Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s sequel reportedly being the “final chapter” in the series is sad news since it has been such a phenomenal, rejuvenating ride amid all other divisiveStar Warsmedia in the last decade. Nonetheless, it’s also not the slightest bit alarming or surprising given thatStar Warsadores its trilogies and there isn’t much of a plot to continue stretching outward for Cal Kestis’ knight-errant given the trajectory ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderandStar Wars Jedi: Survivor, and particularly where the franchise falls in the overarching timeline.
It’s fair to preemptively mourn this journey, though, since it’s arguably been one of the better pieces ofStar Warslately and has revived the IP’s name in the conversation of epic and excellentStar Warsgames, and this is due in no small part to a combination of gameplay characteristics in its genetic makeup. WhatFallen OrderandSurvivorhave accomplished asMetroidvania Soulslikescannot be taken lightly or for granted and the worst mistake now would be for the book to close on Soulslikes in theStar Warsmythology in general once theJeditrilogy concludes with its upcoming installment.
Star Wars and Soulslikes are a Match Made in Heaven
Fallen OrderandSurvivorare action-adventure games with Metroidvania and Soulslike elements, and the latter shines through vibrantly and earnestly while enjoying the somewhat recent fruits of modern Soulslike popularity being ubiquitous and less niche overall. It’s always peculiar in a Soulslike when players comprehend that enemies are specifically and strategically placed throughout an environment, rendering them all as inorganic NPCs waiting to either ambush or be ambushed by the player.
This is true of theStar Wars Jedigames as well, but there’s also a unique narrative proponent driving it forward with an authenticity that seems natural. Kashyyyk’s Imperial occupation inFallen Orderhas Cal stumbling on stormtroopers who are clashing with flame beetles, for example, and eachStar Warsplanet’s flora and fauna diversity allows it to prosper without ever feeling monotonous.
This is key for environmental storytelling in Soulslikes andStar Wars Jediis an ease of entry with planets and biomes that are all distinct and can freely pull from the IP’s looming mythology, at least within the context of itspost-Clone Wars era.
Star Wars Can and Should Do More with the Ever-Popular Soulslike Formula
Cal and his company of companions aboard the Stinger Mantis are inspired, but their tiny chapter inStar Warslore isn’t the only one that could have a ton of merit to gain with a Soulslike subgenre no matter how loosely that classification is applied to it. In fact, pinning Cal down asStar Wars Jedi’s protagonist restricted how much the game would be able to tap into Soulslike influences.
If aStar WarsSoulslike was an action-RPG titlerather than deciding to stick to an action-adventure genre, it would be doubly exciting to see a custom protagonist, for instance, if not a larger pool of weapons and gear to select from, such as vibroblades or beskar armor.
Not all Soulslikes need to be one-to-one and it is great thatStar Wars Jedimaintains a concise narrative with an intimate group of characters, but a full-blown Soulslike would be a boon that Respawn has now taken a huge step toward. It wouldn’t need to be Respawn who develops it in particular, either.
Any studio willing to tackle aStar WarsSoulslike should have the opportunity and it’d be fantastic to see them pop up intermittently in different corners of the galaxy’s canon—a High Republic Soulslike could run parallel to Quantic Dream’s upcomingEclipse, while a Galactic Civil War Soulslike could depict a lone, nondescript character’s adventure from the perspective of the Rebel Alliance or Galactic Empire. The possibilities are only as limited as a studio’s imagination and how farStar Warsis willing to branch out in games.
