Game of the Year 2019
Honorable Mention: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Guides Editor Chris Jecks: EA hasn’t had the best track record with its Star Wars games since it acquired the license from Disney back in 2013. The first Battlefront game was criticized for a lack of content at launch. Then the second rocked around and included a single-player campaign but had such a mess with microtransactions and loot boxes that it mired the entire experience for many fans.
With Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it appears as though EA listened to its fans. We got a single-player Star Wars game, with no microtransactions and no loot boxes, from the talented Respawn Entertainment team, and you know what? It’s sublime.
The adventure takes place between Episodes III and IV. The Jedi Order has been wiped out, and only a list locked away in a secret Jedi temple contains the names of Force-sensitive beings who could be trained as Jedi to rise up against the Imperial forces once and for all.
This requires Cal Kestis (the protagonist), to planet hop about, proving himself in Jedi tombs to finally take the fight to the Resistance. It’s these planets and the metroidvania gameplay that make Fallen Order so fun. Each one has paths sprawling and stretching in every direction, but you’ll need to unlock certain powers like a wall-run or double jump to navigate them.
With hidden cosmetics, tough boss-battles, and health and Force bar upgrades tucked away, it’s well worth really searching every nook and cranny of a planet.
Add to this exploration incredibly satisfying lightsaber combat and you’re onto a winner. Fallen Order certainly takes some inspiration for its combat from Dark Souls. Each and every battle is a dance with your opposition of blocks, parries, and counter-attacks. Deflecting blaster fire back at Stormtroopers has never felt so satisfying, either.
All in all, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the exciting, immersive single-player experience fans have been screaming for what seems like half a decade. It was worth the wait and hopefully, EA continues to support more projects like this one within the Star Wars license.
