Summary
In almost every respect,Star Wars Jedi: Survivorwas a sizable improvement over its predecessor. While some feel that its story and character dynamics may not have captured the same magic asJedi: Fallen Order,Star Wars Jedi: Survivorbrought a slew of new and improved features to the sequel, ranging from new and refined lightsaber stances to even more expansive Metroidvania levels to rewarding collectibles. But while it was certainly a big improvement,Star Wars Jedi: Survivorwasn’t perfect, and there’s still a lot that another sequel could add.
Being the second is a probable trilogy, it’s only natural thatStar Wars Jedi: Survivorleaves some room for expansion and improvement. And while even more lightsaber styles, varied enemy types, and Force abilities are all definitely features that Respawn should add withanotherStar Wars Jedisequel, there’s one mechanic that’s been teased from the very beginning of the series but has still not taken shape properly: a fully-fledged companion system.
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A Star Wars Jedi Sequel Should Have a Fully-Fledged Companion System
A companion system has been teased since all the way back inStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. During the course ofCal Kestis' first adventure, players will recruit a handful of new crew members to come aboard the Mantis, with the first being the lovable droid BD-1, and the last being the Nightsister Merrin. Though these are obviously scripted moments, and the player has no choice in bringing them along, it still teases the concept of players being able to recruit crew members to join Cal and the rest of the team.
This concept is teased out even further withStar Wars Jedi: Survivor. Very early on in the game, Cal Kestis will reunite with Greez in a run-downcantina named Pyloon’s Saloon. After entering the cantina for the first time, players will be told that they’ll be able to meet and recruit various characters across the galaxy to join Pyloon’s Saloon. Each of these recruitable characters has a distinct personality, and adds something new to the cantina, such as an aquarium filled with collectible fish or a Holotactics table.
While this is a natural evolution ofJedi: Fallen Order’s original tease, it still doesn’t quite live up to its full potential. Though meeting exoticStar Warscharacters and bringing them back to base is fun, its execution leaves quite a bit to be desired, with most recruitable NPCs adding little in the way of actual gameplay rewards or story progression. But Respawn definitely had the start of something special here, and the concept of recruiting a cast of colorful characters is integral to not onlyStar Wars,but the entire Sci-Fi genre as a whole, and the mechanic helps to cement theStar Wars Jediseries' core theme of found family.
An inevitableStar Wars Jedi: Survivorsequel should take this mechanic another few steps further, and implement a fully-fledged companion system. Players should be able to travel across the galaxy, meet fun characters, and recruit them to work on the Mantis alongside the rest of the crew. These companions should play a decent role in the story, as well as in the gameplay itself, aiding Cal Kestis on the field just like how Merrin does when players venture to Jedha inStar Wars Jedi: Survivor. Of course, theStar Wars Jediseries isn’ta sprawling RPG likeMass EffectorStarfield, so any potential companion system probably won’t be too fleshed out. Stil,, Respawn is just a few steps away from creating a truly memorable and rewarding companion mechanic, and it shouldn’t stop now.
Star Wars Jedi Survivoris out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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