It’s almost Star Wars Day, and just ahead of May 4, Microsoft has announced a free trial for one of the best games based on George Lucas’ space opera franchise. I’m talking about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the sequel to 2019’s Jedi: Fallen Order, and if you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you can play a full five hours of Respawn Entertainment’s action-adventure Soulslike right now.
Microsoft revealed Jedi: Survivor’s five-hour free trial on the Xbox Wire blog on May 2. Available to all Xbox Game Pass subscribers regardless of the tier you pay for, you can play the 2023 sequel until May 5 at 11:59 p.m. PT / 2:59 a.m. ET. While this means you get to embark on Jedi Knight Cal Kestis’ journey to survive the tyranny of the Galactic Empire all weekend long, you won’t be able to beat the game since it’s only a five-hour demo. EA Play is included with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, though, and Jedi: Survivor is playable through this tacked-on service. So, although it’s unclear if your trial save data will carry over to the full game (Kotaku reached out to Microsoft and EA for clarification), you can still play it in full this way. Either way, you absolutely should check Jedi: Survivor out, particularly if you’re a fan of both Dark Souls-adjacent games and the Star Wars franchise.
A sequel to 2019's superb Jedi: Fallen Order, Jedi: Survivor picks up just five years later. Cal Kestis, a hunk of a Jedi Knight, continues his battle against the Empire as a resistance fighter under the rebellion sentinel Saw Gerrera. Using his various Force powers and customizable lightsabers, you’ll block, dodge, parry, and slash through Stormtroopers, Sith lords, and alien monstrosities as you attempt to put an end to the Empire’s reign. It’s a solid game that builds upon the foundation that Jedi: Fallen Order laid down, with Kotaku’s review explaining Jedi: Survivor’s greatness succinctly:
The characters are more fleshed out and their conflicts are compelling and relatable. The level design is appreciably authored in that way that makes “Metroidvania” a stupid-looking word that means so much. And when it comes to combat, there are so many different ways to brutalize droids and Stormtroopers, the combo video community will feast for years to come. It’s a hearty stew, even if you still have to watch the sodium.
Alongside Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a free trial of Headbangers: Rhythm Royale, a casual multiplayer party game about competing to be the best headbanger. It’s cute, it’s silly, and it’s a great way to spend some time with friends this weekend. If you aren’t dominating the TV with Jedi: Survivor, that is. Which, let’s be honest, you totally should.
Anyway, it is almost May 4, which means we’ll likely see more Star Wars-related freebies and goodies as the weekend gets underway. May the fourth be with you.