Abu Dhabi pavilion wins big at London Design Biennale

London: There have been spin-off computer games since Star Wars, all the way back to the arcade classics of the early 1980s. The franchise’s massive success means games span more or less all genres, from flight simulators, strategy, and resource management to more epic role-playing games like Knights of the Old Republic. In a sense, these games are as much a mirror of the technology as they are of the culture of the time.

With that in mind, the latest release, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, combines the power of the PlayStation 5 with more responsive character development for modern heroes.

This is the second game for protagonist Cal Kestis. In the first Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal was on the run after the Jedi massacre, and his initial focus was on hiding his powers and avoiding trouble.

At the end of the story, he’s a more mature leader and resistance fighter against a mighty empire, and that’s how this game begins, and that’s the scale of the narrative arc, and time viewing is a fair balance of cut sequences versus actual gameplay.

This brings “Survivor” closer to an immersive Star Wars movie that we’ve felt in so many films before it. Aside from stunning recreations of classic locations from the film, as well as iconic music and sound effects, the key to the game’s true homage to the genre is its combat engine.

Cal can choose from a range of lightsaber configurations—including the color of the blade and the design of the handle—and can learn a ton of different combat moves by earning skill points. Many involve using the Force in conjunction, or if Cal is up against one or more enemies. While there’s a balance between art and button-smashing carnage, it tends to reward the former, making it really feel like being in a Jedi situation.

Aside from combat, the second major aspect of gameplay to master revolves around the gymnastic ability Cal uses to move around the various worlds he visits. It’s essentially space parkour, with Cal running along walls, flipping and sliding through seemingly inaccessible environments. Again, it’s adrenaline-pumping fun, but there’s a trade-off in that the expansive world Cal inhabits isn’t really open and accessible, instead hiding the fixed routes the player must take in order to proceed.

The game’s main story tells how Cal accepts to become a Jedi Knight against the Empire that has killed many of his friends. As the main character travels from planet to planet, he carries an air of loss and isolation, reinforced by the fact that his best friend is the droid BD-1, who also helps with health recharges and hacking computers Wait for practical things.

“Survivor” is a larger and more ambitious game than its predecessor, with many side missions and micro-missions to provide players with variety and more choices. There’s plenty of humor in the dialogue, and Carl’s ability to perceive “Echoes of the Force” lends depth and detail to this impressive snapshot of the “Star Wars” universe.