Fallen Order was inspired heavily by Batman: Arkham Asylum with regards to the combat system and the “Metroidvania” style of exploration and progression.
The player controls Cal from the third-person perspective. Cal fights with his lightsaber and does not use firearms, though there are a handful of missions where he can pilot combat vehicles. White-clad stormtroopers come in three varieties: some are armed with blasters, whose shots Cal can easily deflect provided he is not distracted; scout troopers are armed with electrified batons, and fighting these requires carefully timed parries and strikes; some are armed with rocket launchers, which Cal can toss back using the Force. Purge Troopers fight much like stormtroopers but are not as easily outwitted by Cal’s supernatural tricks. There is a fair number of animal adversaries, who are large and very tough. Cal will on a few occasions fight Inquisitors, who like him fight with lightsabers and Force abilities.[citation needed]
Cal acquires abilities at points in the story, and each new ability will allow him to access previously inaccessible areas he passed by earlier. Once these abilities are unlocked, Cal can improve them in minor ways with skill points, which he earns by killing foes and completing objectives.[citation needed]
The game can only be saved at checkpoints, which in this game appear as “meditation circles”. At these meditation circles, Cal can “rest”, which replenishes his health, Force energy, and healing item pool, but causes all slain enemies to respawn