Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the highly anticipated game developed by Respawn Entertainment, has received early reviews from several reputable sources. The game is a sequel to 2019’s Fallen Order and sees the return of Jedi Knight Cal Kestis as he sets out on a new adventure in a hostile galaxy. Despite some technical issues and open-world bloat, many critics agree that Survivor is everything a Star Wars fan could want.
Game Overview
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S and was released on April 28 for $70. The game builds on the foundation laid by its predecessor to create a bigger and better experience. It features a variety of lightsaber styles, improved combat mechanics, and less frustrating platforming and puzzle elements. The game also delves into less mainstream Star Wars lore to tell a fantastic story about a Jedi trying to defeat a tyrannical evil at all costs.
Critical Reception
Early reviews of Jedi: Survivor have been overwhelmingly positive, with a Metacritic score of 86 from 59 reviews. Critics praised the game’s story, characters, combat mechanics, and expansive worlds to explore. However, some have noted technical issues and the game’s open-world elements as areas in which it falls short.
GameSpot – 8/10
“Survivor builds on Fallen Order in several meaningful ways, tightening up the combat mechanics, expanding the variety of lightsaber styles, alleviating the frustration of platforming and puzzles, and digging into less-mainstream Star Wars lore to tell a fantastic story about a Jedi trying to defeat a tyrannical evil at all costs and coming to the realization that you can’t just fight for good–you have to fight for good in the right way. It’s a superb Star Wars game that gets into the nitty-gritty of the struggle of what it takes for a Jedi Knight to begin the journey toward the rank of Master.” — Jordan Ramée
NME – 5/5
“The best action adventure released in 2023 so far, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has a confidence to its world and the play that it totally manages to back up by how fun it is. A must-play, perhaps the best action game of the generation so far.” — Jake Tucker
VGC – 5/5
“Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is Star Wars at its very best. A thrilling adventure with a stellar cast tied together with smart, expansive combat, and huge new worlds to explore. Performance issues aside, it’s easily one of the best Star Wars games ever made and only makes us wants more tales from the adventures of Cal Kestis and BD-1.” — Jordan Middler
Game Informers – 9.25/10
“Developer Respawn Entertainment clearly took a measured and thoughtful approach to analyze what worked and what didn’t in its last Star Wars game, and Jedi: Survivor feels like a worthy attempt at evolution. It captures the magic of Star Wars as well as anything in the current canon, and it’s a stellar adventure in its own right. Still, nailing the fantasy of being a Jedi? Doesn’t hurt.” — Matt Miller
IGN – 9/10
“With a new set of larger, more diverse, and densely packed worlds to explore and a memorable cast of returning characters, Survivor tells a story that may be predictable but is still fun and at times emotional to watch play out. Launch performance issues aside, it’s a sequel that does virtually everything better than the original – which was already an exceptional Star Wars game. If Respawn makes one more like this it’ll complete the best Star Wars trilogy in 30 years, hands down.” — Dan Stapleton
Destructoid – 9/10
“I only platinum a few games a year, but I’m considering going the distance for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor–that’s how much I liked it, and I would have scored it higher if the technical concerns weren’t in play. After finishing up Jedi Survivor and immediately cleaning up what I had missed for fun, I found myself wishing for a world where Respawn Entertainment focused all of its energy on single-player games from here on out.” — Chris Carter
PCGamesN – 8/10
“Survivor is exactly the type of game I assumed it was. A sequel that aspires to be bigger in almost every way, its commitment to this goal both makes it worth playing and inadvertently holds it back in a few key ways. That said, if you love Star Wars or enjoyed Fallen Order, you’ll have a blast when the Star Wars Jedi Survivor release date rolls around, however much of it you decide to engage with.” — Will Nelson
TheGamer – 3.5/5
“Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has everything a Star Wars fan will want – it’s an excellent story, and uses classic Star Wars tropes, musical cues, and narrative moments. But if you’re not enamored by a John Williams horn reprise, what you have is a decent adventure game with a vibrant but often annoying open world that you keep being sent back to, that rarely lets you think for yourself and often just doesn’t quite work properly. For a story so sharp, it’s a shame the game gets in its own way so often.” — Stacey Henley
Final Thoughts
Overall, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a game that any Star Wars fan would be remiss to skip. The sequel builds on its predecessor in meaningful ways, and while it may have some technical issues and open-world bloat, it’s a well-written adventure that’s sure to satisfy fans of the franchise. Respawn Entertainment has created an experience that captures the magic of the Star Wars universe and delivers an excellent story that’s sure to leave fans wanting more.
