Low on groundbreaking content but high on combat thrills, the latest Star Wars game sticks to the tried and tested - which is good news for hardcore fans and nervous n00bs alike

Vikki Blake

You’ll see the fingerprints of other franchises smudged all over this game - mostly Uncharted but also Tomb Raider, God of War and the Dark Souls series. For sure, Fallen Order could have been a more original and adventurous game than it is; but after all the grumbling over Star Wars Battlefront II (and its loot boxes), you can’t fault Respawn for playing it cautious.

Above all, this is an accessible take on the series. You don’t need to have liked - or even seen - the most recent movie offerings to understand Cal’s plight, nor will your experience be hampered by a lack of Star Wars trivia.

Cal is now working as a scrapper on the planet Bracca, his Jedi training a secret up until the day he betrays his own anonymity to save the life of a pal. Alerted to the event, an elite team of Jedi-hunters come looking and bang: Cal’s up and running.

And we mean running. This early sequence is a heart-pumping blast of combat and parkour as you try to get to grips with your burgeoning powers. Never is the action more Uncharted-y than in this section, training you to look up and around as you run from corridor to corridor. Within ten minutes you’ll be skating, plank-walking and leaping from vines as the tutorial teaches you all you need to know about Fallen Order’s plentiful platforming.