I had a lot of expectations ahead of my hands-on time wi𝓰th last week, and boy were they met. A bigger world that’s easier to navigate thanks to mounts and fast-travel? Check. A more in-depth combat system that’s bolstered by new stances and improved Force powers? Absolutely. But being able to give Cal Kestis whatever haircut, jacket, and boots I want and basically have him become my own personal Build-A-Twink? Not on my bingo card.
One of the biggest criticisms that received was that the customisation options for Cal were (let’s call a spade a spade) awful. Here we have one of the most beautiful Jedi in the whole world and the only thing we can have him dress in are a bunch of garish ponchos that make it clear that everyone’s favourite ginger♕ padawan d🔥oesn’t have any fashion sense whatsoever. I can relate, but I come to games to escape damn it.
Things looked bright when Survivor’s key art revealed that Cal had clearly taken fash💖ion lessons from Han Solo with a timeless jacket and jeans combo, and even brighter still when Respawn promised that there’d be a “deep customisation” system that rewarded exploration, making a pointed jab at the ponchos in the process.
After playing four hours of Jedi: Survivor, I was pleasantly surprised at how in-depth Cal’s customisation is. In fact, it might be one of Survivor’s biggest strengths, especially if you fancy Cameron Monaghan as much as I do. Spoilers - you don’t.
The moment I started playing Survivor, I jumped straight into a menu to look at the options a🧸vailable. I was expecting to be able to swap between a couple of pre-set outfits, but I wasn’t expecting to be able to mix and match hairstyles, different types of beards, jackets, shirts, and trousers, with what looked like at least a dozen options for each.
I only had a handful of options when I started playing (including the option to make Cal clean-shaven and baby-faced once more) but as I explored K♏oboh’s nooks and crannies, I was finding new cosmetics prettꦅy consistently. Better yet, they all felt worth exploring for, which is exactly what the problem was with ponchos in Fallen Order.
Although most of the cosmetics I found came from exploring the environment and solving platforming puzzles, there’s a shop on Koboh🐼 that lets you trade in currencies for different hairstyles and clothes. This is where I found an option that lets Cal wear a black headband that makes him look like a ginger Solid Snake and I’ve never been so in love.
By the end of my play session, my Cal had a glorious mint blue jacket, a dark black shirt that made his ginger mullet shine brighter, and a glorious thick beard that reminded me of hermit Obi-Wan Kenobi𒊎. I’d only had a few hours with the game and a handful of the apparent plethora of options, but it felt like the original customisation system had been laughed out of the door the moment I could do more than change one item of clothing. Sorry ꦉponchos, but you suck.
It feels like Respawn heard ev🍃eryone’s criticisms about the first game and is now gleefully holding its middle finger up to the past while giving you everything you asked for and more. I don’t think anyone expected to have their own unique version of Cal Kestis but my glimpses into the systems at play make it seem like th꧒at’s what we’re getting.
The wealth of customisation options doesnꦆ’t just apply to Cal, either. Not only is BD-1 ready to be a fashion icon at any minute, but the options for Cal’s lightsaber seem practically endless. I only got a handful of parts in my time with the game, but it seems like it’s going to be even more in-depth than Fallen Order, including the ability to decide how much wear and tear your hilt has, in 🌳case you’re going for the rugged look.
You can also choose your lightsaber colour after just an hour of playtime, which is sꦿomething that players have specifically been asking for since ꦯSurvivor was first announced. All of these options not only make it♐ clear that Respawn has been listening to some of the main criticisms that players had with Fallen Order, but that Survivor is going to be a much more personal adventure. As long as it keeps letting me make Cal Kestis the twink of my dreams, I’m all for it.