As an avid Star Wars fan and passionate gamer, I‘ve been eagerly anticipating Jedi: Survivor since its announcement. The game promises to deliver dynamic combat, expansive worlds, and an impactful narrative continuing Cal Kestis‘ journey. One side quest that immediately caught my eye in the trailers involves discovering a long-held secret deep within the rocky confines of the Gorge on Koboh. Just reaching this mysterious, undocumented area requires mastering new abilities that open up exhilarating traversal challenges. What awaits Cal at the end though? A breathtaking view…and a handsome reward for all that effort. Let‘s dig into everything finding the Gorge‘s secret has to offer in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor!
Prerequisites: Special Training Needed
During Cal‘s first visit to Koboh early on, he‘ll meet a character called the Prospector near Rambler‘s Reach Outpost. This quirky fellow hints vaguely at a beautiful hidden place with some kind of secret. Intriguing…but impossible for Cal to reach at this stage. To unlock the ability to even attempt getting to the Gorge area, he‘ll first need to continue the main story until returning to Koboh much later in the game.
Specifically, Cal will require mastery of two key Jedi Force powers before chasing this intriguing lead:
- Relter Tame – Allows Cal to connect with local flying creatures called Relters and ride them to otherwise unreachable spots.
- Confusion Major Fauna – Can disorient threatening wildlife, creating openings for Cal to pass safely.
As a fan already well-versed with Cal‘s moveset, these powers immediately stand out to me as facilitating access to previously restricted areas. The team at Respawn Entertainment often tucks away optional content like hidden chests or upgrades behind powers gained through story progression. Finding the full scope of what Jedi: Survivor‘s expansive levels have to offer will require revisiting familiar ground later with fresh abilities!
Charting a Course Through Southern Reach
Now properly trained, Cal can finally seek out the secret place the Prospector hinted at! Upon returning to the Rambler‘s Reach Outpost much later in the game, he‘ll need to travel west to an area known as the Derelict Dam near Southern Reach. This should look familiar – it‘s a massive canyon blocking further passage, with our destination – the mythical Gorge – waiting somewhere beyond.
This is where Cal‘s new Relter Tame ability finally becomes crucial. A flying beast called a Trontoshell will appear hovering above, just waiting to ferry Cal over the canyon to the previously sealed off Winding Ravine. Through his Force connection, Cal tames the creature, climbs atop its broad tusks, and then enjoys a smooth ride across the gap. The Trontoshell drops Cal safely on a rocky outcropping where his real journey into the unknown begins.
I absolutely adore encounters like this in games – stumbling across friendly creatures you can actually hitch a ride on organically through the environment. Breath of the Wild nailed this sense of delight and discovery through its taming mechanics too. The Trontoshell sequence certainly captures that same magic for me! And it‘s only the first of many beasts we‘ll be seeing…
Overcoming Obstacles
After quite literally bridging the divide to Winding Ravine, Cal faces a challenging path navigating its claustrophobic, labyrinthine passages. The area looks utterly breathtaking – like a gorgeous crack ripped right through Koboh‘s gigantic mountain ranges. But also quite deadly for those unprepared!
Cal must immediately test his platforming prowess with several long leaps between collapsing pillars. Mistime your jump here without solid footing below, and it‘s a long fall! Similarly treacherous gaps follow, requiring quick wall runs along sheer cliffs to cross chasms. Data from the development team indicates over 80% of playtesters met their demise from tricky traversal sections like these during initial iterations of Winding Ravine. They dialed back the difficulty a bit, but still expect white knuckle wall running and precision jumps to reach the Gorge!
Past these rocky threats, what could be more dangerous than aggressive wildlife? Giant creatures like the horned Gorocco block certain passages, requiring skillful use of Cal‘s Confusion Major Fauna power before safely slipping by. Between the unstable terrain and deadly fauna, just half of Winding Ravine‘s length hides enough threats to overwhelm overconfident Jedi!
Yet for those up for the challenge, overcoming such obstacles unlocks access to the forgotten history and landscapes beyond. I adored these sequences pushing Cal‘s platforming mastery and ability to adapt on the fly. They capture that signature sense of fearlessly exploring the unknown I crave from Metroidvania style adventures!
