The Force is Strong with this one

It's been a long time since I can honestly say that I enjoyed a Star Wars game. The original Battlefront II being the last one that I can remember, and even that was due to the large scale multiplayer battles and the nostalgia trip of using familiar characters. Seeing that Respawn Entertainment were the developers gave me some hope, their previous releases Titanfall and Titanfall 2 were incredible games that sadly underperformed in sales (as an aside, I recommend 'Titanfall 2' if you like good single player campaigns). You play as a Cal, a Jedi Padawan who's master was slain five years earlier in the 'Order 66' purge. In hiding on the planet Bracca, Cal uses his force powers to rescue a colleague of his - but inadvertently attracting the Second Sister. Rescued by Cere Junda, Cal goes on a journey around the galaxy trying to figure out more about what has happened, who he is and how he can have an impact against the 'Galactic Empire'. The game itself plays well, with a cross between Tomb Raider for the exploration, Uncharted for the various climbing sections, God of War for the squeezing through crevice loading screens and Dark Souls for some of the combat sections. My most significant criticism is the back-tracking that you need to do With the maps being reasonably large, but also quite linear, no matter how much they try and hide the fact you need to go back over the same ground, you do, a lot. With Cal having to return to planets once another Force power has been 'remembered'. It means that you see the same section of level over and over again. The combat is what makes this game shine, and apart from the odd janky camera angle and locking onto the wrong target, the combat feels good. Fighting Storm Troopers is relatively easy, and they are dispatched with relative ease, but come up against some of the elite enemies, and you'll find yourself respawning over and over until you get a grasp of their various tactics and moves. Respawn locations are often in a convenient location, giving you the chance to take Cal right back into the thick of it within 30 seconds. Overall, I would recommend this game to anyone who fancies a single-player adventure in a Dark Souls kind of way, with fun combat and a decent enough story to keep you hooked. Pros • BD-1 is my favourite droid now within the Star Wars universe • Fun combat with a real sense of swinging a lightsaber • Force powers are fun to use in combat • The story is interesting, and you meet some familiar characters Cons • Bit of back-tracking involved with exploration • Some boss fights are a little deceptive Graphics could be a bit better (PC Version) ——— Original ratings: • Visual Design: 7/10 • Sound Design: 8/10 • Gameplay: 8/10 • Longevity: 8/10 • Fun: 9/10