Things Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Needs To Get Right
"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" was a revelation not only for "Star Wars" games, but for Electronic Arts as well. Up to that point, EA had an exclusive licensing deal with LucasFilm to produce "Star Wars"-branded video games, but had seldom delivered the goods. Both the reboot of "Star Wars: Battlefront" and its sequel "Star Wars: Battlefront 2" had either underwhelmed or infuriated fans of the franchise. It wasn't until the release of the Respawn Entertainment-developed "Fallen Order" — an exciting single-player adventure — that EA's efforts started bearing fruit as the game was considered both a critical and commercial hit.
But a lot has changed since then. EA has since lost its exclusive "Star Wars" deal and now has to deal with competition in the "Star Wars" ecosystem. Despite "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" being a hit among the fandom and among the best "Star Wars" games ever made, the standard at which its upcoming sequel, "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor," will be held is very high. If EA and Respawn wish to replicate the first game's success, these are the things that must be done right to ensure "Jedi: Survivor" experiences the same kind of success, if not surpass it entirely.
Cal's character must be further fleshed out
Introduced in "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order," Cal Kestis immediately became a popular figure among "Star Wars" fans. A former Jedi Padawan lost in the scramble following the Great Jedi Purge — more popularly known as Order 66 — Cal is shown to be in hiding from the Empire before a close shave with the Inquisitors and an encounter with former Jedi Knight Cere Junda forces him to confront his past. As the story goes on, Cal becomes increasingly more self-assured as he finds his place within the galaxy.
It's a solid story — Cal's commitment to the Jedi Way and the goal protecting Force-sensitive children is certainly a welcome change to the "former Jedi becomes jaded" story thread that's been featured in "Star Wars" media in recent years. Still, in order for Cal to become a fully fleshed-out character, it's only fair that he deals with even more turmoil in "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor," especially as it pertains to being tempted by the Dark Side, as some Redditors have already discussed.
While Cal isn't without his friends — former Jedi Cere being among them — he is essentially on this journey alone. And in order for his character to match its immense potential, a little more struggle when it comes to his ultimate fate will probably serve him well.
Expanding on lightsaber battles
Since the beginning of "Star Wars" games, lightsaber combat has often been attempted and seldom perfected. For as great of a game "Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords" was from a lore and story perspective, the turn-based lightsaber battles were a far cry from the frenetic tit-for-tat battles fans were accustomed to seeing in the main film saga. "Jedi Fallen Order" definitely felt like the best implementation of lightsaber combat, due to its briskly paced bouts and surprisingly wide range of attacks that differed between single and double-bladed sabers. Despite its smooth and fluid feel, there is still improvement to be made.
One of the features that was missing from "Jedi Fallen Order" and is desperately needed in "Jedi: Survivor" is the use of dual-wielded lightsabers in battle. Known as Jar'Kai in the official "Star Wars" canon, the ability to effectively wield two individual sabers was most recently popularized by former Jedi Ahsoka Tano. Unsurprisingly, it looks like a lot of fun. Implementing such a discipline could greatly add to the already-great lightsaber duels seen in the "Star Wars Jedi" games.
Don't rely too much on classic Star Wars figures
In "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order," one of the most welcome surprises were cameos from already established characters within "Star Wars" canon, including Rebel extremist Saw Gerrera and the now-famous appearance of none other than franchise super baddy Darth Vader. These appearances further endeared players to the game and greatly established its place within the canon. But while these brief cameos certainly helped "Fallen Order," it would probably be best if "Jedi: Survivor" didn't rely on such appearances.
As awesome as Vader's appearance was, it was made even better by the fact that the former Anakin Skywalker was leagues above Cal and his companions in terms of ability. If the powers-that-be at LucasFilm and Disney wish to preserve Vader's portrayal as an unstoppable force of nature, having Cal cross the Sith's path twice and live to tell about it would be damaging to that aura. The trailer for "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor" has all but confirmed the presence of the Grand Inquisitor within the game, a franchise mainstay with appearances in "Star Wars Rebels" and the more recent "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series. This inclusion is fine, but it'd probably best not to overdo it.
Cal should die
Knowingly or not, "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" made a brilliant move in terms of marketing by having its actors also provide their likenesses to characters. This gave LucasFilm and Disney the ability to include these actors in live-action properties should either company have the desire to do so. However, since then, this has not happened. Despite being portrayed by Cameron Monaghan, the character of Cal hasn't appeared anywhere outside of the "Star Wars: Brotherhood" novel (which also apparently made Blitzball a canon sport in the universe). Given his place on the timeline — the height of the Empire's power and the peak of Vader's brutality — being years before Luke Skywalker's heroic rise, it's likely that he didn't survive this era.
This creates a perfect opportunity for Respawn to kill Cal's character in a virtuous, emotionally impactful way. Having Cal be a martyr for the Jedi cause when all of his compatriots are either dead or in hiding would be a beautiful culmination of his story and all he's done to make sure the Jedi Order has a chance down the line. The first game ended with Cal destroying the Holocron that displayed the locations of Force-sensitive children spread out across the galaxy in lieu of recruiting them to revive the Order, a truly selfless act that was necessary. In "Jedi: Survivor," maybe that sacrifice can be taken a step further by having Cal and his companions lay their life on the line for what is right.
Of course, this can all be for naught should LucasFilm decide to bring Cal into the fold for Disney+'s "Ashoka" series in 2023. But if not, "Jedi: Survivor" would be the perfect way to give our favorite red-headed hero a heartwarming send-off.