Jonathan Pollinger

Very solid open world game. I really rate this 4/5, but went 5 just to help offset the Star Bro review bombers. People reading reviews need to understand, Star Wars fans are literally MAGA level toxic and just review bomb everything now. Vast majority of the 1 star reviews are likely fake. This is definitely not close to a 1 or 2 star game. Pros: 1. The game is absolutely stunning visually. You'll want to take photos in photo mode even if you don't like or care about photo mode. It's pretty wild how good it looks and will grab your attention as soon as it really starts opening up. Meticulously crafted is a phrase thrown around a lot but in this case is accurate. 2. Gunplay/cover is fairly tight for a star wars game (think a simplified Division without the bullet sponge enemies) despite the cons to it which I'll talk about in a second 3. The story is very good and the faction system is engaging and fun to manipulate. It's set at a really interesting point during the original trilogy. Any SW fan will have more than one "Oh cool" moment when playing. 4. The protagonist is intetesting and feels both fresh and oddly familiar (like an inexperienced Solo). You'll scoff at the hate the character got before the game was released because she's very well crafted. People dumping on this character are legitimately just gross incels mad she isn't built like a porn star. 5. The worlds are diverse and more packed with things to find than you think at first. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I've found on each world. People who claim it's repetitive... Idk what to say to that other than they either aren't playing the game or aren't playing it for very long. The game is packed with stuff to do, you just have to look a little. 6. Unlike many open world games these days, you will get rewarded for exploration. Not just riding around in the worlds, but wandering around cities, villages, and cantinas. Can't tell you how many secret stashes I've found just by walking around and listening to people chat about stuff. 7. The speeder is just plain fun. From upgrades to customization options to just riding around top speed in the world getting into high speed chases. If you don't love opening it up and just riding around in numerous planets you'll recognize, I question if you ever liked Star Wars to begin with. Cons: 1. The platforming feels clunky at times. Typically it wouldn't be a big deal... but this is Ubisoft. They perfected platforming like 15 years ago. No excuse for mediocre from them in this area. 2. The stealth elements, while not quite as clunky as the platforming, also feel just kinda off and unpolished. Same thing as 1: this is Ubisoft and should never be an issue for them. 3. At least early on, all weapons outside of your blaster are randomly dropped and temporary. Enemies drop, you pick up, when ammo runs out it disappears. This is an inexplicable mechanic that I really just don't understand. This is somewhat offset by the ability to upgrade, add to, and customize your blaster... but if you're gonna have numerous usable weapon types it feels kinda dumb you can't just always have them. 4. Speeder combat. Feels very odd you can't fire while driving unless you're using your "ultimate" ability. Granted, it refills quickly so it isn't the end of the world, I'm just surprised they couldn't figure out how to make that work without being OP.

I wouldn't get too scared off by the reviews. Most of them are from people who literally played the game for less than an hour on the first day it came out. No way they could possibly comment on much with any real accuracy. If you want top tier graphics, this ain't it. It's passable but nothing eye popping. The gameplay itself isn't really the problem, I suspect it's the type of gameplay that bothers people. Folks hear D&D and expect Dragon Age Origins level RPG depth. This is very much a game that's all about that action, to the point where it can become a bit exhausting if you are the type that likes to go into town, talk to a barkeep, pick up some side quests and play dress up. This game is all out action: Slay, loot, repeat with little else at this point that I've seen. The world is very D&D, definitely has the vibe of the universe down pat and the story itself isn't bad. There are a few minor control related issues but nothing that makes the game unplayable. Characters can be impressively customized from an armor/skill/weapon standpoint, but only 4 characters/classes with no gender choice to choose from feels thin. I do think the game overall has decent bones, but I'll have to wait to see how the endgame plays and what the future plans are (if any) before I'm willing to give it more than 3/5. Frustrating that other reviewers are so reckless in their reviewing, as it tends to kill games before they get started.