Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order's gameplay-first approach inspired the choice of Star Wars era
The Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order reveal at Star Wars Celebration was certainly one of the event's highlights, especially after EA confirmed it's a story-driven, single-player game like fans have been asking for.
In an interview with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order game director Stig Asmussen, the veteran director revealed that Respawn first approached the project from the gameplay perspective, which ended up deciding the game's setting within the Star Wars universe.
"There were some needs we had - from a gameplay standpoint - that lead us to the time period that [Fallen Order is set in]," Asmussen told IGN at the reveal.
"Obviously one of them is being a Jedi with Force powers, but also this idea of [being] up against it all. Post-Order 66 fits so naturally, and it didn't take us that long to arrive there."
Despite the themes of one person against the world, Asmussen stressed that Fallen Order is not a stealth game. The fantasy of being a powerful Jedi was certainly part of that decision.
"Stealth is not something we're featuring in the game," Asmussen clarified. "You can jump into a situation and negotiate the battle the way that you want. There's a lot of choice in how you come across your enemies and take them down. You could potentially - if you want - to sneak around and not get the AI's attention, I guess that's possible, but it's not something we're openly encouraging."
As for the game size, Asmussen revealed that the team wanted to focus on obtainable goals they can deliver at high quality. Because of this, and the fact Respawn was building a new team using a new engine, Fallen Order is not an open-world game.
That said, it'll feature big open areas to explore, and though Asmussen didn't compare it directly with other games, it's possible he's referring to games like the recent God of War, which featured distinct areas where you could move somewhat unrestricted.
Finally, the game director confirmed that more details will be revealed at E3 in June.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is out November 15 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.