One of the reasons Star Wars became such an enduring pop culture classic is its ability to stoke the imagination of its fans and invite them to be part of the world with every premiere. Perhaps the best aspect of the video game Stars Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was its ability to pull players into that world even more than the movies or TV shows. To that same token, many fans were disappointed that the game was not truly an open world experience. The truth is that it was beneficial for the game to restrict its world, and players would only have been disappointed if it hadn't.
Over the years, games have grown increasingly complex, and player expectations grew accordingly. Open world formats became extremely popular for AAA titles like The Elder Scrolls series and Red Dead Redemption 2. These games show the best of what those immersive experiences can offer, but it's important to remember that they are their own unique experience. Not every game is or should be alike, and expecting Fallen Order to be exactly like Skyrim would be unrealistic. Instead, games need to cater toward their own needs, and for Fallen Order, the hybrid of an open world and platform setting is perfect.
Jedi: Fallen Order proves much more akin to the Metroid games or even the Batman: Arkham series than Red Dead or Elder Scrolls. This works for the focused story that it is telling and the way that players engage with the game. Much of the fun in open world games comes from the customization and role-playing elements they allows, empowering players to tailor their game and character to exactly the experience they want. Customization and individualization was never the focus of Fallen Order, however, as it sets its sights on telling its own story.
The hybrid form gives Fallen Order the best of both worlds. Players need not feel any undue pressure to head in specific directions in the same order as every other player, and as the player progresses through the story and unlock shortcuts, different planets become increasingly interconnected and explorable. At the same time, Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis learns and grows throughout the story on a defined arc, and it's through him that players can feel truly a part of the world.
However immersive an experience Skyrim offers through its customization, there is always a certain level of engagement with the world missing because there isn't much space made for the player character's unique identity. Everything exists in general enough terms that supporting characters and plot hooks can apply to anyone the player designs, but nobody ever calls the protagonist by their name or treats them according to a uniquely defined relationship. That is not the case with Cal, as his relationships with other characters and the world around him deepen as the game goes on, and the player is pulled into the world through him.
Rather than viewing the game as incomplete or as an unsatisfactory open world experience, it would be more accurate to see Jedi: Fallen Order as a hybrid made stronger by its disparate halves. For players who engage with the game on its own terms, they get the best of both worlds rather than a half-baked version of one or the other. The end result is a Star Wars experience more engaging than the cinema or the small screen can offer, and for decades of fans, that is enough to make for a truly great experience.