Star Wars Jedi: Survivor — Meet the Gen’Dai
When the reveal trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor hit, internet speculation was ablaze about one very particular element of it. Specifically, a short bit at around the 44 second mark, in which a very large and imposing alien in a suit of armor looks Cal up and down with a bemused smirk on his face, before ordering his henchman to remind Cal of why the Jedi are supposed to be dead.
Fans were quick to point out that this could be a Gen’dai, a race of intergalactic nomads that are nearly indestructible and live for thousands of years. Those who watched the 2003 Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars series may be familiar with a character named Durge, who is probably the most famous representative of the Gen’dai race currently in Star Wars canon.
Well, let’s put an end to the speculation right now: Yes, that is a Gen’dai; no he is not Durge. His name is Rayvis, and he is just as menacing as you would think. To find out more I talked with Respawn Cinematic Director Dori Arazi and Lead Writer Danny Homan to learn all about the Gen’dai race, who Rayvis is, and why his presence in Jedi: Survivor is such an important element of the story.
Who Are the Gen’dai?
Gen’dai Armor Concept Art
First off, let’s go into a little more detail about who the Gen’dai are. As I mentioned, they are a race of intergalactic nomads that are almost impossible to kill and they live for thousands of years, but the reason why they’re intergalactic nomads is because their peaceful home planet was ravaged and destroyed hundreds of years ago. With no place to call home, the surviving Gen’dai mostly took to bounty hunting, no doubt due to their incredibly tall stature and imposing nature.
Perhaps the most notable thing about them from a biological standpoint is that their bodies are made up entirely of a giant mass of regenerative tentacles. Those impressive suits of armor you see aren’t so much meant to protect the Gen’dai, but rather to keep them from spilling out. Obviously, this has some pretty interesting potential for cool boss battles from a gameplay perspective, but for Arazi and Homan, they’re also a super interesting race to explore narratively – for a bunch of different reasons.
In their own mind and their own world, they’re very chivalrous.
“What makes the Gen’dai so interesting, in my own opinion at least, is that in their own mind and their own world, they’re very chivalrous,” Arazi said. “They have a code they adhere to. It binds them to a certain code of honor for their conduct. It also binds them to their history and what’s left of their people. So Rayvis is not just this ‘gruff grunt #7’ who can take an army down. He’s got a long past. He’s seen a lot of history. He could be a thousand years old. He’s seen empires rise and fall, he’s seen the Jedi rise and fall, he’s seen the rise of the actual Empire itself. So he’s got a lot of tragic history and a lot of depth that we try to explore.”
Homan agreed and added “There’s a perspective to this species that’s so long-lasting. Seeing the Republic turn into the Empire, and you know, when we’re thinking about Cal’s journey and his own experience, any character he meets provides a new perspective on the Jedi and the republic.
And Rayvis has seen it all. And so he knows, as any adversary might, the weaknesses of his enemies and how to exploit them.”
A Warrior Knows a Warrior
Rayvis and the Bedlam Raiders
There are some interesting parallels between Cal and Rayvis that the team at Respawn was excited to explore. For one, they both share the experience of being part of a people who have largely been wiped out. As Arazi puts it, “There’s something really charming about the juxtaposition between how Cal as a Jedi takes his struggle with his history and the history of his people, or let’s say his kind, versus how Rayvis takes his history versus his kind. Cal has struggles and questions, and he tries to find his place while Rayvis comes in very confident with who he is and what he is and why he’s doing what he’s doing. And that conflict is very sparky. It allows both of them to have a lot of reflection on who they are and where they’re at and what they’re doing.”
A warrior knows a warrior, and even though they’re very different in stature, there’s a mutual respect for that strength.
I asked if it’s accurate to say that Cal and Rayvis are foils of each other and was told that while it is true in some ways, in other ways they’re very much not. Speaking of their relationship in the game, Homan adds that “A warrior knows a warrior, and even though they’re very different in stature, there’s a mutual respect for that strength.”
Bringing The Gen’dai to the Forefront
Gen’dai Concept Art
As someone who hadn’t seen the Tartakovsky Clone Wars series, I had little idea of who the Gen’dai were, outside of a Wookieepedia entry. What I did know was that a Google search for “Gen’dai Jedi: Survivor” brought up a bunch of results of YouTube videos and Reddit threads of fans that were very excited about the idea of a Gen’dai being at the forefront of a major Star Wars story.
