Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s Microtransactions Ban Won’t Fix Boring Gameplay
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order won't have any predatory microtransactions, but that won't fix the game's boring gameplay. | Source: Mark RALSTON / AFP
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order won’t have microtransactions, but that doesn’t guarantee the game will be any fun.
- From what we’ve seen so far, the gameplay looks surprisingly boring.
- Unfortunately, this won’t be the quality Star Wars game we’ve been waiting for.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order producer Kasumi Shishido is promising customers that the game won’t have microtransactions , but that really doesn’t matter at this point.
Gamers got their first in-depth look at Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order earlier this year at E3. At the time, it looked like a solid enough game that needed some more time in the oven. It’s been four months since then, and I don’t think any amount of baking will make this a stellar game.
Take a look at this extended Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order gameplay trailer and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. Players are put in the role of a Cal Kestis, a surviving Padawan from the Clone Wars, who is slowly climbing around on an AT-AT at the start of the video.
Do you know who else was a rookie Jedi that had to go up against an AT-AT? Luke-freaking-Skywalker. And what does he do? He cuts it open with his lightsaber, drops a thermal detonator in it, and blows it up. Easy as that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5tXMHrLpIw
EA’s Latest Star Wars Title Suffers from Yawn-Inducing Combat
The lack of interesting gameplay in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order doesn’t just cover terrain traversal. Even the combat in the game comes across as boring and uninteresting. That extended gameplay trailer above shows off some of it as well. It’s slow and deliberate like a Soulsborne game but lacks any of the weight, impact, or challenge that makes those titles interesting.
For example, recent gameplay previews purport to show off some of the more “exciting” moments of the game. A little over six minutes into the video above, Cal has to face off against an AT-ST in what Game Informer calls the “climatic encounter” of the sequence. Nothing about that fight was climactic. It was stale, slow, and boring.
What’s really strange about all of this is that this game comes from Respawn Entertainment. This is the developer behind the Titanfall games and Apex Legends. Anyone that has played those games knows about their great movement mechanics and sense of action that draws the player in. So why isn’t that the case here?
Consider the following video, which contrasts Jedi: Fallen Order’s fight mechanics with those of Metal Gear Rising.
What’s Really Wrong with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Here’s the thing: I predict Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is going to be boring as all get out.
That doesn’t mean it won’t be a commercial success. I fully expect this game to launch with rave reviews from critics and Star Wars fans alike. It will also likely sell well.
The real question is whether fans will pony up the cash for a sequel. I’m betting many won’t. The lack of anything interesting about the game will make it hard to justify for those players, and based on these early previews, I can’t blame them.
The market may be starving for a good Star Wars game, but Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order isn’t going to be it.
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