I loved this story, and would personally say it was better than the first. So much more nuanced throughout with great thematic writing as well as having every character hold realistic motivations and feelings. I know it has technical issues currently, but this is my GOTY so far.
“Is the dark side stronger?” “No, but easier, more seductive.” Embrace the dark side is 100% intentional. It’s meant to make the game easier. It’s meant to make you want to use it. It’s one of those Star Wars tropes that makes so much sense in the context of this games story.
That’s why it’s such a good game! It’s made by huge, obvious SW nerds that eat up canon details every step of the way but also know what makes for a compelling video game narrative.
I've always took it as, you can angrily bend the force to your will and be incredibly powerful doing so, but it takes a lifetime to understand the patience it takes to become one with the force in a unity that makes both stronger. But l didn't think the game did a good enough job showing that what Cal is doing is bending the world to his rage. It was just a filter, and hits that do more damage. The only real thing you could do that shows off what's happening is if you pull a Droid to you and hit the attack button, instead of stabbing it, he'll crush it using the force. That's the kind of stuff they should've leaned way heavier into to show you Cal isn't just stronger or near invincible, he's being savage about it.
After everything Cere went through in Fallen Order, getting her padawan captured and brainwashed, locking herself out from the force b/c of fear she could turn Sith in order to survive post Order 66, seeing Debra Wilson get to fully embody Cere’s best self as a powerful and grounded Jedi was SO rewarding! Getting to play as Cere reveling in her full on use of the force right before she goes out like a badass was amazing to behold! Since Fallen Order her days were obviously numbered but they still managed to surprise us during a fateful moment we knew had to happen.
I teared up when BD runs up to Cal with the two dead bodies behind him. Just made me think of how pets know when we need their love the most. When my grandma died, my dog (who usually stays by my wife) stayed by my side for 24 hours straight. Really got me. This game is so good, best thing this year so far.
This is TOTALLY my game of the year so far! They went above and beyond on Survivor. I actually think a 3rd & final game is going to end in a bittersweet sacrifice for Cal. I can see the Hidden Path and many of Cal’s friends setting up Tanalorr as a hidden sanctuary only for Vader & the Inquisitors to discover & try to conquer it. By the end Cal has to sacrifice himself to Vader after closing the door to Tanalorr indefinitely. All his friends, allies and family (Merrin & Kata) wind up safely inside while Cal is killed bringing it all full circle and fitting within SW canon.
I took the Cal darkness slowdown moments as being similar to Jin's Ghost ability in GoT. It's a rejection of what he's been taught is good and noble and true, but he's using it as a means to an end. We've seen where this gets Jedi in every iteration of this type of story in the Star Wars universe, but maybe Cal will be able to truly walk the path of the Gray Jedi.
The cinematic chase to get bode had me feeling like the chase to get Nora in the last of us 2. Like me and the character were equally invested in not letting that mf get away with their life lmao
Did not see Bode’s betrayal coming until when we was being weird about going to Tanalor. The one person I suspected from the first meeting was Eno Cordova. I kept thinking Cordova had either turned bad or he was a Sith in disguise.
Man the middle-end of this game just astounded me. There were at least 3 times between the drill battle to the fight at the archives where I audibly said “oh shit!”
My favourite thing that wasn't discussed was the emptying of Pyloon's at the end. If you visit the place after the story is over, nearly every character will say their goodbyes and leave thanks to the presence of the Empire. It feels like the end of an era to see the place even emptier than when you first found it at the start of the game, and appropriately lonely and despondent. Also this game has one of the worst fucking save systems I've ever had to put up with in a video game, holy fucking shit.
Not trynna be that person but I knew something was wrong with Bose when he was essentially the only survivor from the prologue and also that he had to “split up” when we were leaving that first planet. Super sus
Oh damn. Barret blew my mind with that bit about Cere's death. I was confused, I just thought it was an artsy thing. But to know it was actually a force echo, that's powerful.
Star Wars is known for ending a lot of stories in tragedy, but I feel like between Merrin being aware of Cal’s struggle, and willingness to watch over him, and them both being charged with looking after Kata, it would be a purposefully sadistic story arc to have that fall apart. It would also be wildly unpopular.
Thats why I think its all going to end in a very bittersweet way. Cals friends and loved ones (married to Merrin, before adopting Kata) safely set up in Tanalorr but Cal is forced to sacrifice himself on the other side to close up the passage once and for all. Gives you a pseudo ‘happy’ ending while still being able to fit within established canon at this point (5 to 9 yrs before the Battle of Yavin).
I'll never understand people having a problem with Jedi having a dark side. The Jedi and their staunch "be good, forget the past, let go" is bad and part of the reason they failed. The Sith aspect is also terrible because it's, kill your foe, be the most powerful. There has to be a balance. Everyone has a light and dark side and to cut yourself off from one side will leave you unbalanced.
Finished the Platinum at 1 this morning.Currently my number 2 all time star wars game second only KOTOR. Everything hit so well for me that even with the shaky technical state I was always having a great time
Just beat the game and started new game plus. Such a nice touch that you see bode as an eerie presence from second 1 and the first thing he does before revealing himself is back stab (shoot) a storm trooper.
I knew Greg was talking about the drill fight (was obv) because he mentioned a “sequence of events” during a battle and how the game picked up from there (suggesting it was midway somewhat and that it was a grand fight)
This is now my favorite piece of all Star Wars media! Better than any show, movie, or game. The characters are all so amazing, the gameplay was so fantastic, and the story was a blast! This game had me tearing up, laughing out loud, and shouting out when things got crazy. 5/5, even with dreadful performance issues on PC. Also Merrin is my favorite character in all of Star Wars 💚
The droid is used on the battlefront 2 map of Kamino (and I’m sure it’s probably in the clone wars as well) to like drill in and then put troops inside the building
I agree with Greg, it definitely gets a 5/5 from me. I felt genuinely betrayed when Bode turned on Cal. Mainly because I liked Bode's character so much and I was super into him and Cal being Boys. Even at the end I was hoping he would just surrender and come back to the light side. Also I did not see Vader coming again which was freaking awesome. Also it was a good highlight to show just how strong Cere was. From the first game where Cal just has to run from Vader to Cere giving him a run for his money. In the end Vader always gets his man.
