A good action game lives and dies by the strength of its combat, it’s true, but combat mechanics are only part of the equation. Just as important are the enemies that put those combat mechanics to the test. For this reason, one of the things that aroused the most curiosity in me during my visit to Respawn was the design of the enemies in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Fortunately, I had design director Jason de Heras and production director Kasumi Shishido to guide me through a handful of new enemy types. who are determined to stand in the way of Cal Kestis.
Droides
From the beginning, the Respawn team knew that wanted to incorporate more droids into the game as far as enemies are concerned. And the truth is, there are tons of droids to fight in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, from the weak B1 “Roger, Roger” battle droids to the formidable Droideka (aka the wheelie droids from the prequels). According to Shishido, the droids give the team much more freedom in terms of what they can do and the types of weapons they can use. Let’s take a look at a handful of these droids individually and talk about what went into their design.
Droides B1
B1 droids are the archetypal “forager” enemy from the planet Koboh. They are weak to the max, falling to a single saber strike or reflected blaster shot, but are often found in large packs and can still be a dangerous threat thanks to their range and tendency to hit Cal while he’s out of range. screen. But above all, his jokes are hilarious. Respawn has improved a lot in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor when it comes to enemy conversations, so while it can be tempting to finish them off with a single Force push, use a little restraint for a few moments to let the enemy dialogue unfolds and you will be rewarded with a good laugh.
Droides B2
B2 droids are the toughest of the family. They take quite a few hits to take down and can pack a powerful melee punch, while also armed with a blaster and missile launcher to deal damage from afar. They’re far from easy, but once you learn to parry their melee attacks, reflect their blaster shots, and always be on the lookout to force their missiles, they become much less of a threat.
Droides BX
BX droids are among the most agile and they’re sure to put your melee skills to the test, regularly parrying your attacks and executing multi-hit spin techniques, as well as leaping across the battlefield and being an elusive target. These droids have been canonically shown using swords and taking on Jedis, which the team says makes them a perfect mid-tier foe who can take on Cal without feeling too fragile.
Droidek
You may know them more colloquially as “destroyer droids” or “those rolling droids from the prequels,” but they’re actually called Droidekas. I didn’t get a chance to face them in my playtime, but from what design director Jason de Heras told me, fans should expect them to behave as expected from movies and series. “They have the bubble shield. That’s classic IP, so we have to use it. We have to find a way to include it in the design. So they have the bubble shield, they roll and incorporate it into melee, so that you can’t stun him forever,” he explains.
IG-100 Magna Guard
The IG-100 Magna Guards are very formidable enemies that anyone who is a huge fan of the Clone Wars series should immediately recognize. They are the elite bodyguards of General Grievous and as such are highly skilled melee warriors who can put up a fight against a Jedi. De Heras describes Magna Guards as a “higher elite” type of enemy that can be offensive, defensive, counter you, and attack at odd rates to try and throw off your own counters.
Shield Soldier
The Shield Trooper was born out of a simple need: the team wanted a Scout Trooper that would survive a little longer. But as with almost all enemies in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, there are several ways to take them down. You could slice through his shield with your lightsaber and knock him down, but that would leave you vulnerable to the other enemies around you. You could try to maneuver around them and slash their back, but they are usually pretty good at tracking you and you would have to find some way to distract them. However, the ideal way to deal with them is to hold down the pull force to push their shield aside, then throw it back like Captain America. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is full of moments like this, where you can use your Force abilities in ways that make sense to gain the upper hand in combat, without being explicitly told to do so.
Sentry Droid DT
The impetus for the DT sentinel droid was that the team needed a great enemy very brute. So Respawn turned to Star Wars Rebels and found this guy. One of the most attractive things about the DT sentinel droid as an enemy was that he could have different loadouts, so there are three variations of this enemy that you will fight. One might have a staff and a missile, another a hammer, and another a blaster. Shishido said that fans of Rebels and The Bad Batch should understand how menacing these droids are, and that the first moment you meet them will be a real “oh shit.” De Heras also added that it is one of the few droids that you can cut off one of its limbs and it will still pounce on you, since its combat ability is affected by the loss of a limb.
KX security droid
The KX security droid appeared in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order as that droid that likes to grab you and choke you. This particular variant, however, won’t choke you, as it now comes equipped with a stun baton., the weapon of the scout troopers. The story behind this is that these droids were used as scout trooper trainers, and thus are basically three times as dangerous as a scout trooper. De Heras said that they wanted Survivor’s KX droid to be a Fighting-type enemy that could block and counter, and that they had thought of making it a hybrid-style enemy that could also grapple you, but mixing archetypes of those types often muddies that design.
This is nothing more than a small sample of the enemies players can expect to encounter throughout their journey in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. On the different planets you will find all kinds of hostile fauna, as well as imperialists and other human factions. This, too, is just a small part of our ongoing coverage of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and in case you missed it, here’s some exclusive gameplay on the new planet Koboh.
