Hold on to your lightsabers: there's a new Star Wars game on the way, and it's called Jedi: Fallen Order. And we've now got the first concrete details about it, thanks to E3 2019 and an extended gameplay trailer that dropped in June.
In development by Respawn Entertainment (the studio behind Apex Legends and Titanfall), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was announced during E3 2018 but we didn't get a proper look at the game until early in 2019, during a special panel at the annual Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, before EA lifted the covers completely at E3 2019.
While the official reveal only gave us a glimpse at a story trailer, it was more than enough to get us hyped for the upcoming game. E3 2019 gave us a far more meaty look at the game - including some lightsaber-fueled gameplay - before the developer dropped an extended demo at the end of the month.
While fans of the galactic franchise have seen official tie-ins in the form of Star Wars Battlefront I and II, the new entry takes on a different tack, focusing on a single-player experience more in line with 2008's The Force Unleashed – and we have all the concrete news and wild speculation you could want below.
[Update: PS4 Pro and Xbox One X players will be able to explore some modes that will enhance their experience. Read on to find out more.]
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A new single-player Star Wars game from the creators of Titanfall
- What can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One, and PC
- When can I play it? November 15 2019
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order release date
EA has now confirmed Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will release on November 15, 2019, just in time for Christmas and the long-awaited release of Star Wars Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker.
If you pre-order the Deluxe Edition ahead of the game's launch, you'll get two exclusive in-game lightsaber colors plus an exclusive hilt, in addition to skins for your droid and star ship. EA and Respawn will also include a digital art book in the Deluxe Edition and a few behind-the-scenes videos.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order trailers and story
You'll take the role of Cal Kestis, a former Jedi padawan (AKA, a student of the Force). The game is set in the period following Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith – the fateful time when the evil Emperor Palpatine executed Order 66, which saw the Jedi ambushed and killed by their own supporting Clone Trooper soldiers. Few survived and were forced into hiding.
And that seems to include Cal! A youngster only partially through his training, Cal has been forced into hiding, working construction sites and trying to keep a low-profile as the Jedi-hunting Imperial Inquisition continues to track down any remaining survivors.
The reveal trailer shows Cal having to use his Force powers to defend himself against rogue troopers, and to save a friend from falling from an accident. The trailer suggests the game will have some lavish set-pieces and environments, and hinted at a very-story-driven experience to enjoy.
A story trailer released in September gave an even better idea of what to expect from the game's main story, showing that Cal is not only on the run from the Empire, he's actively racing them to get to an item related to the Jedi Order.
Check it out both trailers below:
You can also watch the EA Play 2019 gameplay reveal for the game below, but note that you're going to have to jump into around the 30 minute mark to skip the build up portion, that's basically just 30 minutes of an EA logo!
If you just want to see the game in-action, there's a brand-new official gameplay trailer that should provide everything you need to know about the game - including a few surprises. (Spoiler warning!) This is the same demo that journalists and attendees saw at the EA Play event.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order gameplay
EA Play 2019 showed us a 15 minute slice of gameplay from the game, roughly 3 hours into the game.
We were shown Chewbacca's homeland Kashyyyk, where Jedi Cal is trying to kickstart the rebirth of the Jedi order. But the poor Wookies are enslaved by the Empire! So Cal has to try to help them out.
Walking through a tech-filled jungle corridor, gameplay at first doesn't look unlike Uncharted 4, with a tool that lets you swing from beams, and some wall-running ala Respawn's other game, Titanfall. Cal's pretty nimble, able to clamber up walls and climb as if he was Assassin's Creed's Ezio. He moves weightily.
After meeting up with some resistance fighters, he carves his way through a door and comes across a burning refinery, using his lightsaber as a torch in the darkness. A battle ensues below and Cal needs to reach a troop of Stormtroopers , so force-pushes a tree below to make a path to them.
Here we see our first glimpse of lightsaber action. Cal can force pull and push troops, as well as throwing his lightsaber at them for a ranged attack. Combat is lock-on focussed, not unlike Dark Souls for one-on-one combat, but seems massively more forgiving. There also seems to be finishing animations that trigger when you've took a baddie to low health. Lightsaber combat, thankfully, looks weighty and measured – this will be a tactical fighting game, rather than a hack and slash, with the classic ability to slash blaster bolts back at an enemy.
Cal also seems to have the ability to focus the force and slow time, letting him take on dangerous foes, like flamethrower stormtroopers with a little more ease, as well as avoiding environmental hazards like spinning blades. One cool moment had him slow time, and force pull a stormtrooper towards him in time to use it as a human-shield against the very same blaster bolt it had fired at Cal moments earlier. The same technique can be used to halt a foe momentarily in its tracks – very Kylo Ren.
