Planting has always been a mildly entertaining collectible hunt portion of theStar Wars Jedigames.Fallen Orderintroduced planting as an understated hobby players could indulge in by bringing individual seed types from different planet biomes and growing them in a tiny terrarium aboardStar Wars Jedi’s Stinger Mantis. Planting was then reprised inStar Wars Jedi: Survivorbut on a comparable if not more underwhelming scale.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivoris bigger thanFallen Orderin nearly every way; its lightsaber stances were added to, its Metroidvania level designs were expanded a great deal for planets Koboh and Jedha, and BD-1 is no longer the only companion who accompanies protagonist Cal Kestis, for example. Rather, even thoughSurvivorrevisited the extracurricular activity, the sequel’s planting never managed to eclipse the homey and intimate take on planting thatFallen Orderhad, and that’s an area now thatSurvivor’s sequel can bolster to make meaningful again.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Gardening is a Backstep for Seed Planting
Cal can plant miscellaneous flora on the roof ofPyloon’s Saloon in Koboh’s Rambler’s Reachbut because there isn’t any other reason to be up there, and getting there means waiting between multiple loading screens below, it arguably isn’t an exciting or worthwhile endeavor. Seeds are planted in a grid space, though there isn’t necessarily any entertainment value in finding ways to wedge plants into rigid corners and the plants themselves aren’t incredibly diverse or remarkable from a visual aesthetic.
The result is more or less an arbitrary garden of random plants and there aren’t substantial rewards for players to pursue by gardening, either, besides an achievement and a holomap upgrade that marks seeds in the environment. Therefore, gardening is only significant as a self-ascribed side quest that hinges on the joys of leisurely exploration and seed hunting.
As for being able to personalize a piece of Cal’s new abode it still pales to the Stinger Mantis, which could and should have been Cal’s remote home once again and wasn’t. Instead, the Mantis is only used as a means to get to and from Cal’s destinations and, inexplicably,players can’t even customizeSurvivor’s Mantis like they could inFallen Order.
Star Wars Jedi Needs to Let Cal Make His Bed and Sleep in It
The idea behind allowing Cal and the player to customize a personal space suggests that Respawn wishes for Cal to call someplace his home.
That hasn’t been easy thus far as his adventures have usually included high-stakes missions where he and others are battling the Galactic Empire, and some of Cal’s most interesting moments have been when he’sa lone Jedi brandishing a lightsaber as a plight for rebellion. To say Cal has put roots down anywhere might insinuate he’s retiring in that fight and shelving his lightsaber, but a hub for the player to return to and recuperate has been welcome.
Fallen Order’s Stinger Mantis hub was perfect because it gaveCal, Greez Dritus, Cere Junda, and Merrina mobile home with not much but each other’s company to enjoy. Then,Survivortoyed with the idea that Cal’s relationships and world could be much wider.
If thethird installment of theStar Wars Jediserieswants to illustrate that further, it needs to make a priority of customization and personalization. IfSurvivor’s sequel gives Cal, Merrin, and Kata a genuine home that players can build or redecorate to their liking, Cal’s arc between all three entries could be one of finding a place to call home—the actual act of gardening or decorating such a home simply needs to come with the promise of valuable gameplay rewards that can entice players to see it through.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
WHERE TO PLAY
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor™, a third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This narratively-driven, single player title picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™ and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness. Pushed to the edges of the galaxy by the Empire, Cal will find himself surrounded by threats new and familiar. As one of the last surviving Jedi Knights, Cal is driven to make a stand during the galaxy’s darkest times - but how far is he willing to go to protect himself, his crew, and the legacy of the Jedi Order?Explore an Untamed Galaxy – Discover new planets and familiar frontiers in the Star Wars galaxy, each with unique biomes, challenges, and enemies. Master new skills, equipment, and abilities that will augment the ways you explore, fight, and roam. With larger areas to explore and more to discover off the beaten path, players who adventure beyond the horizon will find hidden rewards.
