Video game review: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order makes you feel like a Jedi Knight

There’s nothing as satisfying as becoming a Jedi and being able to wield the power of the force. And that’s exactly what you do in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a new third-person action adventure game from Electronic Arts.

You play as Cal Kestis, a young Jedi Knight who survived the destruction of the order by the Emperor and the Empire, events that were detailed at the end of the film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

It’s critical that players begin the game being able to use the Force. Anything else would be a disappointment, and here you have powers from the start. You can slow objects and enemies and you can use a lightsabre to deflect energy missiles from blasters.

But you aren’t a full Jedi. Your connection to the force has been interrupted, so although you have basic Jedi abilities at the beginning of the game, you acquire more advanced skills as you progress, becoming a Jedi Knight along the way.

The game, available for PS4, Windows, and Xbox One, comes from Respawn Entertainment, developers of the Titanfall games. The DNA of those games is clearly evident here in how players move through the world, although the controls are occasionally sticky and led me to some frustrating defeats.

This is by no means an easy game, either. On a couple of encounters I needed to adjust the difficulty easier, which you can do on the fly, and afterward I turned it back up again. It’s a nod to the fact that people who may not be as skilled will still want to enjoy being a Jedi.

One of the things that makes Fallen Order so different from earlier Star Wars games is that it’s not a straight-ahead linear game. Once you’ve been launched into the story, it’s more open, and you can decide which planets to visit and explore. As you learn new Jedi skills, paths that were previously unavailable open up, providing you with opportunities to return to places you’ve already been, to explore further.

You’re accompanied in your explorations by what is, by now, essential to Star Wars heroes: a cute and capable droid. BD-1 is integral to the story in Fallen Order and becomes just as integral to how you play the game.

Because you’re a Jedi, there’s no blaster in your arsenal, just a lightsabre. And you’ll learn to wield it effectively, supplementing your attacks with Force powers so that you become the Jedi Knight that you deserve to be.

After all, that’s why you’re playing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.