Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order got its gameplay reveal yesterday, and it was solid (though not particularly stellar) first showing for what’s looking like a story worth looking out for, especially for Star Wars fans. Thanks to a Game Informer cover story on the game, we also got to learn a lot more gameplay details even beyond what was shown. That cover story, though, didn’t just reveal gameplay details, but also shed light on interesting story related stuff (summarized over at ResetEra).
We’ve already known that Cal is supposed to be a Jedi-in-training- more than a Padawan, but not quite a Jedi just yet. He was deep into his training during the Clone Wars, and even gets sent out on a couple of missions, but he’s never really in the thick of things the way Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are. When Order 66 goes down, Cal’s life is turned upside down and he’s forced to abandon everything and go into hiding to avoid being hunted down alongside all the other Jedi.
There’s a lot more to Cal’s past and backstory that we don’t know yet though, which are going to be important plotpoints in the story. Respawn promises that all these revelations and questions will be made and answered throughout the course of the game, and that they won’t be leaving important questions unanswered as sequel bait. The game kicks off on the planet of Bracca, a Mid-Rim world that the Empire uses as a dumping and harvesting plant for derelict spacecraft. By the time the game begins, Cal has been in hiding on Bracca for years.
Something happens though (something always has to happen), something that Respawn aren’t ready to speak of, that outs Cal’s allegiance to the Jedi order, following which he has to escape the Empire’s forces- this happens within the first few minutes of the game on Bracca itself. He comes in contact with Cere, a former Jedi knight, who thinks she can help restore the Jedi (how she plans on doing that isn’t something Respawn have mentioned, as you might have imagined). Though Cal is skeptical of her plan, she promises him that in return for his help, she will finish his training, which he knows will be vital to his survival- so he accepts.
What’s interesting is the approach Respawn is taking to storytelling with Fallen Order. While the game will obviously have cutscenes for some of its most pivotal moments, Respawn wants to do the majority of the storytelling within the game in real time, during gameplay. Beyond Cere, there’ll be other mainstay characters throughout the story as well. There’s BD-1, the droid, and Cal and BD have been described as “inseparable”. There’s also Greez Dritus, the captain of the ship Cal and his companions find their home in. Greez belongs to “a stout alien species” that has been created from scratch for the game by Respawn in conjunction with LucasArts, and is canon to the Star Wars universe. The Stinger Mantis, Greez’s ship, is also a completely new vessel type, also jointly created by the two, and also part of the Star Wars canon.
Finally, there’s Second Sister, part of the Inquisitors – the elite group that hunts down Jedi – who will serve as the main antagonist of the game. The Second Sister was once a Jedi herself, but ultimately defected to join the Empire, and now hunts Jedi. Respawn and LucasArts created her specifically for the game, but she also made an appearance as an easter egg in the comic Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, to hint at her upcoming appearance in the game.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is out on November 15 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The game’s also in line for an appearance at the Microsoft show in a few hours, so stay tuned for more updates.