Star Wars Jedi Threequel: Can It Balance Size and Gameplay?

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Summary

  • Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s world was too large for its Metroidvania-style design, creating imbalance.
  • The next Star Wars Jedi game needs to implement more meaningful backtracking to avoid tedious exploration.
  • The balance between scale and structure must be perfected in the next entry to ensure engaging gameplay.

Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi series has earned a spot among the greatest Star Wars games, with Jedi: Fallen Order setting the pace and Jedi: Survivor carrying on Cal Kestis’ tale and expanding upon the groundwork set by the initial game. Although Star Wars Jedi: Survivor enhanced the original formula in some ways, it also disturbed the equilibrium by enlarging its world excessively. The next installment of this series, as yet unnamed and unrevealed, must strive to restore balance.

The third instalment in Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi series remains largely unknown, but there are hints it could be larger than Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. If this turns out to be the case, it will require a careful balancing act between offering a vast world and maintaining its Metroidvania-style gameplay, as the size of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s world sometimes conflicted with its design elements in practice. While the size of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s world wasn’t inherently problematic, given other games with larger open worlds, it was the commitment to continuing the Metroidvania-style design from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order that led to an imbalance between the game’s world size and its playability.

Star Wars Jedi Threequel‘s World Size Can’t Trivialize Its Design

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s World Was Too Large for Its Metroidvania-Style Design

Among the many eagerly anticipated features of “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” before its launch, the expanded scope of exploration was one that stood out. Unlike “Jedi: Fallen Order,” players were looking forward to exploring larger, more open landscapes such as Koboh. This promised a richer exploration experience overall, filled with hidden treasures and surprises. However, despite the allure of a much bigger game world, “Jedi: Survivor” struggled with an inconsistent world design that seemed unbalanced given its size, especially when considering its Metroidvania-style gameplay.

In essence, the persistent decision in “Jedi: Survivor” to uphold the Metroidvania-style layout from “Jedi: Fallen Order” ended up expanding its world more than its gameplay could support.

In the end, the world in “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” was just too expansive for its Metroidvania-style level design to handle effectively. While it’s theoretically possible for these elements to coexist, they need to be carefully balanced. Unfortunately, “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” appeared to expand the map without adjusting its Metroidvania structure to suit the larger environment. With a bigger area to traverse, “Jedi: Survivor” certainly encouraged exploration over its predecessor, but the backtracking felt more laborious than satisfying, as areas that required specific abilities often functioned more like obstacles than organic aspects of the game world.

The Next Star Wars Jedi Game Should Implement More Meaningful Backtracking

The primary issue with this design lies in the semi-open world setup of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, contrasting significantly with the linear structure of Jedi: Fallen Order. In the latter game, revisiting locations was more meaningful due to clear objectives or narrative progression that accompanied such returns. However, in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, players often had to recall where each blocked area was, as the story and side quests seldom led them back there, making it necessary for them to revisit these areas on their own.

In the game “Jedi: Survivor”, the backtracking felt more like tedious tasks rather than engaging activities. However, this doesn’t mean that the sequel should have a smaller world. Instead, it should focus on making the Metroidvania-style design more significant. Rather than just opening doors to areas that were previously inaccessible, returning to locations in the next game should be tied to the game’s storyline, whether it’s the main quest or a side mission. Additionally, revisiting these areas could provide new challenges through encounters with fresh enemies, making each return feel like a new experience.

A worthwhile approach could involve the following entry, offering even more attractive incentives than those found in “Jedi: Survivor”. This strategy would help ensure that revisiting previous areas feels meaningful and rewarding.

In order for the third installment of the Star Wars Jedi series to maintain its Metroidvania aspects, it’s crucial that exploration remains an enjoyable experience instead of a tedious task. Although a bigger world isn’t necessarily a drawback, if the upcoming game is to expand upon the foundation laid by Jedi: Survivor, it should make revisiting locations feel like a natural progression rather than a burden. This could be achieved through better story integration, new enemy encounters, or attractive rewards that make backtracking worthwhile. Essentially, the next Star Wars Jedi game has an chance to masterfully blend size and structure.

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2025-03-07 01:16