Ya I really enjoyed that fight I like how at the start I was just destroying Vader than when you get to stage 3 he jus turns it on and in one hit destroys cere it was an awesome boss fight.
37:57 You just described Aloy... a little girl who was thrown in to a hostile world with a single person to talk to her for 19 years, and then was thrust into a situation where she is the only one that can save the people around her due to her DNA (midi-clorians for Jedi) and feels the burden of that task.
After the Dagan and Rayvis deaths I felt something fishy at play too. It didn’t help that I inadvertently saw someone titled a video ‘Cal confronts Bode’. Even with that mild spoiler I assumed we were going to have a situation where upon finding Tanalorr Cal realizes the Jedi denied further exploration because it turned and corrupted people, especially force users like Dagan. Because of this Cal would be forced to close down the passage and an emotionally fragile Bode would snap thinking this was the only way he could save his force sensitive daughter. In a final fight the difficulty would revolve around stopping Bode without killing him because he’s under the influence of Tanalorr, like Dagan was. When I saw what was the ACTUAL character betrayal/plot twist I audibly gasped out loud so much that my dog took notice, thinking I was IRL danger! Lmao. Such a beautifully written twist that 100% catches the player off guard while totally tracking with everything we’ve seen of the character to that point.
I got spoiled close to the end with a dumb TH-cam video while looking up how to get through a puzzle titled "Bode explains how he escaped Order 66"😫😫😫😖😖
LOL when Greg said, seeing Nick playing a game is always fun. Remember when Nick was playing Metal Gear Ground Zeros. He go spotted and when to unload his machine gun on the enemy. But even with it being in slow motion, he empties the whole clip and only hits a metal pole! LOL
When the "Embrace the darkness" moment happened at the end, I didn't do it and died. Then when comming back to the fight I did not get the moment again. So am not sure if that was a bug or if technically I did not embrace the dark side .
I watched this video very deliberately after finishing Jedi: Survivor tonight. It was good to hear Greg and Barrett go in-depth on all the key moments. Greg, I'm with you; personally, I was coasting until The Drill section. That blew me away, and it was off to the races from there. Using your scale, the first half was a 3/5, Second half just made it to 4 for me. I had a lot of annoying issues, a couple of soft crashes on PS5 and one moment where Cere endlessly fell down an elevator shaft on repeat. That was... wild. But all-in-all, a very good game that I hope they patch up soon. It's just a shame that the people who pay the most for these experiences often get the worst of it.
There is so much about this game to love. I've grown frustrated with most of the IP since Disney took over because it just felt like they are just constantly filling in gaps that probably should have been left to the imagination. So when we do get stories that don't need to tackle small info from the 9 movies it feels fun and refreshing.
Another great spoilercast, can't wait to see what they do with the 3rd game! Also something I think that's worth pointing out that I don't think was mentioned was the great soundtrack. For not being a John Williams score, I thought Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab did a pretty great job of capturing the Star Wars cinematic feel.
I beat the story with 77% and literally just beat the story in ng+ with the red Saber. Now gonna finish everything i missed and put the game away till next may 4th. But boy, what a ride!
From a narrative standpoint the game is genius. The dark side is more powerful in the short term because it makes using the force easier in raw passion. You now have the ability to embrace the darkness because Cal has really felt anger and loss; in a moment of weakness he used the dark side to get an edge. This is why from a gameplay perspective is the mechanic genius. Just because it's easier and is available to you- it feels like cheating- is exactly why you should feel bad using it and refrain from it. Why does it replace his force stasis and can't switch back? Because Cal is experiencing these mixed emotions. He still has internal fear as a Jedi Knight that only recently Cere was able to let go of as a Master in the days leading up to her death. There is still very much more learning for Cal Kestis. He's a good person and a great Jedi. He was tempted and used the dark side just as us, the player, want to use the easy way in harder boss battles going forward. Is it worth it though, the question the endgame postures.
In regards to Bode being a traitor I saw that coming from the beginning when they made it clear he it was his first time working with the crew. They made me doubt it a couple times like when he pushed Cal to not reject his feelings toward Merrin. But they shocked me when he used The Force against Cal in the desert. I was so taken aback by that twist.
Not sure if you noticed this but during the speeder chase. Cal says out loud something to the effect of “where did that rock come from” I’m assuming because Bode force pull/pushed it and Cal didn’t obviously know he had force powers yet. That was what sparked something for me, the reveal was still crazy though. Props to seeing it. I just figured he would perish and we would get a jet pack LMAO. Boy was I waaaaaay off haha.
Barret keeps saying "in case they didn't get green lit for a sequel". According to Stig, the games director, they were green lit for multiple games before they even started. Also, I think they are leaning in the direction of, the force users from here on out are much more grey. That part of being a real person and a Jedi is the influence of both.
This game is such an improvement on the first, Story is still personal and touching to me. Combat is fantastic, not as fine tuned as Sekiro or Ghost but still so fuckin good. As an off and on star wars person, this is by far my favorite star wars thing and a perfect companion piece to the first game. Respawn is a top 10 dev for me (now the suits just need to let them cook and give them more time for the next one)
i thought Bode was going to be Mercutio'd and die during the final fight with Dagan. When he survived, i instantly went "Nope, dude's sus. he was supposed to die there." also, i was very aware of the lack of Imperial bosses, so my spider sense was tingling
I got spoiled from an IGN video on why order 66 was an absolute failure and before they could go onto the Jedi survivor stuff I couldn’t get to the remote fast enough. So fuck my life.