I asked Arazi and Homan what it was like to be able to shine a spotlight on this race that’s so beloved by those who know about them, but is generally unknown to the more casual Star Wars fan.
Homan told me “I remember when I started working on this team my mom cried to me because she grew up with Star Wars and it was like this franchise that was just so important to her. And she would have never dreamed that I would get to work on a game where we could expand canon and lore.”
They almost have this vampiric sense of time and place.
Homan continued, “Rayvis and the Gen’dai are a perfect example of this, where there’s a lot of really interesting species in Star Wars history, but Gen’dai are so interesting. They almost have this vampiric sense of time and place. And I think for Jedi Survivor, that’s really important, because this game takes place during these dark times. The rebellion is years and years away and people feel lost. And so, other than the empire, to find a character that feels sure of himself and his place in the galaxy is like a really interesting opportunity. And it’s by virtue of his species attributes, being long living and his fortitude, but also kind of his… I think his survival mentality.
You know, it takes a lot to remain true to yourself through the ebb and fall of a civilization, in the rise of an empire, and he’s been able to do that. And I think that’s such a cool opportunity to be able to play with a character whose species are such survivors.”
Arazi added, “From a visual perspective, and a character to character perspective, Gen’dai are just fun because… what do you do to them, right? ‘Oh, I’m a powerful Jedi, I have a lightsaber, I’m going to slash you…’ it does nothing. The dialogue of the violent construct of this galaxy is completely different with this character.”
Gen’dai Concept Art
To close things out, Arazi left me with this regarding Rayvis and the Gen’dai: “We’re all heroes of our own story and Rayvis is the hero of his own story. He doesn’t perceive himself as a bad guy. He’s a chivalrous knight in his world.” Homan added: “Which is something you can respect in a time period where people are so uncertain of the next day, let alone the next year, he kind of walks through it confidently and proud.
And there’s just something really kind of mystical about that.”
Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit
Where Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Might Crossover
By
Lauren Westbrook
Disney+’s The Bad Batch just revealed an ancient superweapon that might tie the Jedi: Fallen Order video game to the cinematic world of Star Wars.
Lucasfilm Animation
So far, Disney+’s Star Wars: The Bad Batch introduced a «defective» clone force, a Kaminoan cover-up operation, and most recently, a massive superweapon of very ambiguous origin. While the show offered no definitive explanation as to what the weapon is or who built it, there are many clues suggesting a strong link to another prominent story within the Star Wars world. However, unlike the previous cinematic crossovers of Din Djarin in The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch likely referenced a nontraditional piece of Star Wars media: the 2019 video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
The connection appears in season two, episode five of The Bad Batch. The episode shows Clone Force 99 following the legend of «Skara Nal» to a desolate, uncharted planet. There, the clones faced a series of booby traps, fought dangerous creatures, and learned the truth behind the legend. Skara Nal’s coveted «Heart of The Mountain» wasn’t just a treasure; it was a power source for a massive super-laser that had been hidden inside a mountain. The «ancient race» that created this weapon is likely the same ancient race shown in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
The Legend of Skara Nal
Lucasfilm Animation
Season two, episode five («Entombed») showed the Bad Batch joining forces with the elusive treasure hunter, Phee Genoa (Wanda Sykes). Phee led the group to an alleged, uncharted treasure trove and found the site brimming with puzzles, traps, and complex mechanisms. When the group eventually reached the center of the treasure trove, they discovered the «Heart of The Mountain,» or the main subject of the legend of Skara Nal.
Phee placed the Heart of The Mountain inside a power port, revealing the mountain to be a massive four-legged vehicle armed with a head-mounted super laser. Everyone — including Phee, the apparent expert on this specific legend — was surprised at the reveal because, by this point in the Star Wars timeline, the truth behind the ancient Skara Nal had been lost to time. When Skara Nal and the people behind it became a rumor for treasure hunters, the details of the site became a long game of telephone; each time the story was told to new people, key information was lost and muddled.
