There’s been a lot of talk about Star Wars Outlaws in the lead-up to its release and not all of it has been positive. While some of this criticism has been justified, other parts have not. Star Wars Outlaws isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but fans can relax knowing that yes, this game is good.
Star Wars Outlaws succeeds in its two main objectives: being both a Star Wars and an open-world game. The story sits perfectly within the Star Wars canon without overstepping its bounds and the gameplay compliments Kay Vess’ journey onscreen.
If you’re going into this hoping for another all-action Star Wars adventure then you might leave disappointed, but what Ubisoft has provided is a thoughtful, challenging, and most of all interesting addition to the Star Wars game library.
Sneak First, Shoot Later
First and foremost, Star Wars Outlaws isn’t a game that encourages firefights. It is a stealth adventure that is best played when that principle is maintained. Players will encounter several unique puzzles and platforming challenges to conquer on their way to completing the game, and they tend to get more difficult as things progress. Of these puzzles, my favorite was the lockpicking mechanic, which will have you complete a small rhythm-based test to open the lock.
At first, some of these puzzles might have you scratching your head, but after doing them for a while you’ll be cutting through them in no time. For most missions, there is the nuclear option where you can go guns blazing to progress, but this is always going to be the most difficult way forward. Think Hitman, except this time you have a companion named Nix to help you out. Nix is a small creature that helps Kay solve problems. You can command Nix to do several things like open doors, turn off switches, or even distract enemies, and having these options adds more variety and potential solutions to remain hidden while reaching your objective.
If you choose to go guns blazing the difficulty increases significantly as Kay takes a lot of damage from shots, and later in the game your blaster is less effective on enemies. With its basic gunplay, the intricate sneaking system makes engaging enemies something to look forward to instead of dread.
The Underbelly of Star Wars
Chronologically, Star Wars Outlaws is set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi but it doesn’t force its way into Star Wars canon as other projects within the franchise have done recently. Aside from a few small cameo appearances, and the distinct setting, this game takes place in a section of the universe that has no lasting impacts on the beloved original trilogy, and that’s exactly what fans should want from a Star Wars project.
Kay and ND-5 are extremely likable characters and the villains in this story are also well thought out, but ultimately the narrative is predictable and doesn’t feel all that unique. Kay is a character that has become an outlaw out of necessity, and growing up in this life has made her exceptional at it. She embodies the outlaw lifestyle perfectly being loyal to her crew and nobody else. On the other side, ND-5 is a droid that starts off as an emotionless bodyguard but blossoms into his own as the adventure progresses.
The dynamic between these two characters really carries the story, but unfortunately, there’s not much to it. You’ll start off as an outlaw, get a job, form a crew, stumble over challenges, and then before you know it it’s all over. The saving grace here is that despite the story being reasonably short, there are a lot more quests and lore to be discovered once you begin exploring the open world.
There is a reputation system in Star Wars Outlaws that rewards you for helping out one faction, but it can at the same time hinder your relationship with another. Balancing your standing with these factions is key to getting access to vendors, missions, and other items as you progress through the game. In doing these missions you’ll get a glimpse into stories outside of the core narrative and gain deeper insight into key figures like Jabba The Hutt and the other Syndicate leaders. These are some of the most interesting that the game has to offer. As far as the quests themselves go, expect more of the same challenges you encountered in the main story, just with a fresh setting and new motivation to get it done.
Exploration is also a key feature in several of the planets in this game, and with how enjoyable riding the Speeder is, it’s something that you’ll want to do. New locations, challenges, and treasures can be found by scouring each planet, and alongside side quests, this should almost double your playtime in the game and will open up access to new upgrades, and materials that aren’t available without venturing off of the path.
You might walk into a random Catina and overhear a conversation that leads you down a whole new quest line, and that’s why it pays to take a stroll and see everything that each location has to offer.
No Performance Problems Here
From a technical perspective, this game looks great. It can stand against any other game on the PS5 right now, and in our opinion, that’s the best way to play simply due to the DualSense controller. You’ll feel the thrusters as you accelerate on your Speeder, use the vibration to improve timing when lockpicking, and just generally feel more immersed in the gameplay of Star Wars Outlaws.
While we can’t speak to other devices, from our review patch of the game, there were no major issues we encountered and besides a few hiccups with NPCs temporarily blocking the player in corners, it was a smooth bug-free experience.
Star Wars Outlaws Passes the Open World Test
Star Wars Outlaws is an enjoyable stealth RPG game that pays respect to its source material without encroaching on it. If you’ve been holding out for the opportunity to explore your favorite planets including Tattooine then this is the best way to do so.
Despite its story shortfalls and basic gunplay, there’s a lot to like about Star Wars Outlaws and if you’re someone who has been on the edge about buying it then we would definitely recommend giving it a chance.
Verdict: Recommended
Star Wars Outlaws will be released on Aug. 30, 2024, and will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.
A PS5 review copy of Star Wars Outlaws was provided to Escapist Magazine by Ubisoft.
Published: Aug 26, 2024 08:00 am