoiding the challenge and running around like an overpowered Jedi imo, which can be great. I think this game could have been 10/10 with a few of these things tightened up. It feels like a missed opportunity. Happy to have spent my money on it though to encourage such titles going forward.