I think we’ll see cal struggle with becoming the teacher. Idk if they’ll continue with the dark side stuff but I think we will play as his padawan in a god of war style way. But him being a teacher would be his trilogy coming to a end. We watch him grow
To Barrett's point about needing to embrace the dark side at that moment, I actually didn't and died and when I respawned and started the fight again I didn't get that prompt again. Not sure if it was a bug, if I did more damage than expected so skipped it or what but I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't go dark because in my mind Cal wouldn't there.
I saw someone else saying this which is interesting. On my playthrough I died the first time but when I went back, I still had to do it. What happens then if you don’t get the prompt and Bode is beating the life out of you?
@@KindaFunnyGames So for me he beat me to death but on the next fight after respawning it just sort of seemed like the fight auto progressed past that "embrace" bit to the next phase where Bode is a lot more aggressive and sort of "gone crazy" which makes me think it's most likely a small bug I experienced.
Doma was the last trophy I needed too. Couldn’t find the lucrehulk command tower on the map. I just accidentally came across the poop priorite because I liked the blue/purple nekko I came across. One bounty puck didn’t drop for me so I’m stuck at 99% completion. 😢
For me, Bode was a great highlight in one of my favorite games. A very well-done character with a great arc. He really was a great "badass mercenary with a heart of gold, but with some Han solo vibes" and i bought it and liked him throughout the entire start and middle of the game. I really did not see it coming at all until you kill Degan, he was a little off about the hidden path and that sent off a warning signal but i really knew because tbh things were going to well and this is Star Wars and the Empire hasn't really been too invol....and the Empire is staging a giant ground invasion with AT-AT'S and Bode's the traitor. I saw that coming to some extent (though i figured they kidnapped Bode's daughter at first) So when he turned traitor i was expecting it but not him being a spy the whole time and the Jedi twist was amazing, really blew me away and he's by far the best and toughest main boss IMO (which really helps him feel like an actual threat) , just slightly above Vadar for me Adding that to his amazing background as clone wars jedi secret agent and his perfect friend act in the start becomes so much better, i bought it so well and that's because he is a pro. His love and evil actions for his daughter are plain but strong and well shown IMO and the darkening of him and his obsession and savagery really elvate his finale moments (when he just beats the shit out of you with his fists to the point of death which pushes cal back in the dark, i really felt that because that is not star wars at all and so well done) The tragic part for me is that I believe he was all in and loyal until Cal decides to bring the Hidden Path in (The outside world, followed by the Empire), and in that moment he sets a new plan in motion involving the inquisition and Vader and just saving him and his daughter and leaving everything behind. All in all, one of my favorite Star Wars characters and certainly game ones, both as friend and antagonist, I highly recommend finding the Force echoes in the post-game. They really add a lot to how he just is professional spy who fools you.
i like barrets input, but i think he needs to exercise some restraint in this discussions. he gets a bit carried away on story and just kindof seems like he's flexing star wars lore knowledge rather than acknowledging other important aspects of the game itself. Yes, the lore is interesting and important, but i also want to here them talk about moment to moment gameplay, layout, game design, combat, abilities, skill trees, the new planets, the art, environmental puzzels, etc. Story analysis is great.... but it kindof steamrolled the whole conversation here.
@Kinda Funny Games all of the force echoes, the blue glowing things. First time i noticed was in the far left of the map exploring all of those areas. It's two pilgrims talking to one another and one of them sounds an awful lot like obi-wan
I finally finished it. I loved this game so damn much. The story especially, it was so good. I was way more invested in this story than Fallen Order. I thought I was ready to finally get to Bode and strike his bitch ass down but once I did, I just felt sad about it all and honestly I love that I felt that from this story. I seriously can’t wait to see where Cal’s story goes, and how it ends. Also kinda scared to see it haha
Fallen Order had a better story and Survivor peaked with the Cere sequence. Bode just wasn’t a strong enough final boss where his betrayal felt predictable and I wasn’t that invested in him. Dagan wasn’t a great villain either. Going to Koboh 5 times for the story was pretty ridiculous.
So for the fight against Bode - my first attempt I used the special and dark side ability, then there's the moment where he's whaling on you and you have to embrace the dark side. Well my second attempt I wanted to see if that would pop up again if I never leaned on the dark abilities. And it never did. So there is a way to avoid that completely by never dipping your toes in in the first place. Did anyone else get that same experience?
Loved the game but felt fallen order’s story was slightly better. Dagan and his friend were weak villains and I would’ve liked to know more about why he turned bad and was obsessed with Tanalor. I loved bode and loved his turn but would’ve liked for it to delve deeper into why he went as far as he did and why he was suddenly crazy at the end. But everything else was top notch and an easy 5/5. Will remember that drill fight forever
I like the main story of Fallen order better, but literally everything else is better in Jedi Survivor from the gameplay, the exploration, the side characters, the little holo moni game, the enemies, the lore and world building. Just a fantastic experience.
Dagan Gera was very underwhelming as character. Genuinely expected a "surprise I'm not really dead" moment. Second Sister in Fallen Order was better than all the villains in Jedi Survivor. This series needs a compass. Exploration is such a chore when you have to constantly pause gameplay to bring up the map. Baffled by the decision to limit us to only 2 stances at a time
Am I the only one who thought Vader was easy and the final Bode fight was the hardest? I beat Vader my first try, but Bode took 20-25 tries. Note: I played on Jedi Grandmaster and mained the Crossguard Stance.
It’s so weird that people are wondering if bodes daughter is force sensitive. Like dude how many names Jedi have a kid that isn’t force sensitive? All of likes kids and Hans too
Yeah. I honestly don't even know if it's ever been a thing across the whole franchise in both canons. Even in the sequels, they don't say it, but I'm sure Rey's dad would've been sensitive as well, given his father was Palpatine.
