Conveying power is one of the more complicated aspects of any story, especially when it comes to the power of the player character. This is especially relevant when it comes to well-known properties. While it is possible to create especially powerful characters in established media, it can turn some of the fans away. This was one of the issues that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed had with its protagonist, Starkiller. This wouldn't normally be an issue, but the recently released Star Wars: Jedi Survivor has shown a better way to illustrate a character's journey through the Force.
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor continues the adventures of Cal Kestis in his fight against the Empire. The game follows a similar design to its predecessor, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, but opened up the worlds that Cal could explore a bit. Meanwhile, The Force Unleashed follows the story of Galen Marek, also known as Starkiller, as he stands against the Empire and his dark impulses. At a very base level, the plots are quite similar, but It's how the characters progress and interact with the world where the differences can be seen.
Cal Faces Impossible Odds While Starkiller Beats Those Odds Twice
From a basic perspective, the Force is too complex a power system to easily quantify. There is never any real description of what a character can and can't do during the beginning of their training and how they will improve. This means that it is possible to have stories where characters have vastly different skills while still using the same power base. However, this can be an issue from a narrative standpoint for several reasons. One of the more difficult factors to take into consideration is the opponents and how they deal with the hero. In Star Wars, this role is easily taken by Darth Vader.
Darth Vader is known as one of the most powerful characters in the series and is often thought to be nearly unbeatable by most Jedi and Sith. He has also made appearances in both game series, and they both handled him in very different ways. In The Force Unleashed, he trained Starkiller but is beaten twice by the main character, and is little more than a final fight. Meanwhile, he is an impossible boss in Fallen Order, representing something for Cal to aim towards. Cal never easily defeats his boss opponents -- he has to grow to reach the point to beat them.
Cal Shows Gradual Improvement in His Feats
One of the difficult aspects of building a game is setting the plot points of the journey. This is often focused on things like the "all is lost" moment and the like. However, it is also a feature when it comes to the power of the player character. In an ideal world, the plot of the game would be linked to how powerful the character is. For instance, Cal had a lot of difficulties dealing with Purge Troopers and Inquisitors in the first game, but by the second, they are barely a roadblock. This shows Cal's growth as a Jedi and lets the audience feel more powerful as the plot moves on.
Starkiller, meanwhile, does not follow this journey. He remains relatively constant in his power and rarely feels challenged. This is by no means a bad choice, but it is not always a narrative option. This choice is more focused on creating a power fantasy and allowing the player to feel like a real Jedi. The issue with this method, however, is that it can make the story feel stagnant and remove any narrative growth. It can also annoy some fans looking for a real challenge.
Overpowered Characters Can Ruin the Plots of Prior Projects
For the brief time that The Force Unleashed series was semi-cannon, it created an issue for fans, how any of this related to the main plot. Starkiller managed to create the Rebellion, defeat Darth Vader twice, and almost fight off the Emperor. When compared to the achievements of many other characters in the Star Wars universe, it creates a problem. While the average player won't care all that much, fans of the series may dislike the events as they occur, and it takes them out of the events occurring in the game.
The two narrative choices relating to power on display here are an interesting cross-section. The truth is that they have little influence on the actual gameplay, but it is clear that Cal is the better solution from a narrative point of view. His growth through the games, the obvious plot points where he improves, and how he is shown to use the Dark Side to become more powerful all add up to a more satisfying narrative journey.