Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order combat can be dicey. Parry windows are small, and using Force powers is a must. As expected, some enemies are tougher than others, though many can be beaten using similar techniques.
If you’re still wrestling with the combat systems in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the tips guide below will teach you how the systems work, and how to use them to gain an advantage over Imperials and Inquisitors alike.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Combat Tips
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order takes its combat cues from Dark Souls, which is largely about difficult and rewarding encounters in a world actively trying to kill you.
When you die at the hands of a Stormtrooper, Purge Trooper, or pesky Bog Rat, you respawn at the last Meditation Point and simply try again.
That said, there are some basic combat techniques you need to know, such as knowing when to use BD-1 in combat and which enemies you can and can’t parry.
Difficulty Modes in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
The most important decision you make at the beginning of a new game of Fallen Order is which difficulty mode you want to go with.
The difficulty modes vary by the “parry window” (explained below), the amount of damage you take from enemies, and how hard enemies will pursue you.
- Story Mode (Easy)
- Very High (very long) parry timing window
- Very Low incoming damage
- Very Low enemy aggression
- Jedi Knight Mode (Medium)
- High (long) parry timing window
- Low incoming damage
- Low enemy aggression
- Jedi Master Mode (Hard)
- Medium (average) parry timing window
- Average incoming damage
- Average enemy aggression
- Jedi Grand Master Mode (Very Hard)
- Very Low (very short) parry timing window
- Very High incoming damage
- Very High enemy aggression
Regardless of which mode you choose to play in, combat controls and moves stay the same.
The most noticeable difference will be in your parry window, which is the amount of time that you have between an opponent telegraphing an attack and the moment you press the block button to parry it.
Parry
Hitting the block button before an opponent lands a strike will cause you to interrupt the strike and stagger the opponent, creating an opening for you to counter-attack.
A successful parry does not drain your block meter, and it allows you to get a shot into one of their weak points. Red-outlined enemy attacks can’t be parried and must be dodged.
Parry is mapped to:
- L1 (PS4)
- LB (Xbox)
- RMB (PC)
Block
Hold the block button to block incoming attacks and projectiles. Tap block at just before an attack lands to parry and counter-attack or fling projectiles back at the sender.
When holding the block button to multiple block projectiles, you’ll shoot them in all different directions with your lightsaber. This is great for heavy assault troopers.
Block is mapped to:
- L1 (PS4)
- LB (Xbox)
- RMB (PC)
Evade
Evading is important to remain mobile on the battlefield.
Double tap the evade button for long dodge, which is basically a dodge roll. When you’re knocked down, repeatedly tap the dodge button to quickly recover.
One special move you should take early on is Evasive Kick (dodge + basic attack for a kick attack). This opens up your dodging options.
Dodge is mapped to:
- Circle (PS4)
- B (Xbox)
- Z (PC)
Lock on to Enemies
Hold “R3” and look around with the right analog stick to target-lock enemies. This allows you to evade around them more easily and hit them from the flank. Be sure to use it to quickly switch between multiple enemies that may try to crowd you.
Basic Attack
The basic attack button does well for most encounters and is your go-to for quick, vicious strikes.
If you’re landing on an enemy from above, you can hit the basic attack button in a telegraphed window of time to get a drop on them. For smaller enemies, this equates to an insta-kill.
Later, you can unlock Sprint Strike (sprint + basic attack), which performs a “special lightsaber attack.”
Basic attack is mapped to:
- Square (PS4)
- X (Xbox)
- LMB (PC)
Heavy Attack
Like in Dark Souls, you have a heavy attack in Fallen Order. While the Overhead Slash does large amounts of damage, it takes longer to wind up than the basic attack.
This can leave you open to damage. Later, you get upgrades to this that make it more efficient to use.
For example, you can eventually unlock the Leaping Slash, which is two Overhead Slashes in quick succession. It’s a devastating move if used correctly.
Overhead Slash is mapped to:
- Triangle (PS4)
- Y (Xbox)
- F (PC)
Use Force Abilities
Tap “R1” to use your Force Slow ability, or “R2” to use Force Push (once unlocked). You can upgrade both with skills like Burst Slow, which allows you to freeze a group of opponents, or Mass Push, which can knock a group of them backward.
These are good for evading enemy attacks without blocking or throwing enemies off cliffs, for example.
Use BD-1
Hit “Up” on the directional pad, or “Q” on the keyboard, to make your droid companion BD-1 heal you with a stim. Midway through Fallen Order, you can use BD-1 to hack droid opponents and convert them to your side.
Other Combat Tips to Know
- Use a Meditation Point to heal yourself when you run out of healing stims.
- Enemies respawn when you rest at a meditation point.
- When you die, you lose all XP since your last skill point, but you can re-earn all of it (and a full heal) back by attacking the enemy who killed you.
If you feel like you’ve mastered the way of the Jedi, you can use skill points to unlock special attacks and perks for Cal Kestis on your journey through Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Certain attacks will mix traversal and combat abilities together in combos, such as the Evasive Kick and Leaping Strike (mentioned above).
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Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order combat can be tough for the uninitiated or those more comfortable with mechanics found in games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Now you should know how to fight more easily.
Stay tuned to GameSkinny for our upcoming review of the newest single-player Star Wars experience on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
And be sure to check out our other Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order guides while you’re here.
Published: Nov 21, 2019 10:16 am