So far, levels, though expansive, seem fairly linear – you're very much set along a path from one action scene to another, although the densely-designed levels prevent it from appearing too much like a series of corridors, back to back. Each scene has lots of AI interactions between NPCs, too – you'll see stormtroopers battling the native, giant-beetle-like creatures of Kashyyyk, and timing your attack against them could help to swing the odds in your favor.
Cal acquires upgrade points as he defeats enemies, and also seems to be able to complete side missions if he goes off the beaten path and explores levels in detail. C
The timing of the story, set after Revenge of the Sith, also means there was a familiar face or two turning up. Rogue One's Saw Gerrera, aka actor Forest Whitaker, was present, as was a bot that looked like K2SO. You'll have to fight this one, though.
Skill points will go into your force abilities, letting you upgrade force pulls and push, double jumps and force slowing tricks. You'll get a droid, too, BD1, to help you on your way, offering the ability to hack terminals, heal your player and manage your hologram map, as well as being your buddy. You won't be able to turn to the Dark Side though – Cal's good to the core.
So far then, so good. This is a classic-era Star Wars game, giving you a taste of the most-loved period in Star Wars history. Rather than the original reveal's suggestion that Cal will be a weak newbie Jedi, he's going to be fairly advanced in his training. And, it's all cannon – these characters are going to turn up in the wider Star Wars universe.
It looks visually impressive... except for the Wookies. They looked like the plastic figures from the 70s. A bit more free-flowing, walking-carpet Wookie hair please, EA!
Minimum and Recommended PC specs
The minimum specs required to play Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order aren't too bad, and most older gaming PCs should be able to scrape by without a problem.
Here's what you'll need:
- OS: 64-bit Windows 7/8.1/10
- CPU: AMD FX-6100 or Intel Core i3-3220
- RAM: 8GB
- Graphics card: AMD Radeon HD 7750 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 650
- DirectX 11
- HDD: 55GB
That said, the recommended specs are a bit... loftier. If you want to run the game at the recommended spec, you'll apparently need 16GB of RAM (*originally EA said it would be 32GB before dialing the number back), an AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU plus an AMD Ryzen 7 1700 or Intel Core i7-6700K.
Here's all the details:
- OS: 64-bit Windows 7/8.1/10
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700 or Intel Core i7-6700K
- RAM: 16GB*
- Graphics card: AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
- DirectX 11
- HDD: 55GB
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order news and rumors
PS4 Pro and Xbox One X enhancements
Respawn has confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will have enhanced modes on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. These more powerful consoles will give players the option to choose between "Performance" and "Quality Modes". The former will offer frame rates up to 60, while the latter will lock frame rates at 30 in order to offer improved visuals. What the resolutions in both modes will be has not been confirmed. It's also been noted that while the enhanced "Performance" mode will be aiming at all times to hit 60fps, it won't always meet it and will sometimes dip below.
Gone Gold
It's now been confirmed that development on Jedi Fallen Order has ended and the game has gone gold. Developer, Respawn, made the announcement on Twitter.
New story trailer
In a brand new trailer released in September 2019, fans got a better idea of what to expect from the main story in Jedi Fallen Order. We already knew that the game's protagonist, Cal, is on the run from the Empire but in the trailer it's revealed that they're trying to stop his mission to trawl the galaxy and find something related to the Jedi Order.
Those Sekiro Comparisons
Jedi: Fallen Order has recently attracted some comparisons to From Software's Sekiro with regards to its combat. Rather than be perturbed by this, though, Respawn Entertainment has said it finds it "badass" and "a little comforting". In a recent interview with Edge Magazine (via GamesRadar), lead combat designer Jason de Heras explained that "It just confirmed to us that you don’t have to limit everything the player does; let them have a little more agency, and then let the AI give them a slap on the wrist, or a punch in the face. It was a positive thing for us to know there was a game that was similar to ours. Very similar."
The team readily admitted to being fans of From Software's games, though given Jedi: Fallen Order was in development before Sekiro's release the similarities can't be much more than coincidence. Game director, Stig Asmussen, said that he and his team had a look at previous Star Wars games to determine what worked in them and how those fun elements could be brought forward. The Jedi Knight games, for example, were singled out as being good examples of lightsaber combat because they "really sold the lethality of the lightsaber" and served as better inspiration than the kind of heavy-handed combat found in Force Unleashed.
