While the mechanics of the game were quite rough when I started, some patches have fixed a lot of initial issues, so I don’t feel it’s fair to let those hiccups reflect my final score. If they were more consistent, or left unfixed, I’d feel much differently. Fallen Order is an incredibly fun and beautiful adventure into the Star Wars universe. The story is very much cannon to the series, spinning off the Episode 1-3 trilogy, in which the Jedi are outlawed by Order 66. Our protagonist, Kal, a former patowan and survivor of the Order, is living life on the low. When we take control, Kal hasn’t used any of his force powers in years, and even stutters like a novice when containing them. An incident causes our hero to have to use his powers, only to draw the newly formed Empire and Vader’s Sisters right to him. And what follows is a proper Star Wars story that not only fulfills the grandiose set pieces, but also the heart of the characters involved. Save for a few existing cameos, this story presents us with an all new cast. And Kal is a Jedi hero I’d love to see in the films. This whole story would actually work as a great film, it’s incredibly cinematic. Gameplay is a collective greatest hits, taking elements from almost every great game of the last two generations, and melding it all into a cohesive and fluid experience. The saber fights and world exploration are very much influenced by the more difficult SoulsBorne Series by From Software, mainly their latest release Sekiro. While still challenging, the entire combat system is made to be a lot easier and accessible - which felt appropriate for a Star Wars game. Traversing the planets operates in the same vein, with Meditation points spread around each planet, offering XP leveling when meditating, and health refills that will cause enemies to respawn in the surrounding area. The foot-by-foot traversal resembles platforming games like Uncharted and Tomb Raider, the game even has its own version Tombs, as well as it has some flavor of games like Mario in there too. The player moves through the levels back and forth, like a Metroid game, using Meditation points to eithe explore for upgrades, or to mainline story points. The amount of exploration is ultimately up to the player, as the game allows you to go back to planets freely. Lightsabers are by far the most customizable they’ve ever been, and while mostly aesthetic, there is an upgrade to a double-sided lightsaber. There are also visual customizations for your starship and your droid, who is not only incredibly helpful, but also a great companion. The crew quarters have some charm, but ultimately end up being a shallow version of Mass Effect’s crew quarters. You can even add other members, but never was I able to actually see or speak to any of them but 1. But it serves more of a purpose than necessary, so it’s quite a cool addition in the end. Overall, the game can be difficult, but there are multiple difficulty choices to help. The gameplay is incredibly fun, blending saber fights with force powers gives a good amount of choices to experiment with. Traversal can also be challenging, but the landscape is full of puzzles and alternate routes to explore, and sometimes exploit. Boss battles are present in difficulty too, as they should be. And there plenty of action set pieces to savor a Star Wars fans saliva glands. I really hope to see more Star Wars games like this one, especially from EA, as it really shows where the series can go, and what it could offer in the video game medium.