Holden Armstrong 's review of Jedi: Fallen Order
Date last edited: 12-06-2024 at 07:23PM
Rating: Not Rated
Review:
Title: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Genre. Action-Adventure Game
ESRB Rating: T
My rating: 4.5/5
Primary Audience: General Audience
Year of Release: 2019
Platform: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows
Trailer: https://youtu.be/0GLbwkfhYZk?si=PvdW8tDXmU_Rhegg
Introduction
Jedi: Fallen Order was released in 2019. The game was developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. The game was a global hit, loved by fans all around the world for its interesting story and well developed gameplay. Jedi: Fallen Order is a video game where Cal Kestis is trying to survive as a Jedi after order 66. The game takes place in the Star Wars Universe where the Jedi order has fallen and the sinister Empire has taken over. You play as Cal Kestis and attempt to complete missions to stay alive, finish your training, and rebuild the fallen Jedi order. The player must discover locations and defeat enemies such as stormtroopers, bounty hunters, various beasts, and even battle Darth Vader.
Jedi: Fallen Order is classical game and story of good against evil set in dark times. While the game is violent and requires a player to kill the enemy it has strong moral values present. We see Cal Kestis grow in power and wisdom as the game progresses. We see Cal begin to come out of hiding and face his fear of the Empire and the Dark Side as he begins to fight against evil and rebuild the Jedi Order. He fights against tyranny and shines a light of hope in a time of despair.
The First Media Key: Balance
The first media key speaks on the virtue of Temperance. Temperance allows a person to accurately observe a topic. This virtue allows us to observe media and understand all its different viewpoints, angles and messages. As Dr. Gan states, “that we look at media from all angles. It calls us to base our understanding of the media we use on careful thought and research” (Gan, pg. 44). This quote explains that balance is the basis of our understanding of media. All our media should not bend to one extreme or the other but stay at a comfortable medium. It should unbiased just as we should be unbiased in our views.
While Jedi Fallen Order is a violent game that requires a player to kill enemies it is not overly gory in any way. No blood is shown and the game is very PG. this allows the game to be more enjoyable for younger audiences. The violence isn’t mindless either. It is always clear that this is a battle of good versus evil and Cal Kestis never kills unless he has too.
The Second Media Key: Attitude Awareness
Prudence is the virtue this key is related too. This virtue allows us to see the true good and understand what is right. Applying this virtue, “disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it” (Gan, pg. 47). With the amount of agendas that media seek to push on us this key is more important than ever. Through prayer and prudence we must learn to think for ourselves and recognize true goodness.
The moral values in Jedi Fallen Order are very strong. The game promotes us to always fight against evil and face our fears. To never lose hope no matter how dark things may seem. These are very Catholic Values in themselves. Cal Kestis often helps those in need and is always a character of goodness and hope. We see Cal help free those that are being held captive by the evil empire and we see how a life of evil corrupts those that choose it.
The Third Media Key: The Dignity of the Human Person
Justice is the virtue this media key harps on. We are all made in the image of God. Due to this reality we all to be regarded as the highest of all creation and dignified. Dr Gan states that, “It should promote understanding of the human person and human communities. And it should shed light on what makes the human person unique in all creation” (Gan, pg. 84). In a time of human degradation this key holds especially true. Violent and harmful media is extremely prevalent and it’s important we stand against these behaviors and treat humans as they ought to be treated.
The biggest failure of this game is the prevalence of violence. While the violence is somewhat mild and usually needed it could definitely be toned down. Each Human is intrinsically valuable and no matter the circumstances these lives shouldn’t be taken fore granted or destroyed. However, the game does a fantastic job of showing good values elsewhere. Cal Kestis is always fighting to end the war and end the tyranny of the Empire. He is fighting to preserve the dignity of life.
The Fourth Media Key: Truth Filled
The fourth media key is all about Fortitude. Fortitude allows us the strength to discover truth no matter what opposes us. As Dr Gan states,“Every communication must comply with certain essential requirements and these are sincerity, honesty and truthfulness” (Gan, pg. 106). On social media we should continue to spread God’s truth. We should encourage good morals and behavior and spread the good news of the Lord.
The values of the Jedi and Cal Kestis strongly reflect those of us Christians. The game suggests that we must always fight against evil and shows us how horrible a life of evil can be. We see how the evil Sith are corrupted and made miserable by their choice to live in the dark side. The game also shows us that hope and good always remain no matter how evil the world might seem and that eventually the good always wins.
The Fifth Media Key: Inspiring
The fifth media key is related to Hope. Hope gives us strength in times of darkness and points us to light of Christ. It helps us to look to God and be inspired to live a life of faith. It inspires us to look to heaven and to the good in our world. In the words of Dr Gan, “This is why God, like Pittsburgh's city government, has also given us signs: signs that point the way to heaven, signs that point the way to Him. And media is one of those signs” (Gan, pg. 127).
Jedi Fallen Order can be extremely inspiring to a player. Seeing Cal Kestis grow throughout the game and develop into a wise, good and powerful Jedi can encourage us to work on ourselves, face our fears and grow as human beings. We see how going through tough times only makes Cal stronger and allows him to face any fear or opposition he comes across. We also see the horrible ends that come to those that choose the evil path of evil. While the evil Sith have comfort and power they eventually meet their doom because of their decision. This is a reflection of our lives. If we choose the easy and less virtuous path it will doom us in the long run.
The Sixth Media Key: Skillfully Developed
Faith is the virtue of this key. The key tells us that we should create the best possible content we can. There is no better way to capture and audience than to make content that is legitimately interesting, enjoyable, and well developed. Dr Gan says on this topic that, “If they want to attract users, sell games, and basically keep their jobs, the media they create and market must be skillfully developed. It must conform to industry standards for what does and does not constitute well-made media” (Gan, pg. 148). If we want to compete with the media or our time then it must be very well developed. Otherwise, our messages will be lost because no audience will want to hear them.
Jedi Fallen Order is extremely well developed. The game includes numerous locations, stellar gameplay and graphics that amazed millions. A player can freely explore massive locations on planets that are vastly different and aesthetically stunning. The story is captivating and fits perfectly into the story of the Star Wars movies. Being able to explore Star Wars planets that players had never seen before allowed for a unique experience that was beloved by fans.
The Seventh Media Key: Motivated by and Relevant to Experience
This key is related to the virtue of Charity. This key is about how we communicate. We should always communicate our message to our audience in a way that will have the most effect. If we don’t do this then we risk not accomplishing our goal of influencing them in a positive way. As Dr Gan says,“As man, Jesus Christ delivered the message of God's saving plan in a language we could understand” (Gan, pg. 170).
Jedi Fallen Order pulls at our heart strings. The story can be relatable to just about anyone in some way. We see Cal go through the emotions of losing friends, loneliness, and being afraid of the world around him. These are feelings that most of us can relate too.
Conclusion
Jedi Fallen Order may be a violent game but it shows many redeeming qualities. We see Cal Kestis take up arms for good in a time of evil. We see him grow and mature and become less fearful of the evil around him. Jedi Fallen Order is a great game for any Star Wars fan to play and has been loved by millions around the world. Combining enjoyable gameplay with an intriguing plot and story has helped propel Jedi Fallen order to being one of the greatest Star Wars story games ever.
Seven Keys:
Balanced:
Attitude:
Personal:
Truth-filled:
Inspired:
Skillfully Made:
Experienced:
Overall Rating: 7/35
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