*LITERALLY* I just beat the game at 1am on May 4th because I wanted to get that trophy for Star Wars Day. As for the game, while the story isn’t as great as Fallen Order this is still one of the best Star Wars stories I’ve ever seen. Just like in the shows Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi you can feel the stranglehold of the Empire getting tighter and tighter around the Galaxy. And while Cal (just like the fans) would want to keep fighting the Empire at a certain point you have to realize you don’t have the strength, resources, or the numbers to do any meaningful damage to them. So just like real life history, sometimes the only realistic option is to find sanctuary. Like how the innocent refugees of Ukraine, Syria and many countries in Central America have no option but to flee for their families safety. My hope is that Cal will (instead of rebuilding the OLD Jedi order) make a new order. Possibly the Grey Jedi. Cal literally wouldn’t have succeeded if he didn’t briefly tap into the Dark Side. And as a further insult to the old Jedi, the attachments that they forsook out of fear that it would make them fall to the Dark Side, in particular romantic love, is actually what pulled Cal back to the Light. Also I freaking LOVE Merrin in this game and hope she is a co lead with Cal in Jedi 3 like Kratos and Atreus in God Of War. Also the boss fight of Cere vs Darth Vader is one of the greatest boss fights in all of video game history. I have never been to such a degree and so equally terrified, frustrated, and overwhelmingly excited!
Okay how has no one mentioned the fact that one of the ps5 trophies is called GREEZY MONEY!?! That has to be a nod to Kinda Funny, no? Granted Im still a relative newcomer to the community but in my experience the Greezy Money nickname is a straight up KFG invention right? Or did the guys co-opt it from someone else? The minute I got that trophy I clumsily tried to screen grab it but failed miserably! Lol
Loved this game i had to played on normal because i wanted to make sure i finish before Zelda. Survivor was definitely superior to Fallen Order. I used gun+saber/twin stances. Loved using the gun parry reminds me of good ole Bloodborne days.
I just finished it and wished I liked it as much as the guys did. I'd still say it's a great game but was quite disappointed with a lot of things and thinking to myself "Oh is that it?" a lot. That drill sequence I thought was good but jaw dropping, better than anything in any Uncharted? I didn't feel that way at all. Also they ask why they couldn't sense Bode at all as a force user and then just never answer it. What was up with that? I thought we were going to get a big reveal of who Bode really was beyond just another force user.
Great game. Mechanically I think it improved on the first. Story-wise, it's a slight step down. All the puzzle pieces are there for the great story but they're not quite pushed in all the way. Personally, I do not like Bode as a Jedi Survivor. I was sus of him when he first arrived But him encouraging Cal to pursue Merrin won me over. I was mildly surprised when he betrayed us and very surprised by him using the force
I thought it was great, i think the Planet design (aesthetic wise) was pretty piss poor compared to Fallen Order tbh and some of the writing was pretty bad but i still enjoyed the game
If you dont want the Jedi temple location/puzzle explained to you. Skip to 1:06:15 I muted the vid so i dont know what they said but its funny to watch Barret wave his arms around lol Edit: does anyone else care about this? I like the disscussion but want to skip if its late game surprises. Reddit for sure did not care lol
Me the whole game: “Bode is definitely going to betray Cal”
Me when Bode betrays Cal:😮
Yup
Even putting it together, they still managed to add an aspect to it l didn't see coming
I felt it from the start, but I did not expect him to be a Jedi
More spoilercasts like this please! I like the actual discussion versus just a developer interview!!
I loved this story, and would personally say it was better than the first. So much more nuanced throughout with great thematic writing as well as having every character hold realistic motivations and feelings. I know it has technical issues currently, but this is my GOTY so far.
“Is the dark side stronger?”
“No, but easier, more seductive.”
Embrace the dark side is 100% intentional. It’s meant to make the game easier. It’s meant to make you want to use it. It’s one of those Star Wars tropes that makes so much sense in the context of this games story.
That’s why it’s such a good game! It’s made by huge, obvious SW nerds that eat up canon details every step of the way but also know what makes for a compelling video game narrative.
I've always took it as, you can angrily bend the force to your will and be incredibly powerful doing so, but it takes a lifetime to understand the patience it takes to become one with the force in a unity that makes both stronger.
But l didn't think the game did a good enough job showing that what Cal is doing is bending the world to his rage. It was just a filter, and hits that do more damage. The only real thing you could do that shows off what's happening is if you pull a Droid to you and hit the attack button, instead of stabbing it, he'll crush it using the force. That's the kind of stuff they should've leaned way heavier into to show you Cal isn't just stronger or near invincible, he's being savage about it.
I hated that I felt I needed to use it, I felt dirty
After everything Cere went through in Fallen Order, getting her padawan captured and brainwashed, locking herself out from the force b/c of fear she could turn Sith in order to survive post Order 66, seeing Debra Wilson get to fully embody Cere’s best self as a powerful and grounded Jedi was SO rewarding! Getting to play as Cere reveling in her full on use of the force right before she goes out like a badass was amazing to behold! Since Fallen Order her days were obviously numbered but they still managed to surprise us during a fateful moment we knew had to happen.
I teared up when BD runs up to Cal with the two dead bodies behind him. Just made me think of how pets know when we need their love the most. When my grandma died, my dog (who usually stays by my wife) stayed by my side for 24 hours straight. Really got me. This game is so good, best thing this year so far.
Spoiler warning for the warry...
Oh my lord when BD first sees Cordova and this moment I thought the same thing
I was feeling a lot during that whole sequence but when BD ran up to Cal I fuckin SOBBED
Funny how I literally just finished the story and now I have this to enjoy 😄
This is TOTALLY my game of the year so far! They went above and beyond on Survivor. I actually think a 3rd & final game is going to end in a bittersweet sacrifice for Cal. I can see the Hidden Path and many of Cal’s friends setting up Tanalorr as a hidden sanctuary only for Vader & the Inquisitors to discover & try to conquer it. By the end Cal has to sacrifice himself to Vader after closing the door to Tanalorr indefinitely. All his friends, allies and family (Merrin & Kata) wind up safely inside while Cal is killed bringing it all full circle and fitting within SW canon.
