Ugh, remember when I was just a cozy little planet in Fallen Order? Those were the days! Now, after Jedi: Survivor, I feel like I've been stretched on a galactic rack! They made me BIGGER, shinier, packed me full of nooks and crannies... but oh boy, did they forget the blueprint! I'm Koboh, the poster child for 'be careful what you wish for,' and let me tell you, being this huge without the proper support structure? It’s giving me serious gravitational anxiety! Players zip around my canyons and settlements, but the backtracking? Seriously, who thought that was fun? It feels like they're constantly retracing steps through my dusty corridors just to unlock a door they passed hours ago. Like, come on! My poor, overworked terrain is groaning under the strain of this identity crisis!

Exhausted planet holding map

The Bigger Isn't Always Better Blues

Look, I get it. Everyone wanted more of me! More vistas! More secrets! More space for BD-1 to scamper! And hey, I delivered! But here’s the rub: my designers slapped on this massive expansion while still clinging to that old-school Metroidvania corset from Fallen Order. You know the one – where you need specific Force powers to open specific paths? It worked fine when I was smaller and more linear. Players revisited areas naturally, often pulled back by the story itself. It felt... purposeful. Meaningful!

But now? With my sprawling valleys and hidden caves?

• The 'Where Was That Again?' Dilemma: Players get a new power, like that nifty Force Lift, and suddenly they have to remember every single cracked wall or blocked tunnel they saw ages ago across my vast surface. The story rarely guides them back! It’s like sending them on a galactic scavenger hunt without a map... just vague memories. Talk about awkward!

• The Tedious Trek: Hopping back on the Mantis, flying to a different section of my surface, landing, trekking alllll the way back to that one specific spot... just to lift a rock? It feels less like exciting discovery and more like... chore work. My beautiful vistas become background noise on a commute. Ouch, that hurts my planetary pride!

• Ability Gates: From Intrigue to Irritation: Those shiny barriers? The ones requiring a double jump or a lightsaber upgrade? In Fallen Order, they felt like natural parts of my landscape – challenges to overcome later. In Survivor, scattered across my bloated form, they often feel like arbitrary roadblocks. They interrupt the flow! They scream "Come Back Later!" in the most annoying way possible, breaking the immersion in my otherwise stunning scenery.

Planet Koboh sighing under the weight of scattered ability gates

A Galaxy-Sized Plea for Jedi 3: Balance Me!

Okay, deep planetary breaths. I don't want to shrink! Honestly, I love being big and full of potential! But for the love of the Force, the next game – let's call it Jedi: Redemption (for my sake!) – needs to design my structure alongside my scale. Don't just make me bigger; make me smarter!

Here’s my wishlist (transmitted directly to Respawn HQ, hopefully):

1. Weave the Backtracking into the Story: Don't make players remember dusty corners! Make the story or compelling side quests lead them back!

   • Need that Force Lift upgrade? Have a critical mission objective appear near an old area requiring it. Make the return feel essential, not optional busywork.

   • Introduce characters or factions that operate in those previously locked zones, pulling the player back naturally.

2. Surprise Me (and the Player) on Return: That locked door isn't just a door anymore! When players come back with the right power:

   • New Threats Await! Maybe Raiders moved in. Or local fauna mutated. Or Imperial patrols set up an ambush. Make the journey back and the unlocking part of a fresh challenge. Don't just give me the same empty corridor!

   • Evolving Environments: Did a rockslide change the path? Did a settlement grow? Show that I, Koboh (or whatever new world I am!), am alive and changing.

3. Meaningful Rewards, Not Just Trinkets: Finding a new poncho skin is nice... sometimes. But behind those significant gates?

   • Put major story beats, unique upgrades, or crucial lore about Cal's journey.

   • Tie it to character development or significant power boosts. Make the effort worth the galactic mileage!

Koboh dreaming of integrated story paths and dynamic enemy encounters

The Force Needs Flow, Not Friction!

My core is aching, Respawn! Jedi: Survivor proved you can make a stunning, large-scale Star Wars world. But the magic of the Jedi series – that tight, satisfying Metroidvania loop – got lost in my expanses. The constant backtracking without strong narrative glue or fresh challenges turned exploration from a joy into a... sigh... chore. It unbalanced everything!

For Jedi 3, please, PLEASE:

• Respect the Scale: If you go bigger, design the journey through that scale thoughtfully.

• Elevate the Metroidvania: Don't ditch it! Integrate it seamlessly with the world size and the story. Make ability gates feel like natural progressions, not annoying detours.

• Make Revisiting Revelatory: Turn backtracking from an obligation into an adventure.

Get this right, and the next game won't just be big... it'll feel alive, balanced, and truly epic. Players will want to explore every inch, not dread the walk back. Otherwise... well, let's just say even planets have their limits. You feel me?