It’s hard to put a finger on that Star Wars feeling, but you know it when it happens. Star Wars is traditional myth combined with things you’ve never seen before – both familiar and strange, it’s the hero’s journey in a sci-fi world. To me, it’s about epic themes told with a twinkle in the eye – a balancing act that’s hard to get right.
Yet when I tried Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at E3 earlier this year, I felt like that balance wasn’t quite there yet. The combat was solid, much of the game was promising, but I hadn’t sensed that special Star Wars charm: the sort of feeling you get from marvelling at its bizarre worlds, laughing at ridiculous aliens one moment before being plunged into intense power struggle the next. In that demo we were mainly traversing narrow metallic corridors, focusing hard on getting to grips with the combat, rather than being left to explore on our own terms.
I didn’t see myself returning to write further impressions of Fallen Order – but earlier this week, I had another look at the game during the latest preview event. This time, I had about three hours to roam with near-total freedom to explore. This, finally, is where I felt the sheer glee of exploring the Star Wars universe – and that cheeky sense of humour I love so much.
