One of the biggest surprises of 2019 was Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Respawn’s Souls-like take on the Star Wars franchise. After a few massive disappointments with the Battlefront games, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was proof that EA was actually capable of publishing a half-decent Star Wars game. This was done by letting the developers follow their vision without corporate interference, something we would also see in 2020’s fantastic Star Wars: Squadrons. Fallen Order is also now available on PlayStation 5, as well as Xbox Series S/X, with a brand new next-gen build. Given how we have all played the game back in 2019, is it worth your time once again in 2021?

Don’t expect new gameplay or content elements in this PS5 port. For all intents and purposes, this is the exact same game from 2019. The one that was purchased by ten million people in its first year or so in the market. You might have probably played it. I sure did. And, obviously, loved it, but that game was a pretty standard case of a high-quality and highly entertaining “one and done” experience. So that means that, if you decide to tackle it once again, you’re going to play the same game as before, with the same story, characters, gameplay, and honestly, even the same graphics.

Let me clarify that I’m not saying Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is an ugly game. Far from it. It is still pretty appealing when it comes to its visuals, but at the same time, it feels good looking for a PS4 and Xbox One game. In no moment I ever felt like I was playing a game that looked good even for next-gen standards, like Control or Dirt 5. This looks exactly like a high-budget PS4 game on your PS5, and when you trigger the option to run it at a higher resolution, you barely notice any kind of difference whatsoever. You will only notice the improved resolution if you pause the game and mess around a bit with the photo mode editor, which is one of the very, very few additions in this port.

Now, if you decide to turn on Performance Mode (which, weirdly enough, is not the default option), you get a slightly reduced resolution, akin to how the game was rendered on a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, but with a rock-solid 60fps framerate. This is, by far, the best thing about this version of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Being able to play this game with twice as many frames per second turns the already silky smooth and entertaining combat into something even more engaging, with even better controller responsiveness. Sadly, the DualSense’s features are barely used. Haptic feedback is used in very slight ways, but the triggers aren’t used as they should. A bit disappointing, but that’s fine, I can live with that.

This is a tricky one. Technically speaking, yes, the PlayStation 5 version of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the best one out there, purely and simply because you have access to a better framerate and slightly improved loading times. Then again, we have all bought and played the game two years ago, so double dipping on it makes very little sense right now. If you’re in the very unlikely minority that has a PS5 but hasn’t played Fallen Order yet, by all means, this is an absolute must-have. For everyone else, you need to be in absolute love with it in order to warrant a second playthrough on a new platform.

 

Graphics: 7.5 The resolution has been increased and I love the inclusion of a 60fps mode, but Jedi: Fallen Order barely looks better in this port than it looked back on the PS4 and Xbox One.	Gameplay: 9.5 The increased framerate in this PS5 version results in smoother combat sections and more responsive controls. Sadly, the DualSense’s features are barely used.
Sound: 9.5 Classic Star Wars sound effects, great voice acting, the top-notch soundtrack you would expect from a game in the franchise, and even some Mongolian rock that somehow doesn’t feel out of place.	Fun Factor: 8.5 For all intents and purposes, it’s pretty much the exact same game as before, with not a lot of changes. Not exactly ideal for those who have played it before, but a must for first-timers.
Final Verdict: 8.5

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC and Stadia.

Reviewed on PS5.

A copy of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was provided by the publisher.