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From massive creatures to hyperspace,Fallen Order sticks very close to Star Wars convention.

Set a few years after the end of the prequel trilogy but still a decade before the original movie,the game opens with Cal Kestis — a teen who was once studying to become a Jedi Knight — in hiding as the Empire hunts and kills the last of his kind and cements its autocratic rule over the galaxy. But when he's forced to fight,he embarks on an interplanetary journey to finish his training,stop the purge,reinstate the Jedi order and wreck scores of gormless Stormtroopers with his lightsaber.

StylisticallyFallen Order borrows all the familiar elements of the post-Lucas big screen adventures — including a memorable main villain,sweeping score,plenty of pyrotechnics and lashings of nostalgia — but Cal's story feels worthwhile in its own right.

He joins a motley crew of outcasts including an adorable and loyal droid in BD-1,follows a trail left by an enigmatic Jedi master investigating an ancient civilisation,races the Empire to secure the safety of the next generation of gifted beings and,unexpectedly,is forced to confront the ethical questions around raising children to use the force when it can go so enormously wrong.

The theme of defiance in the face of extinction — not just for the Jedi but for other families,orders and races Cal meets along the way — makes for a great side-story in a time and place of the Star Wars continuum relatively unexplored.

The game offers a range of planets to explore — from the open mesas of Bagano to the deathly warrens of Dathomir,and even the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk — and you can fly to and from them as you like. The multi-level locations that open up as you gain various powers,filled with lore-giving secrets to scan,are reminiscent ofMetroid Prime,while the exploratory traversal,set-pieces and cinematic storytelling bring to mind theTomb Raider reboot andUncharted series'.

There's even the wall-running acrobatics ofPrince of Persia:Sands of Time,and system of enemies respawning when you heal yourself at a meditation area and stealing your experience points if they kill you draws clear inspiration from Dark Souls. But while the game doesn't necessarily improve on any of its influences in the various mechanics it borrows,and in fact specific comparisons will generally haveFallen Order coming up short,blending them all into a single experience makes for a unique and very enticing setup. And,of course,this game has lightsabers.

Fallen Order takes players to planets both familiar and new in an original story set between films.

As Cal is already trained,the game wastes no time in letting you loose with a laser sword and some rudimentary force powers. Expected Jedi tropes like deflecting blaster fire or pulling objects towards you with the force are not just well integrated and satisfying,but feel like vital mechanics rather than something obligatory.

Combat is tough and can feel unfair,as being staggered,knocked down,failing to block or even committing to a big attack and missing can put you in danger of a mobbing you can't defend from. This is only aggravated by a wonky combat camera and the fact that you need to earn your most powerful attacks by biding your time and breaking defences.

Cal's toolset expands as the game goes on until he's a fully fledged Jedi Knight.

But as your training unlocks new tools and you become more familiar with the basics of when to attack,when to defend and when some intervention from the force is needed,combat becomes a highlight of the game. Eventually you'll be switching between multiple lightsaber stances,focusing or broadening your reach for maximum effect and controlling whole groups of enemies while you force push others off cliffs to their deaths.

Another highlight is how rich the worlds are in lore,droids,enemies and powerful creatures. Native fauna and various flavours of Stormtrooper all demand different approaches,while unique enemies like massive alien frogs might be unassailable until you get stronger but stay dead permanently once defeated and may yield big rewards.

There's also a sprawling skill tree of force,lightning and survival skills to unlock,new tools for your droid to find that lets you delve deeper into tombs and facilities,and collectible parts that let you customise your lightsaber and clothes among other things.

There are some rough edges here for sure. Being killed in combat can mean facing an extremely long loading screen and then being thrown back a significant distance. On a few occasions tough encounters meant I did this multiple times over,which is very frustrating.

Some of the exploration design can come off feeling a little half baked as well,as you're sometimes asked to make blind jumps or slide down awkward tunnels that leave you disoriented. Returning to planets to mop up overlooked treasure and secrets was one of my favourite parts of the game,but I also found a lot of glitchy nooks and crannies. Falling into pits so often — though it doesn't come with much of an in-game penalty — can really break the illusion of being an all-powerful Jedi.

But despite these few issues,Fallen Order offers both an enthralling look at a shadowy time in the Star Wars continuum and a gameplay design that kept me hooked. From force pushing an astromech through the air and hearing it emit the exact panicked yowling sound it's supposed to make,to tracking down and defeating a giant albino spider that just killed me to restore my experience points (and dignity),it's been a long time since I've had this much fun in a galaxy far,far away.

Star Wars Jedi:Fallen Order is out now for Xbox One (reviewed),PC and PlayStation 4.

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