During an E3 2019 Colesium live panel, Respawn Entertainment sat down with Gameinformer’s Andrew Reiner to discuss their upcoming game Star Wars: The Fallen Order. We learned some interesting snippets of new information, including how far along the game is in development, where the E3 game demo takes place within the context of the full game, and some of the inspirations that have guided Fallen Order’s development.
From Respawn, the panel attendees relevant to Star Wars comprised studio head Vince Zampella, and Fallen Order’s game director Stig Asmussen.
Below you can check out a breakdown of some of the key takeaways discussed:
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is already fully playable from start to finish. Playtesting of the full game is scheduled to commence next month.
- The demo showcased during E3 takes place on Kashyyyk, the Wookie homeworld. It is 3-4 hours into the game. Cal Kestis is helping his former mentor (a Jedi Knight) on a mission, but only on the condition that Jedi master complete his training.
- We also learn that the powers showcased during the demo are slightly over-specced compared to what would normally be available at that time. That said, Asmussen says that combat is still fun even at the beginning of the game.
- The game will feature multiple planets, using a Metroidvania design philosophy; players will explore planets multiple times and unlock new areas as you upgrade your powers.
- Metroid has apparently been a source of inspiration throughout the development process, as has been Dark Souls, both in regards to combat and level design (one-way doors, etc).
- Stig Asmussen talks about wanting to keep combat different from what had done before. Namely, keeping things grounded and realistic, rather than over-flashy.
- In response to onlookers claiming the game looked too easy, both Zampella and Asmussen vehemently disagreed, claiming the game is actually quite tough. Respawn is looking at panning out the difficulty settings in the near future.
- Host Andrew Reiner tried to get out of Asmussen whether space battles feature in the game, but he wasn’t keen on answering the question, stating that “we probably shouldn’t talk about that.”
- There will be other boss characters beyond just the Second Sister that is hunting Cal.
- The droid “BD-1” was a placeholder name that stuck — originally “Buddy Droid 1”. Coincidentally, Fallen Order’s code name during development was “Bird Dog,” which has the same initials.
- As for the game’s overall length, Asmussen jokingly described it as “big.” When asked for clarification, he said it is “definitely not a 5-hour experience.” He describes it as a “worthwhile, meaty experience.”
You can check out the panel in full for yourself below:
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was first unveiled earlier this month. The latest gameplay trailer was showcased during Microsoft’s E3 2019 press conference. The game is scheduled to launch November 15 across PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
