I didn't see a topic for this game.
I recently picked up a new computer and can finally do some gaming (good timing too due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the stay-at-home/physical distancing measures and lock downs). Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was one of the new games I got as it was on sale on Steam about a week ago.
As a huge fan of the Jedi Knight series back in the day, I was really interested in Fallen Order when it came out as it looked like a worthy successor to the Jedi Knight series with great combat mechanics. I was correct - it is a really good game and the combat is tough, challenging and rewarding.
The game takes elements of many previous well-known games and genres. The first major mechanic is Dark Souls-esque, in that there are meditation circles where you can save, upgrade skills and restore health and force. Restoring health/force re-spawns all enemies in the area. The game also is similar to Metroid in that you will obtain additional upgrades and abilities which will allow you to access previously inaccessible areas to progress further and to look for secrets. As a consequence, there is a degree of backtracking to various planets -- while I am not the biggest fan of backtracking and spending hours retreading old areas, the one upside is a very versatile map system that tells you whether you have explored the entire area and whether there are still chests and secrets to find.
There is also a fair bit of platforming and exploration, and certain major sequences that will feel like Uncharted. The platforming/exploration is fun, with the caveat that controlling some of the jumps/platforming can be a little hit-or-miss. Luckily, the game does not punish you too harshly for missing a jump as you will only lose a small amount of health and reappear right before the particular jump/platforming section to retry.
Before I get into combat, I will say that I played the game on "Jedi Master" difficulty, which is the second hardest difficulty option available (the hardest is "Jedi Grand Master"). The difficulty adjusts three variables - parry timing, incoming enemy damage, and enemy aggression. At "Jedi Master" difficult, enemy combat was quite challenging initially as you get used to the controls and mechanics of the game, but as you become more experienced, it does become easier to handle the enemies. I will say that no matter what enemy you are facing, you do need to be careful as every single enemy can kill you -- especially the wildlife. I was surprised at how difficult the wildlife was (compared to fighting the Imperial storm troopers and scout troopers). In combat, you cannot simply mash the attack button and hope for the best - timing dodges and parries are critical to success, and it is quite rewarding to successfully take down multiple enemies at once.
The story (which I believe is considered canonical to the Star Wars universe) is good as well. I won't spoil anything about the story, other than to say that it takes place 5 years after Episode III, and you play a character that was in hiding after "Order 66".
It took me about 22-23 hours to get through the story and obtain 94% completion (I did not find all of the chests in the game, which provide cosmetic upgrades only). There is no New Game Plus mode as far as I can tell, and no DLC, so once you complete the game, there is nothing further to do. It did leave me wanting more though, which I think is a good sign and I do hope that a sequel will be made.
There were a few technical graphical glitches that were noticeable throughout the play through, but nothing game breaking (some popups and flickers here and there).
Overall, I would highly recommend this game for anyone that likes challenging combat/platforming games like Dark Souls (but is not as difficult as Dark Souls). Despite how disappointing recent Star Wars releases have been in recent years, Fallen Order is definitely a highlight to the franchise and Star Wars universe.
