Why You Can Trust CNET Star Wars Jedi: Survivor: Everything You Need to Know About This Thrilling Sequel
Read our review and get important details to know about this new Star Wars adventure.
Cal Kestis doesn't mess around in Jedi: Survivor
Star Wars fans will go back to a galaxy far, far away this week as 2023 continues to churn out major games. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor comes out on Friday and continues to tell the adventures of one of the last Jedi knights in the galaxy, Cal Kestis.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the sequel to the wildly successful Jedi: Fallen Order from 2019. Taking place five years after the events of the first game, Jedi: Survivor makes big strides to improve on the original although it slips up in one big aspect of the game.
Here's everything you need to know about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and whether it's worth playing.
When does Jedi: Survivor come out?
Jedi: Survivor launched on April 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Can my PC run Jedi: Survivor?
Check our guide on the PC specs required to play Jedi: Survivor and how well it runs.
When can I start preloading Jedi: Survivor?
Those who preordered Jedi: Survivor could begin preloading the game on April 25. With the games taking up more than 140GB of storage, preloading will save some time for players eagerly waiting to jump into the game.
What comes with the different editions of Jedi: Survivor?
There are three editions of Jedi: Survivor. The standard edition costs $70 and comes with the Hermit Cosmetic Pack that includes the Hermit Lightsaber and outfit set inspired by Obi-Wan Kenobi as well as the Combustion Blaster Set.
At $90, the deluxe edition comes with the Hermit Cosmetic Pack, the Scoundrel Cosmetic pack that is based on Han Solo, the Rebel Hero Cosmetic inspired by Luke Skywalker and two BD-1 cosmetics.
The Jedi: Survivor Collector's Edition costs $300 and is already sold out. Distributed by Limited Run Games, this edition comes with a full-size functional Cal Kestis Replica Lightsaber Hilt (blade sold separately), a premium magnetic box for the Lightsaber, a certificate of authenticity and the previously mentioned cosmetic packs. Only 1,500 collector's editions were made.
What is the story of Jedi: Survivor?
Jedi: Survivor takes place five years after the events of Jedi: Fallen Order. Cal Kestis has joined the rebellion led by Saw Guerrero. As he escapes the Empire, Cal comes across clues of a hidden planet once inhabited by the Jedi, possibly the safe haven he's been searching for.
Is Jedi: Survivor any good?
When Jedi: Fallen Order came out, it had a great mix of fast action that made full use of Lightsabers and Force powers, but it was light on things to do outside of the main storyline. Jedi: Survivor, on the other hand, is chock-full of interesting side missions and items to unlock. There's also a whole cantina full of new characters to meet, and you can even hunt down bounty hunters.
Cal has also grown as a character in many ways. His fighting style is more fierce, and he finishes off enemies by impaling them with his Lightsaber or chopping off body parts. Speaking of Lightsabers, Cal has multiple new fighting stances including twin Lightsabers, a blaster/Lightsaber combo and a Crossguard Lightsaber. Depending on the stance, there are advantages and disadvantages to offensive and defensive abilities, attack ranges and Force usage.
Seemingly everything in Jedi: Survivor is an improvement over Jedi: Fallen Order with the exception of the story. It starts off dramatic, but there is a lull for most of the middle of the game. I'm 30 hours in and it seems like I haven't had an emotional moment for a good 10 hours.
While the game is full of Star Wars canon, taking pieces from the prequel trilogy and even the Disney Plus Obi-Wan series, there's a lack of compelling scenes. In comparison, Jed: Fallen Order seemed like an emotional roller coaster. The story bits I get are interesting, but they're few and far between. This makes it feel like I'm nowhere near completing the game, even after 30 hours, which comes off as being drawn out just for the sake of creating a game with a long playtime.
Aside from the story, Jedi: Survivor does have some technical issues, such as awkward character animations, enemies falling through the ground and strange camera angles. A day 1 patch is expected to clear up a lot of problems, but don't be surprised if some require multiple updates to fix.
Jedi: Survivor would be the perfect sequel if it wasn't for the very drawn-out story. The Star Wars universe has expanded since the release of Jedi: Fallen Order in 2019. It's understandable to want to work this canon into the game, but it just didn't hit those emotional moments of the original.