‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’ Developer Talks Bode Akuna, New Lightsaber Stances, and Other Gameplay Details
Star Wars gamers can rest easy in the knowledge that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will not make you unlearn and then relearn Force powers as you traverse its world, unlike with other Metroidvania games. Instead, gameplay is evolving in other interesting ways that make sense in the world of Star Wars.
One of those ways is by expanding on all the lightsaber techniques that Cal Kestis can use to fight enemies. In an interview with Game Informer, game director Stig Asmussen elaborated on some of the techniques that we saw in the recent gameplay trailer, as well as Cal’s relationship with Bode Akuna, a mercenary around Cal’s age who pops up in the trailer.
Asmussen confirmed what some suspected, that Akuna would be an AI buddy character during Cal’s adventure, aiding the player in combat and traversal:
He and Cal form a special bond. It’s almost like they’re brothers. And they’re not exactly the same, but they really do complement each other.
He even confirmed the leaked stance that saw Cal wielding a lightsaber and a blaster at the same time. While not a technique that his master would have approved of, Asmussen explained that this is one of the unorthodox things Cal has to do in these desperate times:
It really speaks to where we find Cal in this part of the story. It’s five years since the first game, and the dark times are still in full swing. He’s an unconventional Jedi, and he has to do unconventional things. So, something that would be frowned upon during the height of the Jedi Order? Cal’s finding he’s going to do whatever it takes.
Asmussen also revealed there are five separate stances in the game to swap between, depending on the environment.
We have five fully realized stances in the game. A lot of it depends on the enemy that you’re coming across. It’s advantageous to use certain types of stances against certain types of enemies, and it’s up to the player to figure that out. It requires the player to break down the enemies and figure out what the best weapon of choice is.
One of those stances is the crossguard saber that we saw in the trailer. It appears that wielding one will be akin to using a heavy weapon.
It’s a more confident approach. It’s weighty; it’s beefy. But you have to be very measured on how you use it because the timing windows are longer with the blade.
Game Informer mentioned that Cal will have additional tools and abilities to help him traverse areas in Survivor, such as an ascension cable and the ability to tame and ride animals, and Asmussen shed further light on those:
It’s much of a wider Metroidvania approach. Cal can cross huge gaps by chaining several types of skills together. But it’s also about how we approach these mounts and how they’re used to negotiate and dominate the world.
Game Informer was also told that one brand-new planet will act as a central proving ground and place of exploration, though that doesn’t mean we’ll be spending all of our time there. As suggested in the trailer, the site says there are multiple other worlds to visit across the game, much like in 2019’s Fallen Order.
This surely won’t be the last of the developer interviews to come before Star Wars Jedi: Survivor releases on March 17, 2023, on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Stay tuned for more.
Josh is a huge Star Wars fan, who has spent far too much time wondering if any Star Wars character could defeat Thanos with all the Infinity Stones.
