Staff – November 19, 2019 at 9:57 AM
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith ends on a bitter note. Sure, audiences at the time of its release knew that the birth of Luke and Leia Skywalker gestured towards hope on the horizon. But with so much darkness and carnage around the corner, Revenge of the Sith’s ending is awash with gloom and despair.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which takes place between Revenge of the Sith and 1977’s A New Hope, paints a portrait of a universe grappling with trauma at a galactic scale. And yet, life goes on — heroes take to the shadows and resistance to the rising Empire begins to mount. Jedi Fallen Order tells a new and authentic story while also including a few references to the movies. Below are some of the things fans may recognize as parallels between the game and the films.
Revisiting the home of the Wookiees
Jedi Fallen Order takes players to the heavily forested world of Kashyyyk. “Kashyyyk has so much history throughout the Star Wars timeline,” Respawn Producer Blair Brown said.
Players will most likely recognize the planet from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith; it’s the home planet of the Wookiee species, as well as where Yoda is betrayed by Clone troopers during the execution of Order 66.
In Jedi Fallen Order, players will encounter some of Kashyyyk’s terrifying wildlife, including giant spiders and flame beetles. “It was a really cool experience to be able to add more depth to the planet while hopefully calling back to those moments from the movies for our players,” Brown said.
Learning more about the aftermath of Order 66
The execution of Order 66 is one of the most pivotal events in Star Wars’ cinematic timeline. After watching Jedi die one by one at the merciless hands of their former Clone allies, the audience is left with the question: What happens next?
Luckily, players can witness the direct fallout of Order 66 in Jedi Fallen Order. “The Inquisitors are hunting Jedi down, forcing our protagonist, Cal, into hiding,” Brown said. Star Wars’ post-Order 66 universe is especially dark, characterized by an atmosphere of fear and paranoia. “Being able to experience that timeframe as a player and witness the rise of the Empire is really interesting,” Brown said.
Paying homage to Yoda
One of the most iconic images from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is Yoda clinging to Luke’s back, giving him guidance as Luke embarks on his first real Jedi training. It’s an image that’s as adorable as it is surprising; this was the first time audiences had met Yoda, after all, many real-world years before Yoda would be revealed as a back-flipping duelist in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
Respawn decided to pay tribute to the scene using Cal and his cute and useful companion droid, BD-1. As you play the game, you’ll find that the droid spends most of its time perched atop Cal’s back, whether Cal’s in combat or having a conversation with someone. It’s a loving homage that’s just as cute to witness in the game as it is in The Empire Strikes Back.
Experiencing accurate droid audio design
Speaking of BD-1, Respawn enlisted the help of sound designer Ben Burtt to design BD-1’s voice and personality. “Ben has created some of the most iconic sounds in the Star Wars galaxy, including the voice of R2-D2, the lightsaber hum, blaster guns, and Darth Vader,” Brown explained.
Inspiration for BD-1’s playful spirit and loyalty came from Peanuts’ Woodstock and Snoopy, respectively. BD-1’s musical chirps in particular bridge the gap between the yellow cartoon bird and the other droids of the series, from R2D2 to BB-8. “It was such an incredible honor to have him work on BD-1,” Brown said. “There really couldn't be anyone better than him to give BD-1 his authentic Star Wars sound.”
Seeing a familiar face
Though Jedi Fallen Order is riddled with references to characters, events, and locations established by other works in the greater Star Wars canon, players have the chance to meet at least one familiar character: Saw Gererra. Saw is best known for his appearances in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In both, he’s portrayed as a severe revolutionary who will stop at nothing to achieve justice.
In Jedi Fallen Order, Gererra lends a hand to the protagonist, Cal, sharing his distaste for the burgeoning Empire. “Having Saw Gererra show up on Kashyyyk is one of the touches that really immerses players in an authentic Star Wars story,” Brown said. To make his appearance extra special, Jedi Fallen Order’s Sam Gererra is voiced by Forest Whitaker, the actor who originally portrayed him in Rogue One.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is currently available for PC.
Recommended specs:
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit required)
- CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-6700K or better
- RAM: 32GB of system memory
- Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
- Storage: 55GB of available space
- DirectX: Version 11
