Fans have gotten a new glimpse into Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s gameplay, but it seems that the sequel will suffer under Disney’s censorship. The game will be set five years after the ending of Jedi: Fallen Order and follow a more mature Cal Kestis who is trying to reunite the crew of the Stinger Mantis. Based on several released trailers, it seems that the title could feature a darker storyline where Cal must fight the Empire alongside new allies, like Bode Akuna.
Jedi: Survivor will offer a more complex combat system with five battle stances that provide different advantages against certain opponent types. Cal can access various kinds of weapons, which include the default single-blade, the double-blade, a crossguard lightsaber, dual lightsabers, and a blaster. Jedi: Survivor will also have new enemies Cal has to defeat in his journey, such as BX Droid Commandos and Wampa ice monsters. Although the sequel is going to add various new features and improvements, it could continue making one of the biggest mistakes in Jedi: Fallen Order.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Won't Allow Human Dismemberment
Jedi: Survivor will still not feature human dismemberment, despite Cal being able to cut off the limbs of droids and wild creatures. It is clear that the sequel will follow in Jedi: Fallen Order’s footsteps, where the lightsabers do not work properly against any human or humanoid beings and only leave glowing scorch marks on them. This decision makes the game feel odd and inconsistent from a gameplay standpoint. Cal can enter many fights where he brutally dis droid opponents into pieces yet leaves the bodies of humanoid enemies fully intact.
Disney's Censorship Is Still Strong In Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
As per senior designer comments to Jedi: Fallen Order's lightsabers don't cut off limbs, and it could also stop the weapons from working properly in the sequel. The lack of human dismemberment in Jedi: Survivor is most likely a continuing attempt to protect Star Wars' reputation as a fairly family-friendly series and to give the game a lower age rating. It is disheartening to see a major part of the Star Wars series erased due to censorship. After all, despite being gruesome, dismemberment is a massive factor in the character development of two protagonists, Luke and Anakin.
Another possible reason could be that Jedi: Survivor aims to be faithful to the movies. In an article released by The Verge, Aaron Contreras, Respawn’s narrative lead, explains that the team wants dismemberment to only occur in significant story moments, like in Jedi: Fallen Order, where Cal cut off the Ninth Sister’s right hand during their duel on Kashyyyk.
Still, instead of keeping the age rating down, Jedi: Survivor could accept the M rating and fully embrace the darker side of the series by letting the lightsabers inflict realistic wounds on all opponents. Not only could it allow better consistency in of gameplay, but the game's story could also explore more complex themes that might not be possible with the Teen rating. Sadly, for now, it seems that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will continue making the same mistake as Jedi: Fallen Order by preventing players from dismembering humanoid enemies due to censorship.
Sources: IGN/YouTube The Verge, IGN/YouTube