Protagonist potential
In a recent interview with Game Informer, game director Stig Asmussen offered some insight into the decision making process behind Cal Kestis being chosen as the game’s protagonist. There was a point early on in the game’s development, Asmussen revealed, when an alien protagonist was considered but was soon discounted “because we felt like—no pun intended—that would alienate a lot of people.”
While Asmussen admitted that he would be interested in an alien protagonist, he said the team wanted to make sure that “there was a real human connection to the character”.
Having an alien protagonist in a Star Wars title certainly has the potential to offer a new and interesting perspective on the universe so it seems a shame that the opportunity was passed by. Fingers crossed it’s something that will be re-explored in the future. That said, Fallen Order has made a good impression thus far and hopes are high ahead of the game’s November launch.
Retail box art
EA has revealed the retail box art for both the Standard and Deluxe editions of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Here's what the Standard edition look like:
Standard Edition (Image credit: EA)
And the Deluxe edition:
Deluxe Edition (Image credit: EA)
EA doesn't plan to release Fallen Order on Switch
Soon after the game's official reveal, fans were wondering if Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will ever be making its way to Switch. Well, according to EA community manager Jay Ingram, there aren't any plans to do so currently.
You can check out Ingram's reply to a fan tweet below:
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was livestreamed – check it out
We already know that on April 13 we got our first proper look at Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, as part of the annual Star Wars Celebration event in Chicago.
But luckily for fans that couldn't make the trek to the event, EA livestreamed it.
Check out EA's announcement tweet below for a chance to replay it:
The galaxy-wide premiere saw the head of Respawn Entertainment, Vince Zampella, and game director, Stig Asmussen (whose previous work includes God of War 3), revealing the much-anticipated details of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order toys -confirmed
Disney has announced that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order merchandise will become available in October 2019 suggesting, not only that the game will release around that time, but that the company expects it to be a title (or series) with a long life-span within Star Wars fandom. We now know that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will release in November, just a month after the toys release.
Development is well underway
"It’s very far along in development, and having spent time with it recently myself, it plays spectacularly well," EA CEO Andrew Wilson revealed during a quarterly earnings call (via Seeking Alpha). "This game truly captures the fantasy of becoming a Jedi, and we will have a lot more to share soon."
A Padawan called Cal? Confirmed
According to rumored information from a Star Wars marketing day (which obviously made its way to Reddit) the story will take place roughly five years after Revenge of the Sith and will follow surviving Padawan Cal (via GamesRadar). This rumor also states that one of the game's main plot points will revolve around Cal's mentor figure - a woman named Ceres. Both these names are now confirmed.
It's set after Revenge of the Sith
We don't know the specific time in which the game is set, but we've heard that it will take place at some point between Episodes 3 and 4, after the end of Revenge of the Sith but before Luke Skywalker's appearance in A New Hope.
This places it after the Galactic Empire hunted the 10,000-strong Jedi Order practically to extinction, leaving only a small fraction of Jedi alive (aka Order 66). With the promise that the game will be set 'in the dark times', it sounds like our Jedi protagonist may be more the hunted than the hunter.
Star Wars: Battlefront II. (Image credit: EA)
Could famous Jedi appear?
Playing as "a surviving Padawan", technically meaning a Jedi apprentice rather than a fully-fledged master of the Force, Cal could do with some extra training. Given the dearth of living mentors left to train you, it's possible Obi-Wan Kenobi or Yoda – or some less high-profile Jedi, like Quinlan Vos – will appear in a supporting role.
The single-player mode comes first – and there will be no microtransactions
Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella tweeted about the upcoming game, describing it as an 'SP' (single-player) story.
It looks like a multiplayer component won't be available at all in the game – surprising given EA's focus in recent years on games that extend beyond a single play session. Even more surprising is the fact that there will be no microtransactions at all, ever, in Fallen Jedi. It's great news considering the industry falls over itself to offer chunks of games piecemeal these days – but don't be surprised if that means there will be an aggressive DLC system instead.
I find your lack of faith disturbing
2018 was a been a bit of a fallow year for Star Wars, with Star Wars: A Solo Story struggling in cinemas and the negative player response to EA Dice's Star Wars: Battlefront 2 – largely in reaction to its prevalent use of microtransactions – still in recent memory.
Jedi: Fallen Order has been handed to a different studio, albeit one that's still a subsidiary of EA. But Respawn has garnered a lot of respect as the studio behind Titanfall and Titanfall 2, two critically acclaimed sci-fi action games that pit players against each other in giant mechanized suits, and which both came with strong single-player and multiplayer offerings.
(Image credits: Respawn Entertainment)
Keep checking back here for all the latest Jedi: Fallen Order news
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