I took the Cal darkness slowdown moments as being similar to Jin's Ghost ability in GoT. It's a rejection of what he's been taught is good and noble and true, but he's using it as a means to an end. We've seen where this gets Jedi in every iteration of this type of story in the Star Wars universe, but maybe Cal will be able to truly walk the path of the Gray Jedi.
The cinematic chase to get bode had me feeling like the chase to get Nora in the last of us 2. Like me and the character were equally invested in not letting that mf get away with their life lmao
Did not see Bode’s betrayal coming until when we was being weird about going to Tanalor.
The one person I suspected from the first meeting was Eno Cordova. I kept thinking Cordova had either turned bad or he was a Sith in disguise.
Man the middle-end of this game just astounded me. There were at least 3 times between the drill battle to the fight at the archives where I audibly said “oh shit!”
I think it’s clearly building up to Cal becoming the first “grey” Jedi.
My favourite thing that wasn't discussed was the emptying of Pyloon's at the end. If you visit the place after the story is over, nearly every character will say their goodbyes and leave thanks to the presence of the Empire. It feels like the end of an era to see the place even emptier than when you first found it at the start of the game, and appropriately lonely and despondent.
Also this game has one of the worst fucking save systems I've ever had to put up with in a video game, holy fucking shit.
Absolutely in love with this game. The story, characters and exploration specifically. And Cal and Merrin!
Not trynna be that person but I knew something was wrong with Bose when he was essentially the only survivor from the prologue and also that he had to “split up” when we were leaving that first planet. Super sus
Talking about scenes that make you cry, Kata putting the doll on the funeral pyre made me tear up
Her and bode singing the lullaby made me choke up
Oh damn. Barret blew my mind with that bit about Cere's death. I was confused, I just thought it was an artsy thing. But to know it was actually a force echo, that's powerful.
Star Wars is known for ending a lot of stories in tragedy, but I feel like between Merrin being aware of Cal’s struggle, and willingness to watch over him, and them both being charged with looking after Kata, it would be a purposefully sadistic story arc to have that fall apart. It would also be wildly unpopular.
Thats why I think its all going to end in a very bittersweet way. Cals friends and loved ones (married to Merrin, before adopting Kata) safely set up in Tanalorr but Cal is forced to sacrifice himself on the other side to close up the passage once and for all. Gives you a pseudo ‘happy’ ending while still being able to fit within established canon at this point (5 to 9 yrs before the Battle of Yavin).
This game is so damn good. One of the few games that both Greg and I agree on.
I'll never understand people having a problem with Jedi having a dark side. The Jedi and their staunch "be good, forget the past, let go" is bad and part of the reason they failed. The Sith aspect is also terrible because it's, kill your foe, be the most powerful. There has to be a balance. Everyone has a light and dark side and to cut yourself off from one side will leave you unbalanced.
I think Cal will learn to blend with dark and light like Ahsoka and Luke. I used the white saber color the whole game and it fit well with the story.
Finished the Platinum at 1 this morning.Currently my number 2 all time star wars game second only KOTOR. Everything hit so well for me that even with the shaky technical state I was always having a great time
Congrats! I'm at about 74% or something like that and I definitely WANT to platinum this game. I had plenty of fun.
I agree KOTOR and this are neck and neck
Just beat the game and started new game plus. Such a nice touch that you see bode as an eerie presence from second 1 and the first thing he does before revealing himself is back stab (shoot) a storm trooper.
Just beat Jedi Survivor after the most recent fps patch. Great game! Let’s really hope the next one has a better launch.
I knew Greg was talking about the drill fight (was obv) because he mentioned a “sequence of events” during a battle and how the game picked up from there (suggesting it was midway somewhat and that it was a grand fight)
This is now my favorite piece of all Star Wars media! Better than any show, movie, or game. The characters are all so amazing, the gameplay was so fantastic, and the story was a blast! This game had me tearing up, laughing out loud, and shouting out when things got crazy. 5/5, even with dreadful performance issues on PC.
Also Merrin is my favorite character in all of Star Wars 💚
The droid is used on the battlefront 2 map of Kamino (and I’m sure it’s probably in the clone wars as well) to like drill in and then put troops inside the building
That sounds very familiar, I think you are right on.
The drill was the separatist drop pods.
I agree with Greg, it definitely gets a 5/5 from me. I felt genuinely betrayed when Bode turned on Cal. Mainly because I liked Bode's character so much and I was super into him and Cal being Boys. Even at the end I was hoping he would just surrender and come back to the light side. Also I did not see Vader coming again which was freaking awesome. Also it was a good highlight to show just how strong Cere was. From the first game where Cal just has to run from Vader to Cere giving him a run for his money. In the end Vader always gets his man.
Ya I really enjoyed that fight I like how at the start I was just destroying Vader than when you get to stage 3 he jus turns it on and in one hit destroys cere it was an awesome boss fight.
I think they clearly teased Kata is force sensitive during the first scene you meet her.
I just rewatched the scene in their living quarters, and I still can’t see a tease. Can you explain it for me?
This game was insanely great.
"y'all fucking love joel so much, you must really like bode" had me rolling.
37:57 You just described Aloy... a little girl who was thrown in to a hostile world with a single person to talk to her for 19 years, and then was thrust into a situation where she is the only one that can save the people around her due to her DNA (midi-clorians for Jedi) and feels the burden of that task.
It’s called the hero’s journey, and it’s archetypal, with incidental details swapped out.
