Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderwas released six years ago in 2019. It stands out as the only single-playerStar Warsgame to have been developed and released during EA’s exclusive license forStar Warsgames. Despite all the challenges thatStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderfaced as a single-player game with no live-service features, it was a hit on release, and had sold 20 million units by 2020.
There are many reasons whyFallen Orderis a great game. As a soulslite, it makes a fantastic first entry for players who want a challenge, but don’t want the challenge of soulslike games.Fallen Order also includes puzzles to solve, a compelling story, great characters, and emotional themes that make Cal a popular character in theStar Warsfandom.Fallen Orderis essential to play before its sequel,Star Wars Jedi: Survivor,and, with the third andfinal game in theStar Wars Jediseries in development, 2025 is the perfect time to revisit the first part of Cal’s story.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s Story
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderfollows the story of Cal Kestis, a Padawan who survived Order 66 and is living in hiding from the Empire.Fallen Ordertakes place five years after the rise of the Empire, a turbulent time for the galaxy as it settles into its new normal. The Inquisitors are a significant threat to the remaining Jedi at this point, and serve as the main antagonists ofFallen Order. Cal travels to planets both new and familiar, andStar Wars: The Clone Warsfans will recognize Dathomirand its inhabitants.
Fallen Order’s story doesn’t break any boundaries, but it’s still a compelling tale of found family and trying to find hope in the midst of darkness. Its emotional peak is one of the best parts of the game, and its theme of moving on from grief and loss is told beautifully through its characters. It has a small group of characters who have their own motivations and agency, but could be more developed. Merrin is one of the standoutcharacters ofFallen Order, but arrives far too late in the story. The Second Sister is also by far one of the best Inquisitors seen in Star Wars, both for her story and her dynamic with Cal.
Becoming a Jedi in Fallen Order
WhereFallen Ordertruly shines is its gameplay. Taking on the role of a Jedi is a power fantasy, andFallen Ordersucceeds in this regard. Lightsaber combat is fluid and dynamic, and gets even better as Cal slowly relearns everything he forgot after the Purge.Fallen Orderhas one of the best interpretations of a lightsaber in the entireStar WarsIP, giving Cal the flexibility to switch effortlessly between single, dual, and double-bladed lightsabers.
Fallen Order’s sequel,Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, builds on the skills that Cal relearns inFallen Order, so players don’t have to start from scratch once again.Jedi: Survivoralso builds on the relationships that Cal forges inFallen Order, and the emotional beats inJedi: Survivorwon’t mean as much ifFallen Orderis skipped. With the third and final installment of Cal’s story confirmed to be in development, 2025 is the perfect time to revisitFallen Orderand look back on Cal’s growth, the characters who have shaped his journey, and the struggles he’ll likely face inJedi: Survivor’s sequel.
