The Soulsborne franchise is one that is as punishing as it is rewarding. Featuring games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it's a franchise that has been around for at least a decade. However, while plenty of gamers enjoy these titles and the genre they inspired, these games require lots of skill, and they can be difficult for new players to adapt to. Due to this, many choose to avoid them, missing out on the opportunity to enjoy these amazing games -- but hope is not lost.
When EA released Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, no one really knew what to expect. As far as anyone was concerned, it was the first lightsaber-centric video game in years. It became quickly apparent upon release that this game featured a similarly punishing gameplay style. However, its success showed gamers that this was the best gateway to Soulsborne-style games.
FromSoftware is no stranger to games that test its players' mettle, and that's clear from the difficulty of its game's enemies. The enemies in Dark Souls-style games handle swords, spears and various other weapons. They are difficult to battle, having a rhythm and damage output that is surprisingly hard to overcome. In contrast, Fallen Order features a surplus of firearms and close-range enemies that make it more obvious that players need to think strategically. Fallen Order's foes' blatant difficulty makes it second nature for players to strategize against each enemy, much like they would in Dark Souls.
There is a desire from Soulsborne players to forge their own path and explore the world before them. These games are typically sprawling sandboxes where backtracking is just as encouraged as progressing. Fallen Order implements half of that idea by doing away with the sandbox-style and focusing more on forward progress and backtracking later on. The game features eight worlds and eight opportunities to discover and grow in skill. This has proven beneficial, as it allows players to improve upon the basic exploration and combat skills needed to tackle a FromSoftware title.
The final piece of the puzzle comes in the customization section of most Soulsborne titles. These games are RPGs by definition, which means that there is a lot of gear and item customization and allocation. Ironically, Fallen Order teaches the best practices by not even implementing this mechanic. Players can customize their lightsaber and paint jobs, but aside from Cal's poncho, there are no options when it comes to gear.
In Fallen Order, the gear system is replaced with a leveling and upgrade system. This allows the player to gather skill points to further their abilities at their own pace. By doing so, the practice of only using what is needed or what is best mirrors the same decisions that need to be made in Soulsborne games. Health allocation is the best example of this. While Cal Kestis doesn't use an Estus flash to heal, he does use a limited supply of stim packs provided by his droid, BD-1.
Much like archstones in Demon's Souls, there are meditation points in Fallen Order that act as save, upgrade and healing locations. Plus, whenever the player dies, they have to reclaim all of their health and progress from the foe that killed them, just like Dark Souls. The similarities are easier to see as the layers are peeled back.
Fallen Order may not be as difficult as a Soulsborne, but it does teach valuable strategies to any gamer looking to take a step into the genre. Demon's Souls has an already beloved PlayStation 5 remaster, and Fallen Order has received a next-gen patch. With both hitting the PS5 so close together, any new players nervous about trying the former would do well to check out Fallen Order, a game that teaches the skills needed to succeed in a Soulsborne-style game.