Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Challenging Puzzles Almost Made Me Turn to the Dark Side

Since the initial release of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a large portion of the community has conveyed their frustration with the game’s complex puzzles. Some have even put down the game after the very first challenge, while others had to rely on gaming guides to pull through.

Considering these difficulties, I knew what I was signing up for with the sequel, and as an adequate puzzle enthusiast, I believed I could withstand the dark side of these riddles. But, boy, was I wrong, as I came face to face with Survivor’s endless puzzles across all the visitable planets of the galaxy.

Prior to this game, I thought I was pretty skilled in this field with my experience in the Prince of Persia trilogy, Uncharted series, and many more. Yet, the Force was not strong with me with every passing puzzle, and the boss battles seemed more like a breath of fresh air compared to the likes of these challenges.

While the tutorial phase doesn’t feature any significant trials, the tests truly begin on planet Koboh during the Bring the Gyro Module objective. You’ll need to use one of the many orbs in the Chamber of Duality, providing pathways with dark matter. What makes this puzzle challenging is the fact that players must decipher which makeshift road they should keep or get rid of, especially since there are multiple paths to take in the game’s convoluted map.

Then, just when you think you’ve figured it out, the following missions up the ante by giving you control of the orb’s beam of light to eliminate the surrounding debris. This procedure can be very time-consuming, considering players must find the coupler’s power source first and direct the light in the proper position. Sometimes, you’ll need to throw orbs to another area, where it’s essentially a Jedi basketball minigame, only you don’t know where the hoop is. Often times I would carry these items and have no idea where to place them, so I would just walk around with a floating object in my hand.

It doesn’t help that enemies will continue to attack you while you try to solve these tricky puzzles, from the nettlesome Rawkas to the vicious Mogu. There are even some environmental objects that can cause as much harm as the creatures. In particular, the Forrest Array puzzle features the deadly Koboh Dust, which can surround Cal’s body and ultimately kill him.

I met my demise a few times during this quest when I focused too heavily on solving the puzzle, forcing me to multitask on the riddles and the terrain.

Things become more advanced when players obtain BD-1’s Koboh Grinder and Electro Dart, essential tools for multiple puzzles. First, the Koboh Grinder allows you to take on the role of a galactic painter, spraying a path of Koboh Matter to burn away obstacles. Unfortunately, due to the free range of this mechanic, it can be daunting to control with the abundance of matter scattered everywhere (some are just part of the terrain.)

The Electro Dart charges exposed electronics, and it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint these items with all the surrounding mech of the Empire. While it may be a personal issue, I frequently used the wrong tool for each segment, where I sprayed the dark matter on the electronics and vice versa with the other trials.

So, in a nutshell, we have orbs, beams of light, BD-1’s gear, and the added thrill of Force abilities you’ll need to use for the remaining tests. Timing is also one of the biggest challenges of Jedi: Survivor’s puzzles since any wrong moves will result in your immediate death. Additionally, you may have to perform the same procedure repeatedly to get it right; at least, that was the case for me when I frequently wanted to give in to my anger with the game’s repetition.

On the flip side, the combination of puzzles and battles makes the experience less tedious, and any vexation I had with these tests could be alleviated through the good ole’ lightsaber duels against the Empire. Hence, you could say that I have joined the Dark Side to complete these elaborate chapters.

The next installment of the Star Wars: Jedi series will probably feature even more complicated puzzles to come, considering that there was a hint of a continuation during Survivor’s end. Nonetheless, I’ll still try my hand at any future riddles, despite my bitterness toward them, to experience the entire journey of the remarkable Cal Kestis.