EA may have left the circuit of several press conferences that precede E3, but it's still a part of the show with EA Play. E3 2019 is no different, and EA has kicked off its annual show with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, providing the first official look at its gameplay and "thoughtful" lightsaber combat. Trailers also revealed how Fallen Order will tie back into the greater Star Wars universe, showcasing a few familiar faces.
Particularly, Rogue One's Saw Gerrera made an appearance early in the gameplay reveal and is working alongside Jedi Fallen Order's protagonist Cal Kestis. Saw is leading a charge to free Wookies on Kashyyyk which is under control of the Empire. Saw gives Cal a map to pursue this mission.
Saw first made his appearance in Star Wars lore with The Clone Wars animated series, and was an important character in the movie Star Wars: Rogue One where he was portrayed by actor Forest Whitaker. The Saw portrayed in Jedi Fallen Order appears less grizzled and hurt than the one in Rogue One. Also of note was a droid resembling another Rogue One character, K-2SO. K2 was some kind of Imperial enforcer before being reprogrammed, and the droid shown in the demo was tough enough to give a Jedi a difficult time.
Developed by Respawn--also responsible for Titanfall, Titanfall 2, and Apex Legends--Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is an entirely single-player game with no microtransactions--pretty surprising for an EA title, but a welcome one. Respawn is also working on a Titanfall project but that's been delayed to 2020 at the earliest so that 2019's focus remains on Fallen Order and Apex Legends.
Fallen Order is the story of Cal Kestis, a Jedi padawan that never finished his training and became a Knight. The story takes place right after Order 66 is declared, putting it between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Cal hides from the Empire as a salvager on the Outer Rim, until he's discovered as a Force user. Now on the run, Cal needs to rely on his minimalistic training to escape from the masked Second Sister--one of Darth Vader's skilled Jedi-hunting Inquisitors--and the Purge Troopers. He won't be completely alone though, as Cal's journey across the galaxy sees him discovering a surviving Jedi Knight.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is releasing on November 15 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.