Related: Star Wars: Every Movie That Didn’t Happen (& Why)
Because of the untrustworthy method of word-of-mouth, audiences can really only use what they see on screen to learn about Skara Nal and its people. In this episode, what they can see is a site almost identical to the ones seen in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Who Are the Zeffo In Jedi: Fallen Order?
Respawn Entertainment
The 2019 video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order follows Jedi Cal Kestis as he navigates the post-Order 66 world.
After the brutal murder of his friend Prauf, Cal endeavored to both find fellow surviving Jedi and investigate the recent disruptions in the force. To do so, Cal followed in the footsteps of Eno Cordova, the late Jedi archeologist who had a profound fascination with the Zeffo species.
The Zeffo were an ancient force-sensitive and force-wielding species that predated the Jedi by a substantial — and unclarified — amount of time. The Zeffo followed sages who guided their peoples’ connection to the «life wind» (i.e., the force). These sages were entombed in elaborate structures with unique construction and technology. That, coupled with the distinct archeological footprint of the numerous Zeffo temples, means that the people group can be identified by their architecture. As Cal learns about the history of the Zeffo people in Jedi: Fallen Order, he traverses tombs and temples that bear a striking resemblance to the machine discovered in The Bad Batch. In other words, the «Mystery Machine» is most likely of Zeffo origin.
Skara Nal: Ancient Artifact or Ancient Superweapon?
Disney+
It’s not just a resemblance; the temples in Jedi: Fallen Order and The Bad Batch are similar in three very key ways. First, they are guarded by dangerous, complex, multistep puzzles to advance forward — just like the glowing steps that Phee and Omega discovered or the upside-down path that Hunter encountered. Second, they require a piece of technology to effectively navigate the area. Just like Omega’s circular wayfinder of suspicious origin, Cal Kestis wielded an astrium to navigate the «booby traps» and puzzles that protected the sites that he explored.
Related: Here’s Why Cameron Monaghan’s Cal Kestis Should Appear in Live-Action Star Wars
Third, the weaponry design in both contexts is the same. The «tomb guardians» are activated by an ambiguous purple power source that looks similar in color, texture, and concept to the «Heart of The Mountain.» When tomb guardians are activated, one of their first defense responses is to use a high-powered laser beam against any possible threats.
This similarity also implies that the mountain-turned-machine is possibly a defensive weapon.
Exploring The Star Wars Universe
Lucasfilm Animation
In previous works, Star Wars explored the fantastical elements of the force and its connection to the universe. Despite the prequel films introducing midi-chlorians and more science-fiction-dependent lore, the franchise introduced an equal amount of mythic, fairytale, or otherwise fantasy-inspired storylines. This pattern seems to be the new direction of Star Wars as they explore the lore surrounding the force and the many people connected to it.
The temple-turned-death machine that the Bad Batch discovered could be the introduction of a brand-new species or unknown lore, but it’s unlikely. If this weapon is completely irrelevant to the Zeffo, it would be a step away from the world-building, lore-exploring pattern of recent Star Wars creations. What’s more, it would be one of the biggest coincidences in Star Wars canon.
Everything — the design, resemblance, and coincidental timing ahead of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s release — suggests that this episode was a cinematic introduction for the Zeffo.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order — Tips & Tricks — Beginner’s Guide
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The gameplay of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is pretty straightforward.
Tasks are highlighted on the map, so that players of all ages and skill levels will find it easy enough to navigate. Droid 9 will also be at your disposal0025 BD-1 as a map guide. However, the core gameplay mechanics may not appeal to everyone.
Each task is clearly defined by a position on the map. The levels are spacious and easy to navigate. Some difficulties can arise when the player has to use the Force to advance further (but more on that in a moment), but this makes it possible to become more familiar with the environment. Also, if you are new to games with combat mechanics like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice , then you may encounter some difficulties.
The combat mechanics of the game will require the player to be able to parry, block and properly use attacks in time. As mentioned above, the game draws inspiration from Sekiro’s combat system, but is more accessible in comparison. If you are not familiar with this style of gameplay, then we recommend that you do not immediately set the maximum difficulty, but get to know the game better.
The game absolutely does not punish you for lowering the difficulty level — even trophies and achievements do not require completion on any particular difficulty. So if you feel like you’ve bitten off a little more than you can chew, then you should consider switching to an easier difficulty.
