Is Star Wars Jedi: Survivor open world?

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was a fantastic game but as an action-adventure, some fans were disappointed with the game’s lack of open-world exploration. While you did have some freedom to roam the various planets in the game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was, for the most part, a mostly linear experience. Even the parts that did open up offered little incentive for you to deviate from the main path. With just a few days until we return to the galaxy far, far away, you may be wondering if Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is open world. The answer is… sort of?

In their preview of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, IGN described the planet of Koboh as “a vast open world that sprawls out in every direction, with interesting encounters and rewards everywhere you turn.” Although there was a linear guide when you first reach the planet, it does eventually open up and allow you to explore — something IGN likened to stepping “out onto the Great Plateau in Breath of the Wild.”

But if you’re expecting a truly open world like what Breath of the Wild offered, you’ll be a bit disappointed. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will offer a mix of limited open-world exploration and scripted, story-based gameplay.

At its core, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is still very heavily driven by its narrative. Respawn has a story to tell with Cal, and those moments will be primarily linear.

However, players will have the chance to revisit planets and explore in limited fashion. There will be characters to meet, side missions to complete, secrets to discover, and dungeons to explore. Some of the places you visit initially will also be gated off until you progress further in the story or unlock a specific ability or item. In that sense, it becomes more of a Metroidvania-type game, similar to its predecessor. But when you do get to explore a planet, there will be more to do and more meaningful rewards for doing so.

To sum it up, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will offer a more expanded opportunity to explore the various planets you visit, but it won’t be the traditional open-world experience you seen in many games. You’ll still be guided along a path when it comes to the main story and there will still be areas that are locked until you progress to a certain point of the story.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor launches on April 28 for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC.