Fairy Tale Spotlight: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor [Video Game Review]

Let's just say it: Disney ruined Star Wars. They did it. All hope is lost. They should get rid of the IP, and sell it to someone who gives a damn. I grew up on Star Wars, and I truly loved it. I used to look forward to everything that would come out for it. Video games too. Even though I didn't like all of the games, it wasn't because of the writing. It was usually because the game was too hard or broken to play. I would still buy them though. But now... Now everything is in question. You can't trust the franchise anymore. The good days are over. We as a people can no longer trust Star Wars.

However...

"Star Wars Jedi: Survivor" is a video game developed by Respawn Entertainment, and unfortunately published by EA, a company I dislike. (Not as much as Disney, but it's close.) It was released in 2023. it is also the sequel to the game "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" (2019).

The game plays a little like "Dark Souls" crossed with "Metroid." Although the combat is difficult, it is extremely fair. The hardest fights in the game are also optional and tend to be hiding cosmetic prizes in them that you really don't need.

The story is surprising well written. It continues the adventures of Jedi Cal Kestis as he attempts to fight against the Empire after they destroy the Jedi Order. Along the way he meets friends willing to help him, both old and new. A lot of the characters from the first game are old now, but they still have their charm. I actually love the cast of characters in both games. They are very likable and engaging.

This particular game has to do with a lost planet that is protected by a dangerous vortex. It could be used as a haven for the remaining Jedi, and Cal is going up against an ancient Sith that's been trying to steal it for himself. That's the basic plot of the whole thing. I don't want to go much further into story spoilers. This game is full of twists and turns that are best experienced during the playthrough.

If you are wondering if Disney put any of their franchise-ruining prerequisite stuff in it, they did! Yep, there's a gay couple in it and everything! (Don't worry; they're hilarious.) But most of these things don't really get in the way of the game. They feel more like little virtue signals that are shoved off to the side so that the main part of the game can be kept front and center. You might not even notice them. It seems to me that the developer put them in to fill quotas and then focused more on the story they knew would sell the game. My point is: don't worry about them.

Listen to me carefully when I say this: This is a good game. I really enjoyed playing it, every moment of it. It brings back what made Star Wars so much fun in the old days. It's Star Wars done right. But you have to understand something: That doesn't mean Disney is fixing Star Wars. In fact, everything Disney had to do with this game was actually bad. But there is far more good here than bad, quite enough to play and enjoy it.

I do recommend this game. If you have not completely lost your love for classic Star Wars, then this game is waiting for you to play it. It's good. It's very good. It's also going to be a trilogy someday. I'm actually looking forward to it. I want to see where the story finally ends. But let's be honest: despite this game being genuinely good... Star Wars is still... basically... dead. (And Disney killed it.)

This blog was written on March 25, 2025.

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