It is also worth noting that the game on easy and on normal difficulty is very different. In the first case, you are waiting for fun races with fast battles and relaxed bosses. In the second — an imitation of Dark Souls and numerous attempts to pass some opponents, which are complicated by technical problems.
Use the Force and other Jedi abilities
One of the main skills in the initial stages is the ability to deflect blaster shots. The block button, held down when a blaster charge approaches, will allow not only to reflect it, but also to send it back to the shooter.
The power, indicated by the bar at the very bottom of the screen, is used to push and pull opponents, as well as to deliver powerful lightsaber strikes that break through blocks.
The Force is used to a large extent in exploring locations to progress through the story and search for hidden collectibles. With it, you can destroy obstacles, attract various objects and thus gain access to previously inaccessible locations.
Leveling Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
The game also offers a leveling tree to improve existing and obtain new abilities. The role-playing system is available at any point for meditation, which in the game are analogous to the fires from Dark Souls. These “bonfires” allow you not only to level up, but also replenish health and supply of stimpacks used for healing.
There are five stages of leveling in the game. Each, at a certain time in the game, unlocks new abilities to obtain. At the very beginning, the main character has a small supply of health and Strength, and also has only a limited set of abilities, but over time you can get more opportunities.
Obtaining a double-edged lightsaber in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
There is one thing you will want to do as quickly as possible, and that is finding a double-edged lightsaber.
It can be obtained in the early stages of the passage. But keep in mind that this method assumes that you will have to face opponents that are quite difficult for an undeveloped hero. So remember that you can always lower the difficulty without any consequences.
As soon as you have the opportunity to choose your next destination, choose Dathomir , not Zeffo. There, follow the map to the location of Brother’s Bastion. The enemies you will meet along the way are quite strong, so if possible just run past.
Next, you will meet a mysterious stranger and after the cutscene, head to the nearest cave (this is the only path open for you so far). There, on a small workbench that looks like an altar, an upgrade for your sword is waiting for you, adding another blade.
A double-edged sword is a useful acquisition. It will come in handy in moments when several weak opponents are facing you at once, since its attacks are faster, although they deal less damage.
In one-on-one fights, this is not the best choice. But the game allows you to switch between sword types at any time, so use them according to the situation.
How to master combat abilities and defeat any enemy in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order?
The combat system of the game can be difficult for some to master, especially if the player is not familiar with the games that served as a source of inspiration for the developers (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice). While the player pretends to be an all-powerful Jedi, in reality, even an ordinary Imperial stormtrooper can end your journey if you’re not careful and play on normal difficulty or higher.
This guide aims to prepare the player for the correct use of all aspects of the combat system, which may well punish inept play. We’ll look at Force skills and lightsaber combat, blockable and unblockable attacks, difficulty levels, enemies, bosses, and more.
If you’re not familiar with the basic concept of the game, then you should know that this is not at all what you might have seen in Star Wars: Battlefront 2 .
You do not have access to various types of weapons and classes; you are the Jedi in hiding, Kal Kestus. All you have is a lightsaber given to you by your teacher and the ability to use the Force.
At the beginning of the game, the main character uses the Force ineptly, but as the story progresses, he will do it much more confidently, gaining new abilities and improving the existing ones.
The easiest way to defeat an enemy and even a boss is to slow him down with the slow power and hit him multiple times. This works great even during moments of unblockable attacks — you can get around the enemy and get a few hits. Then wait for the regeneration of the Force and repeat.
Blockable and Unblockable Attacks in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
No matter what opponent you face. You will soon realize that all attacks are divided into blockable and unblockable.
With blockables, everything is more or less clear. These attacks can be blocked or parried with a lightsaber.
By holding the block button, you will automatically block melee attacks or blaster shots. But each blocked hit reduces your stamina (it is located above the Strength bar in the center of the screen). If the stamina bar reaches zero, Cal will immediately become vulnerable.
With a little practice with timings, you’ll learn how to parry/deflect attacks. If you place a block right before the blow/shot hits your sword, then Cal will successfully parry or parry the enemy’s attack. In this case, stamina will not be wasted, and the opponent’s stamina, on the contrary, will suffer very much. In the case of weak opponents, this will be enough to kill them with one blow. Thus, blockable attacks you can block, parry or simply dodge them.
