As we’ve seen in the films, a Jedi’s approach to swinging a lightsaber radically changes the tactics and rhythm of a fight. While Survivor’s parry-based combat is a very different beast to Jedi Knight’s approach (which, in comparison, does now feel quite wild and uncalculated), there’s some significant shared DNA in their approaches to how a lightsaber is wielded. To become good at Jedi: Survivor’s swordplay is to choreograph your own Star Wars duel, something I’ve not seen since the days of Jedi Knight. Moves stitch together to create an impressively elaborate spectacle of your own making. Weapons intercept and push each other away in a form that looks and feels like genuine swordplay. There’s a stronger emphasis here on parrying blows rather than holding up a static defence, in part thanks to Survivor’s much larger array of blade-wielding enemies. And so the fact that Jedi: Survivor’s combat is more akin to Sekiro – FromSoftware’s own Sengoku-era Japan swordplay game – means that it's off to a substantially better start. Battles often felt like traded defensive blows rather than the samurai-inspired dances we see in the movies. It felt slow and clumsy, with protagonist Cal Kestis wielding his saber like a blunt baseball bat rather than a deadly plasma blade. While I’m aware that Jedi: Fallen Order was largely admired, I personally found its Dark Soulsian combat quite rough around the edges. That initial rush comes via the massive improvement that Respawn has made to its fencing fundamentals. But if you’re looking to once again feel the energetic rush that Raven imbued its lightsaber combat with, then Jedi: Survivor has a Corellian freighter’s worth. If you loved Jedi Knight, there’s no guarantee that Jedi: Survivor is going to ignite your inner kyber crystal. Respawn Entertainment’s Jedi games are very different to Raven Software’s Jedi Knight series rather than shooter/hack-and-slash hybrids, they are rooted in the melee combat rhythms of FromSoftware. To be clear, I mean that in the spiritual sense. And so, after two decades, we finally have a worthy heir to Jedi Knight’s clashes. Their pitch-perfect hum, crackle, and hiss are matched by swift and smooth fight manoeuvres that truly convey this elegant weapon’s prowess. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has the best lightsabers in any Star Wars video game I’ve ever played.
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