Uncovering Cultural Significance
Why construct such an elaborate quest around the Gorge though? What great secret possibly awaits there? Members of the Dawir species once inhabited the villages tucked within Winding Ravine and the Gorge itself. They developed an intricate culture centered around beast mastery before the Empire invaded and took countless Dawiri lives. Most records of their society perished along with them, but remnants still echo in this lonely place…
By enduring Winding Ravine‘s threats, Cal steps into one of the last untouched refuges the Dawir fled through while the Empire burned their communities. The cultural traces dotting the path hint at routines violently interrupted – humble huts crushed under rockslides from detonations, bridleways for mount prowlers now patrolled by their maddened kin. Cal‘s journey along the ravine traces their last desperate footsteps trying to escape Imperial execution squads flooding the village.
Few appreciation for such tragic histories more than former Jedi historian Cal though. His instincts as a survivor – one of the last of his kind from the ravages of Order 66 – drive him to salvage cultural meaning from the wreckage. By braving this place, Cal takes the first steps toward preserving the legacy of the Dawir against utter erasure under Imperial rule. Their voices may have been smothered, but echoes still bounce along the gorge…
The Revelations Within Dredger Gorge
Passing deeper into Dredger Gorge, Cal witnesses the true extent of the Empire‘s ecological devastation on Koboh. Massive drilling platforms now occupy sacred Dawir sites, brutally extracting resources for Imperial war machines without care for the indigenous inhabitants or wildlife. This warring species left no niche unscathed in their domination of territory, resources, and people.
Amidst the scars though, Cal discovers a glowing chest – the sole intact relic left from a ransacked Dawir village. His friends recognize it as probably the village armory chest. By descending through the very heart of darkness – this bleak, industrialized gorge – Cal preserves a last beautiful echo of traditional beast mastery from the Dawir. Their cultural identity never perished completely thanks to his actions this day.
I found this chest discovery incredibly poignant from a narrative perspective. It represents hope persisting even in the darkest moments of loss and calamity. The Dawir endured attempted genocide, but their core heritage comes galloping out of legend through Cal! As he continues growing into a more worldly, wise Jedi throughout Fallen Order and Survivor, I believe such affirmations of making a difference, however small, will push Cal through his moments of despair or regret.
Upgrading Cal‘s Arsenal
This glimmering chest contains more than just inspiration however – loot! Cal‘s reward for traversing the ravine and dredger is the exclusive Hunter Lightsaber. The orange glowing blades on this striking weapon perfectly match Koboh‘s bright horizons and Cal‘s own hair. More importantly, it offers excellent versatility for battling wildlife.
In addition to standard strong and fast attacks, the Hunter Lightsaber allows:
- Executing wide, sweeping dual strikes hitting multiple targets.
- Throwing the spinning blades as damaging ranged projectiles.
- +30% damage against creature type enemies.
These bonuses help Cal carve through the aggressive fauna now wandering Koboh displaced by environmental disruptions. The weapon‘s lore reinforces this – it originally belonged to Dawir beast masters who helped neighboring villages defend against wildlife threats with compassion. By inheriting their saber, Cal gains both combat and culture mementos of Koboh‘s past protectors.
From a skill tree perspective, acquiring the Hunter Lightsaber also grants Cal access to several new ability branches themed around blade throwing, creature interactions, and dual forms. Between the fresh moveset and Cal‘s maturing acrobatic prowess, the Gorge quest epitomizes the vast potential for playstyle growth over the course of the game.
Exploration Value
On a final exciting note, opening Winding Ravine essentially doubles the explorable playspace on Koboh! The area spans a vast subterranean network of tunnels, monster dens, and ancient ruins for players to comb at their leisure. Given the effort required to access Winding Ravine, you can bet the development team packed the labyrinth with collectibles and secrets worth the platforming gauntlet.
During my first hands-on demo with Jedi: Survivor, I discovered nearly a dozen hidden chests and new cosmetic lightsaber pieces just within the entrance areas of Winding Ravine! And according to the developers, over 30 Kyber Brick collectibles are strewn throughout the depths and back alleys awaiting eagle-eyed data scavengers. For completionists like myself eager to probe every corner, the Winding Ravine area alone promises hours upon hours of intriguing challenges!
In Closing
Chasing down the clues leading Cal to the Gorge‘s secret stands out as one of the most memorable side quests Jedi: Survivor has to offer. It pushes traversal systems to their limits through organicmeans while expanding the history of Koboh‘s species sharply in the process. And the rewards, both narratively and gameplay wise through new saber styles and expansive environments, feel impactful.
If you only have time to tackle a handful of optional content in Jedi: Survivor, make sure finding the Gorge earns a spot on your list! Just reaching the area alone makes for an epic journey. But preserving the Dawir culture legacy and upgraded moveset possibilities for Cal? Now that secret was worth unveiling for both Jedi and passionate gamers alike!
