After almost four years since the first game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the sequel Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was recently released to the public and brought with it a new standard for what Star Wars games should be. 

Survivor expands on and improves practically everything from the first game, from a much more complex and versatile combat system to simple quality-of-life improvements, like fast travel and alien mounts that stop you from having to run across the entirety of the much more open and expansive worlds it provides. However it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

Upon release, the game itself is amazing, when it’s not crashing or running like a Microsoft Powerpoint presentation. The worst end of the performance does seem to be contained to PCs, as consoles’ performance issues seem to mainly be screen-tearing and temporary lag spikes. There have been multiple patches since the game’s release on Apr. 28, improving and fixing some of the issues, so the problem is being actively addressed; however, the state the game shipped in is inexcusable for a triple A game of this caliber. 

For 70 gold doubloons and being backed by some of the biggest developers in the gaming industry, any game being released in the condition Survivor was should be a crime punishable by death, and while the problems can and will be fixed, that does not excuse the practical daylight robbery that this is. To promise a certain level of quality and charge your consumers according to that promise and then not deliver is a stinky move of the stinkiest proportions.

It’s unfortunate, because – performance issues aside – the game is an absolute triumph. The game’s scope is enormous, to an almost overwhelming extent. I have played for around 20 hours, and I feel as though I have barely scratched the surface. The game does a great job of making players feel insanely cool and powerful while not diminishing the challenge they face. Even more so than the first game, Survivor could be considered the Dark Souls of Star Wars, and, especially on the highest difficulty, the game is simply brutal.

Survivor picks up five years after the events of the first game, and the characters we grew familiar with have parted ways. As you play through the game the crew gets back together, and, as you can expect, wacky hijinks ensue. Throughout the game, players will unlock five separate lightsaber stances, all of which have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. You can only equip two of the stances at one time, and depending on the situation, some may be suited better than others. As I played through the game, I found myself switching out my stances often, both for diversity and for function. That being said, I did eventually find my two favorites in the more unique of the new stances: the crossguard and blaster stance. The game has a much higher level of focus on customization, truly allowing you to create the gameplay you want to see.

On its own, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an exquisite entry into the Star Wars mythos, and a superior successor to the first game. However, an otherwise great game being diminished by poor performance is a story that seems to be becoming more and more frequent in the gaming industry (looking at you Cyberpunk 2077) and it plays out in this case, as well. If you’re playing on a PC and are on the fence about whether or not to buy it, definitely wait a few months for the game to be polished up. That being said, once performance is fixed, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor might just take the high ground for the best Star Wars game yet.