Cross guard is the thing I never knew my soul needed. SO MUCH CONTROL! SO MUCH DAMAGE!! That thing should be called Crackguard ❤❤❤
Yesss Heavy bois 4 lyfe
Goth icon, Merrin, had me rolling with laughter
Just finished the game and came straight here. A fantastic work of art. GOTY for me
After the Dagan and Rayvis deaths I felt something fishy at play too. It didn’t help that I inadvertently saw someone titled a video ‘Cal confronts Bode’. Even with that mild spoiler I assumed we were going to have a situation where upon finding Tanalorr Cal realizes the Jedi denied further exploration because it turned and corrupted people, especially force users like Dagan. Because of this Cal would be forced to close down the passage and an emotionally fragile Bode would snap thinking this was the only way he could save his force sensitive daughter. In a final fight the difficulty would revolve around stopping Bode without killing him because he’s under the influence of Tanalorr, like Dagan was. When I saw what was the ACTUAL character betrayal/plot twist I audibly gasped out loud so much that my dog took notice, thinking I was IRL danger! Lmao. Such a beautifully written twist that 100% catches the player off guard while totally tracking with everything we’ve seen of the character to that point.
I got spoiled close to the end with a dumb TH-cam video while looking up how to get through a puzzle titled "Bode explains how he escaped Order 66"😫😫😫😖😖
@@someguy1842 Aw man, that sucks! Thats even worse than “Cal confronts Bode”.
@Langley M Neely yeah I always figured something was off the whole game but a FORMER JEDI?!?! I wish I could've genuinely been shocked for that one.
I’m not one to usually cry during games or movies but that force echo with bode and kata singing the lullaby broke me.
I would say 100% Rick the Door Technician is a Soldier of Godrick reference from Elden Ring. Rick power baby.
LOL when Greg said, seeing Nick playing a game is always fun. Remember when Nick was playing Metal Gear Ground Zeros. He go spotted and when to unload his machine gun on the enemy. But even with it being in slow motion, he empties the whole clip and only hits a metal pole! LOL
When the "Embrace the darkness" moment happened at the end, I didn't do it and died. Then when comming back to the fight I did not get the moment again. So am not sure if that was a bug or if technically I did not embrace the dark side .
Had the same thing happen, just pretended I chose the light and kept going lol.
I watched this video very deliberately after finishing Jedi: Survivor tonight. It was good to hear Greg and Barrett go in-depth on all the key moments.
Greg, I'm with you; personally, I was coasting until The Drill section. That blew me away, and it was off to the races from there.
Using your scale, the first half was a 3/5, Second half just made it to 4 for me. I had a lot of annoying issues, a couple of soft crashes on PS5 and one moment where Cere endlessly fell down an elevator shaft on repeat. That was... wild. But all-in-all, a very good game that I hope they patch up soon. It's just a shame that the people who pay the most for these experiences often get the worst of it.
I was so so hoping we'd get one of these/ Can't wait to watch it!
This is KFG Vol. 2, Episode 176 (Episode 428 overall)
We defo getting force lightning next game
There is so much about this game to love. I've grown frustrated with most of the IP since Disney took over because it just felt like they are just constantly filling in gaps that probably should have been left to the imagination. So when we do get stories that don't need to tackle small info from the 9 movies it feels fun and refreshing.
Literally was taking a hit of my bong. I feel called out 🤣
Another great spoilercast, can't wait to see what they do with the 3rd game! Also something I think that's worth pointing out that I don't think was mentioned was the great soundtrack. For not being a John Williams score, I thought Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab did a pretty great job of capturing the Star Wars cinematic feel.
Shouted “king!” when Barrett dropped the AMCA plug
I beat the story with 77% and literally just beat the story in ng+ with the red Saber. Now gonna finish everything i missed and put the game away till next may 4th. But boy, what a ride!
Cal is a Grey Jedi. He will learn to embrace both light and dark.
From a narrative standpoint the game is genius. The dark side is more powerful in the short term because it makes using the force easier in raw passion. You now have the ability to embrace the darkness because Cal has really felt anger and loss; in a moment of weakness he used the dark side to get an edge. This is why from a gameplay perspective is the mechanic genius. Just because it's easier and is available to you- it feels like cheating- is exactly why you should feel bad using it and refrain from it. Why does it replace his force stasis and can't switch back? Because Cal is experiencing these mixed emotions. He still has internal fear as a Jedi Knight that only recently Cere was able to let go of as a Master in the days leading up to her death. There is still very much more learning for Cal Kestis. He's a good person and a great Jedi. He was tempted and used the dark side just as us, the player, want to use the easy way in harder boss battles going forward. Is it worth it though, the question the endgame postures.
In regards to Bode being a traitor I saw that coming from the beginning when they made it clear he it was his first time working with the crew. They made me doubt it a couple times like when he pushed Cal to not reject his feelings toward Merrin. But they shocked me when he used The Force against Cal in the desert. I was so taken aback by that twist.
Same for me - knew he was sus from the beginning but the jedi reveal was shocking!
Not sure if you noticed this but during the speeder chase. Cal says out loud something to the effect of “where did that rock come from” I’m assuming because Bode force pull/pushed it and Cal didn’t obviously know he had force powers yet. That was what sparked something for me, the reveal was still crazy though.
Props to seeing it. I just figured he would perish and we would get a jet pack LMAO. Boy was I waaaaaay off haha.
Was surprised he was a Jedi, but as soon he mentioned his daughter I knew he was going to be a bad guy.
@@gumgumleobazookaI just kept running into rocks during the chase and thought the line was just because I was bad at driving haha
@@daimonclarke I can neither confirm nor deny if I hit a few..a lot…all of the rocks…
Barret keeps saying "in case they didn't get green lit for a sequel". According to Stig, the games director, they were green lit for multiple games before they even started.
Also, I think they are leaning in the direction of, the force users from here on out are much more grey. That part of being a real person and a Jedi is the influence of both.
