Unanswered Questions We Have About Jedi: Fallen Order
We have a new Star Wars game to get hyped about. Respawn Entertainment's loving hands have crafted a single-player, story-driven game that everyone and their Star Wars-loving grandmother will be playing when it drops Nov. 15, 2019. Star Wars: Jedi — Fallen Order was just another shining jewel shown off at Star Wars Celebration alongside the long-awaited Episode IX trailer and announcements of more games, TV shows, and other goodies for fans of galaxies far, far away.
Here's what we do know about the game so far. The representatives from Respawn at the panel for Fallen Order assured a relieved audience that there would be no multiplayer and no microtransactions — just adventure and excitement. They also showed off a fantastic trailer starring Cameron Monaghan, of Gotham and Shameless fame, as the hero of the story, Cal Kestis. Cal is a Padawan who survived the infamous Order 66 which wiped out the Jedi. He's now working hard at keeping his head down to avoid being found out and purged by the Empire.
Now here's what we don't know: a lot. After getting just a taste, we're hungry for answers about Jedi: Fallen Order.
How did Cal survive?
We don't blame you if you skipped out on the prequels and therefore have no idea exactly what happened to all the Jedi. Sith Lord Palpatine's infamous Order 66 effectively turned the whole of the galaxy against the Jedi Order. They were summarily executed by the clone troopers that had previously worked with them, but who were mentally taken over by Sith-manufactured bio-chips. From younglings to knights, no Jedi was spared. There were, however, survivors of this genocide, Cal Kestis apparently included.
After the purge, many Jedi were able to hide themselves or go into exile like Obi-Wan Kenobi did. Many of these escapees were experienced, fully-fledged Jedi, however, which makes us wonder how a little Padawan like Cal escaped and got into hiding? How old was he when Order 66 happened? We're willing to bet he had help, and that there's a significantly tragic backstory waiting to be unveiled when we play Fallen Order. What happened to Cal's master? Probably nothing good.
New planets?
At the panel, we glimpsed some concept art for the game. The main image that has been going around features Cal and his droid best buddy on a snowy, mountainous landscape with a crashed, derelict ship in the background. Lucky attendees were given a poster of this tableau, not that we're jealous or anything. Another image showed Cal in a forest with massive, towering trees. The listing for the game on Microsoft mentions both "ancient forests" and "haunted jungles," which begs the question as to which one of these locales we saw in the concept art. Haunted? Haunted by what?
The devs told us that there would be all-new planets to explore in Jedi: Fallen Order. It's not the open-world RPG that EA had once promised us (not that we're bitter or anything) but the idea of new planets brings in new possibilities. Will Cal search out the last vestiges of the Jedi? Perhaps the budding Rebellion? The real question here is what favorite places we'll get to revisit in a brand new, graphically stunning game. We want to look at the individual grains of sand on Tatooine. Will Fallen Order take us on a visit?
Who is this little droid baby?
We wouldn't have a proper Star Wars protagonist without the ever-essential adorable comic relief droid at their side. For Cal's adventures in Fallen Order, he is faithfully followed by the tiny BD-1 droid. BD, we were absolutely delighted to find out, is a reference to the word "buddy" because BD-1 is Cal's very best buddy. We were told that this little guy can be pretty helpful, providing a light in dark places and a constant companion to turn to.
As BB-8 and R2-D2 before him have proven, droids can carry heavy parts of the plot forward. Specifically, our curiosity was piqued when we saw that BD-1's VR-like headset was projecting an image of a ship in the concept art. Or was it a map? We're wondering how Cal and BD-1 met, and if BD-1 is leading Cal to his destiny as a Jedi. It's happened before, after all. Whatever the significance of this little buddy is, we're happy to have him along on this adventure, because who can resist that face? That's the real question here.
What does action melee mean exactly?
Hearing the words "no multiplayer, no microtransactions" was significantly gratifying, but there was some other terminology during the interview with some of the producers and writers at Respawn Entertainment that had us scratching our heads, rather than sighing in relief. We're on board for no loot boxes and new planets and characters, but what exactly does "thoughtful combat" mean?
At some point in the game, Cal gets his hands on a lightsaber and apparently proves himself adept with it. In the trailer he also displays a gift for using the Force, whether that's in stopping deadly propellers or pulling himself out of a dangerous fall. Fighting in Fallen Order won't be a hack-and-slash experience like we anticipate Vader Immortal will be. Stig Asmussen, game director at Respawn, said that the action melee game would be "easy to pick up" but have "depth." This "thoughtful combat" approach will require players to "size up enemies, identify and exploit weaknesses with all the powers that you have," said Asmussen.
