The Story Trailer for Star Wars Jedi Survivor, which officially launches on April 28th, was released on March 20th. This is my breakdown of the new trailer, let’s see how much we can find in it!
The Mantis Crew Reunited
For reasons we still don’t know, everyone went their separate ways. Cal continued to fight the Empire but where Greez, Cere, and Merrin are yet to be revealed. These are my assumptions based on what we’ve seen in previous trailers and comments made by Cameron Monaghan (Cal Kestis).
After so many missions of fighting the Empire some members of the crew felt that it didn’t make any difference. It doesn’t matter how successful they were, they’re still just four people fighting against a tyrant that has almost unlimited resources. That’s not a motivating idea for sure.
Even if they shared a common goal the motives all of them had are also very different. Greez had no love for the Empire, but I’m sure that the idea of fighting until death wasn’t how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Greez has always tried to be realistic and it’s more than understandable to think that perhaps he thought that all of this effort was futile.
Cere wanted to restore the Jedi Order, it could be argued that the defeat of the Galactic Empire would be aligned with her goal but perhaps she thought that seeking destruction isn’t the Jedi way. A lot can be done to help rebuild the Jedi, like searching for texts, temples, or artifacts that could help her achieve this goal.
Merrin and Cal were driven by revenge, the Empire took away everything from them. Cere also lost everything but rather than vengeance, she wanted to stop the Empire from hurting more people. It might sound similar but protecting people from the Galactic Empire and just wanting its destruction are completely opposite things.
“Cal, look into the fire. It will warm you, keep you company. But left unchecked it will consume everything until there is only ash”- Nightsister Merrin
This quote describes perfectly what can happen to those who are solely motivated by vengeance. Taron Malicos, General Grievous, Maul, and Anakin Skywalker are some good examples of what can happen to anyone that walks this path.
I believe Merrin realized that this route only leads to destruction and abandoned it before it was too late. Cal is still motivated by revenge, and while his intentions might be good, it’s only a matter of time before he falls into the dark side.
All of the above is why I think that they split, but now it’s time to get the Mantis crew together for one more mission that could possibly turn the tide forever. Five years is a lot of time, Cal is not the only one that changed and evolved. All of them have learned a lot and if there’s a group that can do something meaningful, it’s them.
New and old locations
Star Wars Action-Adventure games have always taken us to many incredible planets and locations, from the deepest sea on Maanan to the highest tree of Kashyyyk. There are hundreds of amazing and mysterious places in the galaxy and hopefully, Star Wars Jedi Survivor will revisit some familiar ones while also taking us to new and unexplored locations.
The most obvious one is Coruscant, if Cal intends to bring the fight to the Empire there’s no better option than the Imperial Capital. Coruscant has everything: fancy palaces, high-security prisons, the Imperial Senate, and an underworld where you can find anything. If there’s a place worthy of investigating it is Coruscant.
Jungle planets are some of my favorite ones, the ancient civilizations and hidden predators make them so entertaining to explore. Jedi Survivor will feature at least one planet of this type. The previous trailer showed a Jungle Wampa and this one didn’t add much information. My bet is still on either Rishi or Kashyyyk but hopefully, it’s a new one!
The sequel of Jedi Fallen Order would not be complete without an Imperial Installation. Visiting the Fortress Inquisitorius was amazing and honestly, it’s very hard to top that. This trailer showcased what appears to be an Imperial Aerial base that looks strangely similar to Cloud City. This type of base is not common in Star Wars, getting inside is probably going to be quite a challenge.
The Zeffo Temples are iconic, these massive dungeons filled with puzzles, guardians, and other secrets made Fallen Order an experience that many Star Wars fans had wanted for a long time.
I am no expert in Zeffo architecture but this place looks very similar to some of the temples we explored on planets like Zeffo and Dathomir.
Could the story be linked once again to this ancient civilization?
A High-Republic foe or ally
In the first Jedi Survivor trailer, we saw an individual whom many of us thought looked like a Jedi from the High Republic era. This trailer has now confirmed our suspicions.
For a brief moment, we can see that he’s indeed wearing High Republic Jedi robes and has a double-bladed lightsaber attached to his Jedi utility belt.
“How could you let the galaxy fall to this unworthy machine of an Empire?” This unknown enemy asks Cal as he holds a Stormtrooper helmet.
In the previous trailer, we saw Cal release this ancient Jedi from a stasis chamber but for whatever reason, it seems like he’s not friendly toward Cal.
The High Republic era is considered to be the golden era of the Republic and the Jedi. Imagine being put to sleep at the peak of your people and then waking up when both the Jedi and the Republic that you used to know no longer exist.
Instead, they’ve been replaced by an Empire that rules with an iron fist and Inquisitors that hunt whatever is left of the Jedi Order.
Maybe he is projecting his frustrations onto Cal, whether he likes it or not, Cal Kestis was part of the Jedi Order that was manipulated and destroyed from the inside. Obviously, Cal was just a kid when everything happened but he’s one of the few remnants of the Order.
Everything indicates that this Jedi from another era will be the main antagonist of Star Wars Jedi Survivor, but trailers can be deceptive, and let’s not forget that the Empire is still the ultimate enemy at this point in time. Two Jedi knights from different eras joining forces to fight the dark side would be epic but it’s still unclear how things will unfold.
Combat mechanics Changes and New Weapons
There are new mechanics that are meant to refresh the already fun combat style of Cal Kestis. Single, dual, and double-bladed stances are fun and flashy styles with both strengths and weaknesses.
We’re also getting a Crossguard and Blaster stance. You’ll be able to pick your favorite stance and fight enemies on your own terms.
Your allies will also be able to interact with enemies, providing the ability to do devastating combos. Bode and Merrin have now been shown performing some of these dual combos, who else do you think will be able to help you when fighting Bounty Hunters or Purge Troopers?
I’m incredibly excited about this game, these remaining weeks are going to feel like an eternity but at least we still have The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch!
Remember that you can pre-order the game and get cosmetic bonuses depending on which edition you buy.
What are you most excited about this game? What I’m most hyped about is definitely exploring new planets and learning more about the future of Cal Kestis, Merrin, Greez, Cere, and BD-1!
Here on VULKK.com you will find a vast catalog of helpful Star Wars Jedi Survivor content to aid you on your journey through the Galaxy, starting with our Jedi Survivor Review.
We have everything from Beginner Guides, to Walkthroughs, Puzzle Solutions, Exploration, Easter Eggs and Secrets, Boss Guides, Complete catalogs of Collectibles locations and much much more.