This game is such an improvement on the first, Story is still personal and touching to me. Combat is fantastic, not as fine tuned as Sekiro or Ghost but still so fuckin good. As an off and on star wars person, this is by far my favorite star wars thing and a perfect companion piece to the first game. Respawn is a top 10 dev for me (now the suits just need to let them cook and give them more time for the next one)
i thought Bode was going to be Mercutio'd and die during the final fight with Dagan. When he survived, i instantly went "Nope, dude's sus. he was supposed to die there." also, i was very aware of the lack of Imperial bosses, so my spider sense was tingling
You don't need to embrace the darkness during the Bode fight if you do well enough. I did every time except the time I finally beat him
"We cant go back to the way we were before".
What did they mean by that? Was a bit confused.
I got spoiled from an IGN video on why order 66 was an absolute failure and before they could go onto the Jedi survivor stuff I couldn’t get to the remote fast enough. So fuck my life.
I think we’ll see cal struggle with becoming the teacher. Idk if they’ll continue with the dark side stuff but I think we will play as his padawan in a god of war style way. But him being a teacher would be his trilogy coming to a end. We watch him grow
I loved this game and story so much! Can’t wait for the next one!
To Barrett's point about needing to embrace the dark side at that moment, I actually didn't and died and when I respawned and started the fight again I didn't get that prompt again. Not sure if it was a bug, if I did more damage than expected so skipped it or what but I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't go dark because in my mind Cal wouldn't there.
I saw someone else saying this which is interesting. On my playthrough I died the first time but when I went back, I still had to do it. What happens then if you don’t get the prompt and Bode is beating the life out of you?
@@KindaFunnyGames So for me he beat me to death but on the next fight after respawning it just sort of seemed like the fight auto progressed past that "embrace" bit to the next phase where Bode is a lot more aggressive and sort of "gone crazy" which makes me think it's most likely a small bug I experienced.
Doma was the last trophy I needed too. Couldn’t find the lucrehulk command tower on the map. I just accidentally came across the poop priorite because I liked the blue/purple nekko I came across.
One bounty puck didn’t drop for me so I’m stuck at 99% completion. 😢
For me, Bode was a great highlight in one of my favorite games. A very well-done character with a great arc.
He really was a great "badass mercenary with a heart of gold, but with some Han solo vibes" and i bought it and liked him throughout the entire start and middle of the game.
I really did not see it coming at all until you kill Degan, he was a little off about the hidden path and that sent off a warning signal but i really knew because tbh things were going to well and this is Star Wars and the Empire hasn't really been too invol....and the Empire is staging a giant ground invasion with AT-AT'S and Bode's the traitor. I saw that coming to some extent (though i figured they kidnapped Bode's daughter at first)
So when he turned traitor i was expecting it but not him being a spy the whole time and the Jedi twist was amazing, really blew me away and he's by far the best and toughest main boss IMO (which really helps him feel like an actual threat) , just slightly above Vadar for me
Adding that to his amazing background as clone wars jedi secret agent and his perfect friend act in the start becomes so much better, i bought it so well and that's because he is a pro. His love and evil actions for his daughter are plain but strong and well shown IMO and the darkening of him and his obsession and savagery really elvate his finale moments (when he just beats the shit out of you with his fists to the point of death which pushes cal back in the dark, i really felt that because that is not star wars at all and so well done)
The tragic part for me is that I believe he was all in and loyal until Cal decides to bring the Hidden Path in (The outside world, followed by the Empire), and in that moment he sets a new plan in motion involving the inquisition and Vader and just saving him and his daughter and leaving everything behind.
All in all, one of my favorite Star Wars characters and certainly game ones, both as friend and antagonist, I highly recommend finding the Force echoes in the post-game. They really add a lot to how he just is professional spy who fools you.
i like barrets input, but i think he needs to exercise some restraint in this discussions. he gets a bit carried away on story and just kindof seems like he's flexing star wars lore knowledge rather than acknowledging other important aspects of the game itself. Yes, the lore is interesting and important, but i also want to here them talk about moment to moment gameplay, layout, game design, combat, abilities, skill trees, the new planets, the art, environmental puzzels, etc. Story analysis is great.... but it kindof steamrolled the whole conversation here.
My favorite star wars story since revenge of the sith
I hope I'm not wrong, but getting the force echoes on Jedah..that was Obi-Wan's voice wasn't it?
Where in Jedha?
@Kinda Funny Games all of the force echoes, the blue glowing things. First time i noticed was in the far left of the map exploring all of those areas. It's two pilgrims talking to one another and one of them sounds an awful lot like obi-wan
I finally finished it. I loved this game so damn much. The story especially, it was so good. I was way more invested in this story than Fallen Order. I thought I was ready to finally get to Bode and strike his bitch ass down but once I did, I just felt sad about it all and honestly I love that I felt that from this story. I seriously can’t wait to see where Cal’s story goes, and how it ends. Also kinda scared to see it haha
Fallen Order had a better story and Survivor peaked with the Cere sequence. Bode just wasn’t a strong enough final boss where his betrayal felt predictable and I wasn’t that invested in him. Dagan wasn’t a great villain either. Going to Koboh 5 times for the story was pretty ridiculous.
So for the fight against Bode - my first attempt I used the special and dark side ability, then there's the moment where he's whaling on you and you have to embrace the dark side.
Well my second attempt I wanted to see if that would pop up again if I never leaned on the dark abilities. And it never did. So there is a way to avoid that completely by never dipping your toes in in the first place.
Did anyone else get that same experience?
Loved the game but felt fallen order’s story was slightly better.
Dagan and his friend were weak villains and I would’ve liked to know more about why he turned bad and was obsessed with Tanalor.
I loved bode and loved his turn but would’ve liked for it to delve deeper into why he went as far as he did and why he was suddenly crazy at the end.
