Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is Respawn’s version of The Empire Strikes Back. As Jedi Survivor has the advantage of being a sequel, it can acknowledge the criticisms of its predecessor and iterate by adjusting certain gameplay elements.
Jedi: Fallen Order had serious accessibility barriers, from the lack of full button remapping to no toggles for hold inputs and on to a particularly indecipherable map. It was the only Star Wars game in the history of time and space that I was unable to finish, and the existence of accessibility barriers constantly made me contemplate turning to the Dark Side.
The darkest era for the Jedi Order is the perfect foundation for Respawn to explore the evolution of the Jedi, to acknowledge the unhealthy traditions that needed to be forgotten and define the type of Jedi that Cal wants to be. Personally, it’s the type of narrative that grips me, discovering the heroes in the overwhelming darkness of The Empire and making the tough decision to stay in the light.
Thankfully, Jedi: Survivor truly astonished me with the level of accessibility options available. The level of accessibility support demonstrates a huge shift in Respawn’s design philosophy. In this blog post, Morgan Baker, EA’s Program Lead for Accessibility, explains, “At Electronic Arts, we strive to reduce and eliminate unnecessary accessibility barriers so everyone can enjoy our games. Respawn showcases a true dedication to our accessibility commitments in Jedi: Survivor by considering accessibility from the start, making it a core part of their design process.”