One of the biggest challenges that Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order`s developers face is creating a game that has engaging mechanics, but also fulfills the fantasy of being a Jedi. It may sound easy on paper but striking the right balance is tricky, and there`s a long line of mediocre Star Wars action games that serve as a testament to that.At E3 2019, the scuttlebutt has been that Jedi Fallen Order is a game in the same mold as From Software`s Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro. These games are mechanically demanding and deliver a potent sense of accomplishment, but it`s hard-earned--not the kind of approachable experience that hooks an audience as broad as Star Wars`. And therein lies the challenge.Respawn`s solution is what it calls `thoughtful` combat, and this is also what is most reminiscent of From Software`s games. At E3 2019 I got a chance to play Jedi Fallen Order, with the bulk of my hands-on spent in a combat arena getting a better handle of what this `thoughtful` combat entails.The arena itself was no-frills, a plain open area where I could run around and swing my lightsaber to cut down any enemies in my path. Further out, there were walls where enemies could be placed to fire blaster shots from a safe distance. My opponents were a cannon-fodder Storm Trooper, a blaster-wielding variant, aggressive Purge Troopers, and surprisingly deadly KX-Series Security Droids.Almost immediately, Jedi Fallen Order feels a lot looser than Dark Souls; the general speed of movement and responsiveness is closer to Sekrio, though its feedback doesn`t quite feel as sharp and satisfying. The `thoughtful` part of combat comes in how you manage your enemies and crowd control, and then the efficiency with which you dispatch them.To begin with, I went up against the vanilla, hits-head-on-roof brand of Storm Trooper, who like to stand at a distance and take potshots with their blasters. To take them out, I simply waited for them to fire a shot and then guarded at the very last s ...
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