Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2has been rumored to be in development for a while now, after the success of the first game. No one knows any hard details yet, but it is expected to surface in a couple years if it is indeed being worked on. The firstJedi: Fallen Orderwas a surprise success, coming from a new team built in Respawn Entertainment. The game tells the story of the Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis in his journey to escape the Empire’s Inquisitors and rebuild the fallen Jedi Order.
The gameplay, surprisingly enough, took the form of a melee-centric action adventure with mild Metroidvania elements. It seems that the design team looked to bothGod of Warand FromSoftware’s variousSoulsgames for design inspiration, as the game is often thought of as a fairly competentSouls-like. Aside from the obvious similarities betweenJedi’s meditation circles andDark Souls’ bonfires, the games have a few other similarities like Stims serving as an Estus Flask, and how XP is lost on death and must be recovered before dying again. However, theseSouls-like elements are not so prominent that they couldn’t be scaled back even further in the sequel.
RELATED:Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2 - Is It Actually In Development?
Jedi: Fallen Order 2 as More God of War
One path thatFallen Order’s sequel could follow is the same as that of its predecessor,The Force Unleashed: becoming a more directGod of Warhomage. Generally speaking, this means reformatting areas into more linear, level-based affairs, with a greater focus on moving forward instead of the current emphasis on finding shortcuts like inDark Souls. Levels would still contain many combat encounters, puzzle rooms, and cinematic movement sequences, like they do now. Really, just scaling back the more explorativeDark Soulselements would already bringFallen Orderpretty close toGod of War, given its small roster of different weapons with more situational Force powers on the side.
If the designers wanted, they could makeJedi: Fallen Order 2unfold a lot like the 2018God of War. There would still be linear “levels” that will have to be completed in their entirety once initiated, but there can also be some sort of centralized hub. Whether that meansFallen Order 2chiefly takes place on one planet or the player is given a miniature solar system to explore between major story beats is up to Respawn, but it would nicely mirror the lake segments andoptional side-quests inGod of War. It would also give the protagonists more time to converse like the main duo (and later trio) ofGod of War, which fans would greatly appreciate.
RELATED:13 Hidden Secrets Many Still Haven’t Found In Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Jedi: Fallen Order 2 as More Metroidvania
Alternatively,Jedi: Fallen Order 2could be made to feel like a true adventure, and the exploratory Metroidvania elements could be dialed up. WhileDark Souls 1has often been spoken of like a true 3D Metroidvania, its criss-crossing routes are often accessible through simple keys, tricky jumps, or just finding a door, ladder, or elevator that allows the player to shorten travel time.Fallen Order 2could fully embrace its Metroidvaniainspiration, with plenty of collectables are hidden in nooks around the map, and Cal gradually acquiring Force abilities and equipment that lets him access more of the world.
While it wouldn’t be quite as immersive as a single giant map,Fallen Order 2could take theMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionapproach and have multiple smaller planets. Such an approach to the design will essentially be a refinement to the firstFallen Order’s decision to include several planets. This is often not as well-received as a single map, and doesn’t allow for as many of the interconnected paths that players enjoy. Still, it might work better for aStar Warsgame, given that the franchise is known for taking its protagonists on an epic quest throughout the galaxy. It also wouldn’t abandon what the first game was working towards. Making aStar Warsgame involves balancing whatStar Warsis with the realities of game design, so either one major planet or several minor ones could work if committed to.
Becoming the Dark Souls of Star Wars Games
Of course, there is one other path available.Jedi: Fallen Ordercontains many design elements fromDark Soulsand FromSoftware’s other works, and it has the perfect opportunity to build on them. As Respawn is a different studio working with a different engine on a very different property, it has the opportunity to re-evaluate the decisions that went into theSoulsgames and make its own unique take.Fallen Order 1already stands out from the pack by including much weaker enemies like Stormtroopers that can be killed with one good projectile parry. They are meant to fight players en masse and have an advantage in numbers, rather than relying on their low health and damage. Tuning the AI and abilities of these weaker foes, as well as choosing what other enemies and environments are present, could lead to some fascinating combat rarely seen inthe duel-focusedSoulsseries.
Fallen Order 2would be well-served working some ofDark Souls' usual plot considerations in as well. While joining the Sith wouldn’t really fit with what Cal is trying to do, embracing the Dark Side could be a part of a future game. Like in theSoulsseries, players could gain great power through side-quests, and possibly also unlock some darker endings. This may be the closest aStar Warsgame could get to becoming a"Sith game" under Disney. Regardless, becoming more of aSouls-like is still a valid move for theFallen Orderseries, even if it could be better served by refining its gameplay, story, or environments. Above all else, a design goal forJedi: Fallen Order 2should be to choose a gameplay style and commit to it. With any luck, the talent that brought out a good first game will develop an even better second.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2is rumored to be in development.
MORE:Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2’s Cal Kestis May Need to Be Tweaked