IMPORTANT : There is an input delay in the game, so sometimes the hero simply does not have time to do the action, so try to press the button in advance. Here it is worth practicing on ordinary opponents.
However, with unblockable attacks, your options are limited.
You can tell that an attack is unblockable by the enemy’s red glow at the start of their attack animation. Such attacks cannot be blocked or parried. To avoid damage, you must either dodge (step to the side or somersault), or run back a sufficient distance, or use force (for example, push the enemy).
Many enemies will combine different types of attacks in one combo, sometimes switching from blockable attacks to unblockable attacks unexpectedly, so you should carefully watch the behavior of the enemy.
Force skills and lightsaber attacks in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
In addition to the basic attack, block, parry and dodge skills, you will also gain access to various Force skills that can be especially useful in combat when condition of correct use. At the beginning of the game, only a slow will be available to you, which seriously reduces the speed of any enemy movements for a short time, enough for one or two sword strikes. But later, other skills will be available to you.
It’s all about leveling up the skill tree, giving you access to various skills unlocked with leveling points. These skills fall into three categories: Strength, Lightsaber, and Survival.
Strength skills will allow you to use the appropriate skills in combat and when exploring locations (for example, push and pull). Survival is responsible for increasing the supply of vitality. But most of the skill tree is devoted to lightsaber skills and the most useful skill category when it comes to combat.
IMPORTANT: Life and Strength can also be upgraded by researching levels. Some items found (three each) can increase your maximum supply of these indicators. There are also special golden chests in the locations, which contain an additional Steam capsule, allowing your droid to carry more first-aid kits.
Enemies and bosses in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
There are 33 types of common enemies and 11 bosses that you can encounter in your journey.
Each opponent behaves differently in combat. If you are not playing on easy difficulty, it is important to study the behavior of each of them in order to understand what strategy to follow. Enemies can be found in various variations and numbers. It is good advice to stick to defensive tactics while you have not yet learned the movements of the enemy.
Bosses can cause more problems than ordinary enemies. You will understand that the boss is in front of you by the large bar of the level of life that appears at the top of the screen as soon as you enter into battle with him. Some bosses you will have to defeat in order to progress through the story, others are optional and will only be encountered by attentive researchers of locations.
Come back when you’re stronger
This depends on the level of the player’s stubbornness, of course, but Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a game that allows you to put off an obstacle for a while to come back later, having become stronger .
How to get stronger in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order?
The main way is to get more experience to unlock new hero skills. But that’s not all. There are many different collectibles in the game, many of which will allow you to become stronger. These include spheres of life and Force, which increase the corresponding resources of the character, as well as additional stimpacks that restore your vitality in battle. The latter are perhaps the most useful types of upgrades that you can find in various hidden locations. At the beginning of the game, only two first-aid kits are available to you, but in the future, their number can be increased to ten.
Selecting the appropriate difficulty level in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
As we wrote earlier, you can change the difficulty level at any time, except for combat. Difficulty levels don’t change the amount of damage you deal to enemies, but they do change the damage you take, as well as how aggressive your opponents are.
Selecting the Story Mode difficulty will make enemies slower and more likely to stand idle, allowing them to kill themselves easily. This will no longer be the case on Grandmaster difficulty. One missed hit or a failed dodge can result in a respawn at the Meditation Point.
Due to problems with hitboxes and control lag, to get the most out of the game, we recommend choosing an easy difficulty level. In this case, the battles will become fast and not annoying — you will not notice technical problems. If set higher, some enemies will make you sweat, but you will notice the curvature of the controls when the character does some actions with too much delay. This can be a decisive moment in battles with some bosses. Changing the difficulty level during the game does not entail any consequences, such as the impossibility of obtaining certain achievements (there are no achievements depending on the difficulty level in the game) or the appearance of unique enemies.
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11/23/2019
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order — tips and tricks for the passage of the game — a guide for beginners -
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Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order walkthrough — A guide to the location of all the boxes and secrets on the planet Zeffo
Fallen Order — Deluxe Edition for PS4 PS5 — price history, screenshots, discounts • Russia
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