Looking to celebrate May the 4th by playing a modern video game in the Star Wars universe? Here are four reasons gamers should choose Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the third-person action-adventure developed by Respawn Entertainment. It is worth experiencing for any Star Wars fan or those looking for a good test of gaming skills.

1. Challenging Combat

Cal is a lonely Jedi out to strike back at the Empire who crushed the Order. A major part of that is a satisfying lightsaber and Jedi powers to waves of Storm Troopers and so much more. Slicing and dicing alone will not work in the challenging Souls-like dynamic combat that includes timed parrying and no health regeneration during combat. Unlike Dark Souls and Elden Ring, Jedi: Fallen Order has a selectable difficulty that allows even casual gamers to enjoy the action.

2. Star Wars Graphics

The game has everything you would want in a Star Wars title to feel the force on the 4th: At-St, At-At, Droids, and many varieties of Imperials. Every character and setting looks stunning, with highly detailed textures that show off locations from eight planets in the Star Wars universe. The foggy swamplands mixed with tall twisting and distinctive trees show off the wild beauty of Kashyyyk, the home planet of the Wookies and one of the places Cal can travel to on the 4th.

3. Deflecting Blaster Fire

The combat throughout Jedi: Fallen Order is so good, but the blaster deflection deserves its own section. The Storm Troopers ignore the stereotypes and will fire on Cal with deadly accuracy; however, a well-timed parry will deflect the blast back at them with ruthless efficiency. Standing around and returning every shot to sender never felt more justified given the dark story following the Empire’s ruthless Order 66 to end all Jedi. Cal can make them pay with every blaster shot they send, and the brilliant lightsaber effects make it hard to stop the fun.

4. The Camera Mode

Showing off amazing gameplay action is easy since Respawn Entertainment included an impressive camera mode in Jedi: Fallen Order. Virtual photographers will appreciate the game’s depth of control, including the distance the camera can move from Cal. Photo modes from other games are far more limiting. For instance, The Last of Us Part II’s photo mode restrictively tethers to either Ellie or Abby, while Cyberpunk 2077 has one camera mode with the same movement issues and another first-person mode that does not allow movement. So not only does Jedi: Fallen Order have brilliant graphics that ooze Star Wars, but it also has the perfect way to show them off.

Honorable mentions: Open World Exploration and Double-sided Lightsaber

The open-world exploration of Jedi: Fallen Order makes it an immersive experience and a challenging game. Finding hidden pathways often revealed more superb angles to take pictures of the worlds in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The second honorable mention is found after investing several hours of playtime into the game: the double-sided lightsaber. The weapon looks wicked in Cal’s hand and increases the attacks available during combat.

Bonus Mention for the Space combat:

The only real part of the Star Wars saga missing from Jedi: Fallen Order is intense space combat. For those looking for epic battles in space with a wide range of starfighters, turn to Star Wars: Squadrons. Each vehicle handles differently from TIE Fighter to X-Wing and can be used in multiplayer or story modes. Gamers can also experience the Star Wars world in VR with this game, making it one of the most immersive experiences to play on May 4th.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Google Stadia

• Developer: Respawn Entertainment

• Publisher: Electronic Arts

• Release Date: 11/10/2019

Star Wars: Squadrons

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

• Developer: Motive Studio

• Publisher: Electronic Arts

• Release Date: 10/1/2020