Star Wars Jedi: Survivoris finally here, and it seems to improve upon almost every single aspect of its predecessor. The combat feels more fluid, the landscapes can be jaw-dropping, the customization is top-notch, and the story is exciting. It feels like a worthy sequel tothe acclaimedStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, but not everything is as good as it could be.
Respawn wanted to expand a lot of the core systems withStar Wars Jedi: Survivor, and that meant an entirely new talent tree for players to pour points into. The game features more than double the number of skills that the first one had, and that gives players so much more freedom in how they want to play the game. However, it also feels rather clunky compared to its predecessor, and that makes it feel like a downgrade.
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Fallen Order’s Talent System Felt Intuitive
One of the biggest parts ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderis its talent system. Throughout the game, players will earn talent points that they can pump into the talent tree when they meditate. These talents give Cal Kestis all sorts of bonuses in combat and go a long way in making him feel unstoppable. Players are likely familiar with systems like this as it is a core part of modern video games, and Respawn translated it pretty well totheStar Warsuniverse.
There are a total of 33 talents that players can earnthroughout theirStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderadventure. These talents are broken up into three separate sections with each section improving a core aspect of Cal Kestis. Players can upgrade force abilities, their lightsaber skills, and their survivability in combat. It is all presented in one giant talent tree with large icons for each talent, which makes changing them feel almost seamless.
Jedi Survivor’s Talent System Feels Sluggish
Respawn wanted tomakeStar Wars Jedi: Survivormore advancedthan its predecessor, and that can be seen in the game’s new talent system. Instead of having one giant talent tree to pump talent points into, the studio split up the talents into multiple smaller trees. There are still three major sections, but each section is further split up into smaller sections with each having its own talent tree for players to peruse.
Respawn changedhow combat works inStar Wars Jedi: Survivorso that lightsaber stances matter, and that is part of the reason why the game’s talent system works differently. Each stance has different talents that players can obtain, and even the blaster gets its own tree. The game also increased the talents to a whopping 75, which gives players even more freedom in how they want to play their version of Cal Kestis. While these changes help give the game more depth, it also leads to a system that feels sluggish at times.
Instead of being able to navigate one giant talent tree,Star Wars Jedi: Survivorplayersmust analyze multiple smaller trees as they look for something to pump points into. These trees are also displayed on giant rocks rather than as a classic talent tree, and players must sit through various animations as they switch between these rocks. To top it all off, players also have to equip certain perks that are separate from the talent system if they want to see even greater bonuses in combat. That is just too many things to deal with, and it really should be simplified.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’stalent system changes are not hard to manage, but it does feel like a strange choice. It no longer feels intuitive, and instead feels like a bit of a slog. While Respawn cannot go back and change it now, hopefully, the eventual third game tries to find a nice balance between the two systems.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivoris available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S
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