The game description also warns that, as expected for any young Padawan, practice and training will be required to master the game's system of striking, parrying, and dodging. Just how much thought goes into a combat system branded as easy to pick up? We'll find out in November.
What Force powers do you have?
Trust in the Force. Reach within. Do some really sick parkour moves. We know from the trailer that Cal will be using his connection with the Force to grab onto ledges, stop dangerous obstacles, and save himself and his friends. We're curious as to exactly how this works, and if the Force will be at player's fingertips at all times. Because never having to physically go over to pick things up, and instead just floating desired items directly into the palm of our hands, is a fantasy we want to live in Jedi: Fallen Order.
All joking aside, the game description promises new powers and abilities that Cal will unlock as he progresses through the story. These new powers will allow players to revisit areas and traverse paths that were previously inaccessible. There is apparently a level of puzzle-solving to the game, and we're curious what powers we'll wield. Because seriously: floating things, Force choking enemies, or maybe doing some old fashioned Jedi mind tricks would be even better than sick parkour moves.
Who is the bad guy?
Star Wars just does villains well. The series has created some of the most infamous names in villainy of all time, from Vader to Palpatine, from Grievous to Darth Maul. So it's natural that we have high expectations for a good baddie to be in Jedi: Fallen Order. Thankfully, it looks as if those expectations will be met, maybe even exceeded, because Purge Troopers and Inquisitors managed to make us quake in our boots.
In the game, Cal is pursued by members of the Empire specifically certified in hunting the very last of the Jedi down. Sith Inquisitors are ruthless agents gifted with the Force, as demonstrated by the trailer. The folks at Respawn said that this particularly tenacious Inquisitor was called a Second Sister Inquisitor, flanked by black-armored, melee-minded Purge Troopers. But we want to know more. Vader Immortal the VR experience has promised that we'll get to know more about Vader himself through the gameplay. Will Jedi: Fallen Order do the same for this new villain? Who else will we have to fight? Is the Inquisitor the final boss? We're in for a hell of a fight if so.
Will we run into any familiar faces?
The thing about Star Wars is that the geniuses over at Lucasfilm are able to maximize on nostalgia. Fans young and old have attachments to beloved characters that they've enjoyed for years, even decades. And while the ever-expanding canon continues to created new characters that in turn gather their own followers, we're wondering if we will we see any familiar faces in Jedi: Fallen Order?
That depends. We would wager that we're most likely to get a heavy-breathing, shadowy shot of a newly minted Darth Vader out of any of the cast from the original films, but Respawn Entertainment might just surprise us. We like being surprised. Specifically, we'll be keeping a close eye for any hint of a Kenobi. We'd love to see him in one last adventure before he settles into being the hermit Old Ben Kenobi on Tatooine.
Where did he get that lightsaber?
The very first thing we glimpsed of Jedi: Fallen Order was the hilt of a lightsaber, demarking the game as a true blue Jedi adventure. We know that we'll get the privilege of learning to master this weapon through a combat system of striking, parrying, and dodging that's described as cinematic, immersive, and innovation. As excited as we are for all that, what we don't know is where Cal acquires a lightsaber in the first place.
Respawn was tight-lipped on that particular detail, but they did mention that the lightsaber itself is "intimately tied to the story." Maybe Cal goes on a quest to find the lightsaber? An abandoned Jedi temple? We're pretty intrigued by the glowing blue glyphs behind the lightsaber in the promotional poster, and the fact that we've been told that the lightsaber is "a reflection of Cal." We don't know exactly what that means, but we're hyped to find out. We're also interested in figuring out exactly how the lightsaber will "grow and evolve." What does this mean? Will we get to customize the lightsaber? Customize Cal? We'll have to be patient until all the secrets of Jedi: Fallen Order are unveiled.
How long before A New Hope is this?
Another important detail that we have virtually no knowledge of is exactly how long after Order 66 does Jedi: Fallen Order take place? How long before the events of A New Hope? Depending on when we can place the game in the timeline, we'll have a better idea as to the state of the galaxy — and our favorite characters. We know Cal is meant to be center stage, but we can't help but wonder about longtime favorites. Is Leia a Senator already? How is the Rebellion faring?
We don't know a lot of things for sure about the game, but that doesn't stop us from being ridiculously excited for a single-player experience as a Jedi.