FromSoftware didn’t just invent a genre—it set a benchmark that keeps reshaping action RPGs years later. The Soulslike blueprint has spread far beyond Lordran, and one of the most unexpected adopters is Respawn Entertainment with the Star Wars Jedi series. Since Fallen Order dropped in 2019, players have sliced through stormtroopers and purged troopers with a stamina meter, bonfire-like meditation points, and tough-but-fair combat that screams FromSoft. But it was 2022’s Elden Ring that really moved the goalposts, and the 2023 sequel Jedi: Survivor already borrowed one of its best tricks. Now, as whispers of a third game grow louder in 2026, there’s a compelling case for why Respawn should double down on Elden Ring’s design philosophy—especially when it comes to exploration, mounts, and world interaction.

The most obvious lift from Elden Ring is the mount. Anyone who has galloped across Limgrave on Torrent remembers the sheer freedom of that first ride—a sudden shift from the studio’s usual footslogging. In Jedi: Survivor, Cal Kestis gets his own ride, a Nekko, a few hours into the story. Before that, players can only watch NPCs herd these charming, beaked creatures, teasing what’s to come. Once unlocked, the Nekko becomes a game-changer: sprinting through the sun-scorched plains of Koboh, leaping up cliffs that were once off-limits, and adding a verticality that turns pure traversal into a joyful puzzle. It’s a Soulslike mount done right, but somehow it still feels a little... safe.

In Elden Ring, Torrent wasn’t just a speed boost—he was a key to discovery. Without a trail of objective markers, players let curiosity steer them into hidden catacombs, toward mysterious ruins, or into a fight with a roaming dragon that squashed them in one hit. That lack of hand-holding defines FromSoft’s open world. Jedi: Survivor, by contrast, clings to a more traditional Metroidvania template. The HUD lights up with waypoints, climbable walls glow yellow, and the map spells out exactly where the next upgrade gate is. It works, but it sometimes trades wonder for convenience. What if a third Jedi game relaxed that structure? Imagine a Star Wars planet where clues about a hidden tomb come not from an icon, but from a weathered NPC’s cryptic muttering, or a subtle rock formation only visible at dusk. The result could be a galaxy that feels less like a series of video game levels and more like a living, breathing frontier.

Speaking of NPCs, there’s another page worth stealing from the Lands Between. In Elden Ring, characters like Blaidd, Ranni, or even the humble merchant playing a mournful tune feel stitched into the fabric of the world. Their quests twist and overlap, often unfolding without a journal to track them, and their fates can haunt you long after the credits. In Jedi: Survivor, the crew aboard the Mantis is likeable, but many side characters feel more like quest dispensers than people with real stakes. A sequel could take notes from the nomadic vibe of Elden Ring—imagine stumbling upon a rogue Jedi in self-imposed exile, whose story doesn’t end once you’ve found his lost holocron, but continues to branch depending on choices made hours later. That kind of organic storytelling doesn’t need a hundred quest markers; it just needs the confidence to let players get lost.

Combat evolution also deserves mention. Elden Ring gave us not just flashy Ashes of War, but guard counters, jump attacks, and a horseback combat system that felt like a whole new dance. Jedi: Survivor already expanded its stance system, letting Cal switch between dual blades, crossguard, and blaster stances mid-fight—a fluidity that echoes the best Souls experiments. But there’s still room to grow. What if a third entry fully embraced mounted duels against towering AT-AT knockoffs, or introduced free-form abilities that could be combination-crafted like Elden Ring’s incantations? The freedom to shape a distinct lightsaber flow would turn Cal’s journey into a truly personal showdown.

None of this is to say Jedi: Survivor failed—it didn’t. It’s one of the finest action-adventures of the decade. But FromSoftware’s masterpiece set a new expectation for what a “Soulslike open world” can be. Respawn clearly understands the appeal: the meditation spots, the punishing bosses, the exhilarating moment when a shortcut loop clicks. Now, with 2026 technology and three years to dream, a third game could transcend the Metroidvania blueprint and inject the kind of unpredictable, player-driven discovery that made Elden Ring an obsession. Fans are already debating whether Cal will face Darth Vader again or forge a new path beyond the Empire’s shadow. However the story shakes out, the biggest win would be a galaxy that invites us to get hopelessly, joyfully lost—no icon required. 🚀