Game On: Survivor, the tale of the last Jedi
Amalgamation of dynamics from other games
Hyderabad: Succeeding one of the best Star Wars games is no easy task. However, with Survivor, Respawn and EA not only attempt to provide a sequel to Fallen Order, but also hope to elevate Cal Kestis and BD-1’s galactic saga to a scale of epic proportions. They aim to do so by retaining most elements of Fallen Order and adding in a few new ones.
During my first couple of hours with the game, I spent time trying to awaken my muscle memory from the last game and re-master game mechanics like wall-running and double-jumps. Just when I thought I had come to grips with Survivor, the game unveiled new changes, and soon Cal was as much a Jedi as he was Batman or Spiderman, grappling away.
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A lot of Survivor is an amalgamation of gameplay dynamics from other popular games. It lets you glide, rappel on cables, use multiple combat stances (like dual wield light sabers), and pursue side-quests (called “rumors”).
At the same time, it requires you to solve puzzles using the “force” and has found new ways to use this invisible entity in combat. If you are looking for novel ways to play games, then Survivor is not your cup of tea.
Despite its several refinements and new additions, my experience with Survivor was less than ideal. I encountered several drops in framerates and numerous bugs and glitches as I attempted to playthrough the game. Some of them weren’t too noticeable, but a few were game-breaking, and for those, I needed to restart the game or respawn to reset them.
For example, early in the game, on my way to the forest array, Cal could only proceed forward if BD-1 activated a terminal. However, for some reason, my BD-1 was floating in mid-air and unwilling to move no matter how many times I gave the input for activation. I had to jump off a cliff a couple of times for BD-1 to respawn on my shoulder before I could proceed further. There were several such issues I encountered as I went from Coruscant to Koboh and solved the game’s many mysteries.
Regarding glitches and bugs, the combat difficulty in Survivor is poorly balanced. Fighting certain types of enemies, such as the Rancor, can be nearly impossible on higher difficulties like Grandmaster and Master, as their attacks cannot be dodged, and once they land, you almost always die.
In hack ‘n’ slash games, higher difficulties should require players to try new combinations and techniques rather than endlessly dodging and hoping never to get hit. During my hour-long fight with the Rancor, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was any benefit to being a Jedi in this universe if all combat was going to be about endless dodging and striking.
A game with a desperate need for a day one patch and a few more fixes down the line, Survivor has all the necessary ingredients to be a worthy successor, it just needs to simmer a bit. Do give it a try in a month’s time; it could be well worth it. Till then, may the force be with you!