But everything else was top notch and an easy 5/5. Will remember that drill fight forever
I like the main story of Fallen order better, but literally everything else is better in Jedi Survivor from the gameplay, the exploration, the side characters, the little holo moni game, the enemies, the lore and world building. Just a fantastic experience.
Was there ever an explanation as to why there were soldiers with lightsabers on the Bedlam raiders? I must’ve missed it
Holy Shit Rick The Door Technician 😂
Just finished thr game and this was the first thing that came to mind now I can watch it wile working on the platinum
Can’t wait to come back and watch this when I beat the game. Peace and love
Calling it. Massive time jump after Survivor. Post ROTJ. Gameplay will be interchanging between Cal and Kata, who is now his own padawan.
Man this game was so good. I loved fallen order and survivor just out does it in every way. Definitely 5/5 amazing.
Been waiting for this one!
Man said you had to get a nekko from a certain part of the map lol. He was already at the stable for me. You just need to park it and rest. 1:07:57
Dagan Gera was very underwhelming as character. Genuinely expected a "surprise I'm not really dead" moment. Second Sister in Fallen Order was better than all the villains in Jedi Survivor.
This series needs a compass. Exploration is such a chore when you have to constantly pause gameplay to bring up the map.
Baffled by the decision to limit us to only 2 stances at a time
I thought the Bode final fight was way harder than the Darth Vader fight.
Greg it’s time you get an upgrade to your Saber… just like Khal
Am I the only one who thought Vader was easy and the final Bode fight was the hardest? I beat Vader my first try, but Bode took 20-25 tries.
Note: I played on Jedi Grandmaster and mained the Crossguard Stance.
It’s so weird that people are wondering if bodes daughter is force sensitive. Like dude how many names Jedi have a kid that isn’t force sensitive? All of likes kids and Hans too
Yeah. I honestly don't even know if it's ever been a thing across the whole franchise in both canons. Even in the sequels, they don't say it, but I'm sure Rey's dad would've been sensitive as well, given his father was Palpatine.
I loved this framey glitchey game cannot put it down
*LITERALLY* I just beat the game at 1am on May 4th because I wanted to get that trophy for Star Wars Day.
As for the game, while the story isn’t as great as Fallen Order this is still one of the best Star Wars stories I’ve ever seen. Just like in the shows Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi you can feel the stranglehold of the Empire getting tighter and tighter around the Galaxy. And while Cal (just like the fans) would want to keep fighting the Empire at a certain point you have to realize you don’t have the strength, resources, or the numbers to do any meaningful damage to them. So just like real life history, sometimes the only realistic option is to find sanctuary. Like how the innocent refugees of Ukraine, Syria and many countries in Central America have no option but to flee for their families safety.
My hope is that Cal will (instead of rebuilding the OLD Jedi order) make a new order. Possibly the Grey Jedi. Cal literally wouldn’t have succeeded if he didn’t briefly tap into the Dark Side. And as a further insult to the old Jedi, the attachments that they forsook out of fear that it would make them fall to the Dark Side, in particular romantic love, is actually what pulled Cal back to the Light. Also I freaking LOVE Merrin in this game and hope she is a co lead with Cal in Jedi 3 like Kratos and Atreus in God Of War.
Also the boss fight of Cere vs Darth Vader is one of the greatest boss fights in all of video game history. I have never been to such a degree and so equally terrified, frustrated, and overwhelmingly excited!
I want a dark side jedi fighting against the empire game. That would be dope. (I know about Starkiller. Not exactly what i mean)
No lie I think end game cal, and playing as cere, I felt stronger and more like a Jedi/Sith master than in the force unleashed 1/2
Okay how has no one mentioned the fact that one of the ps5 trophies is called GREEZY MONEY!?! That has to be a nod to Kinda Funny, no? Granted Im still a relative newcomer to the community but in my experience the Greezy Money nickname is a straight up KFG invention right? Or did the guys co-opt it from someone else? The minute I got that trophy I clumsily tried to screen grab it but failed miserably! Lol
Greezy Money is a quote from the first game!
@@KindaFunnyGames Thank you for clearing that up! I had no idea just that you all incepted it into my brain! Lol
Loved this game i had to played on normal because i wanted to make sure i finish before Zelda. Survivor was definitely superior to Fallen Order. I used gun+saber/twin stances. Loved using the gun parry reminds me of good ole Bloodborne days.
I just finished it and wished I liked it as much as the guys did. I'd still say it's a great game but was quite disappointed with a lot of things and thinking to myself "Oh is that it?" a lot. That drill sequence I thought was good but jaw dropping, better than anything in any Uncharted? I didn't feel that way at all.
Also they ask why they couldn't sense Bode at all as a force user and then just never answer it. What was up with that? I thought we were going to get a big reveal of who Bode really was beyond just another force user.
Great game. Mechanically I think it improved on the first. Story-wise, it's a slight step down. All the puzzle pieces are there for the great story but they're not quite pushed in all the way.
Personally, I do not like Bode as a Jedi Survivor. I was sus of him when he first arrived But him encouraging Cal to pursue Merrin won me over. I was mildly surprised when he betrayed us and very surprised by him using the force
Dang for me Rayvis was by far the hardest boss, like not even close. Took me 4 days to beat him lol.
Skill problem
Back when Ive finished it 😅
1:02:11 Rick the door technician is an elden ring Easter egg. Soldier of Godrick
Don’t you dare talk about daddy Joel like that Greg…. Even though….. you are accurate…..
just don’t!
I thought it was great, i think the Planet design (aesthetic wise) was pretty piss poor compared to Fallen Order tbh
and some of the writing was pretty bad but i still enjoyed the game
If you dont want the Jedi temple location/puzzle explained to you. Skip to 1:06:15
I muted the vid so i dont know what they said but its funny to watch Barret wave his arms around lol
Edit: does anyone else care about this? I like the disscussion but want to skip if its late game surprises. Reddit for sure did not care lol