Title: Star Wars Outlaws
Type of Game: Open World Action Adventure
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: 27.8 2024
Platforms Available: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 5
Level of Maturity: Teen (T)
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
A New Hope or Another Rehash?
Star Wars Outlaws is a game by Ubisoft. This simple to naive statement carries a certain amount of expectation and skepticism. And my goal is not to convince you that it’s a vastly different title than you imagine. It’s also a massive game in scope and ambition, so expect to spend dozens of hours in it, and the authors will try to overwhelm you with content. Star Wars Outlaws is polarizing from the get-go, and on top of that, you have to reckon that no test will describe this experience from A to Z. That’s like asking someone to tell you everything about the new Assassin without ever having heard of the franchise. So it’s like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. It may be a new title, but it builds on everything you know from other open-world games, not just Ubisoft. And, of course, it adds something extra. And yes, even last year’s Avatar reminded me of the new one. This is not at times because it’s another game from Swedish studio Massive Entertainment, but because it now invites us into the Star Wars universe.
Kay Vess: The Reluctant Outlaw
Star Wars Outlaws is a game of many contradictions and conflicting emotions. It can entertain, pleasantly surprise, and delight. But it can also be frustrating and boring. The personality and character of the protagonist, Kay Vess, are also contradictory. In fact, she accidentally gets caught up in events beyond her control, as Star Wars does. However, she originally “only” dreamed of a better life. Fortunately, she’s not alone on this adventure. By her side is a cute little creature named Nix, who is always willing to help. But if you want to make the most of his abilities, you can’t rely on artificial intelligence and must actively command Nix. Other characters will eventually join the pair, but as you’ve probably guessed correctly by now, I deliberately don’t want to reveal anything about them. Nor about the circumstances that bring them together or how they come across each other. The bottom line is that in this open-world action-adventure game, you’re not just free to travel around one map, but you’ll visit several worlds. You can jump between them at will from a certain point on.
To Infinity and Back Again
Thanks to the Trailblazer ship, gravity doesn’t weigh you down, and you can escape into space to escape your problems. However, there’s usually more trouble waiting for you. You don’t travel completely smoothly between the planet’s surface, orbit, and individual planet systems, but the authors cleverly mask the loading, making the illusion quite convincing. Action awaits you not only on the surface of the planets but also in space, but flying is not the main thing here. While it looks spectacular, it’s not actually much fun; it’s more of a diversion. After all, most of the main story missions take place on the surface, or at least aboard some space stations or ships. Each world is different and differs not only in environment but also in size. Some extensive maps allow you to travel freely and offer only a small populated area. A typical example is, of course, the desert Tatooine. Other worlds are more like natural barriers to specific corridors limiting cities or nature travel.
An Authentic Star Wars Experience
But I certainly had no reason to complain about the variety or size of the maps. On the contrary, rendering the locations here is among the best the game offers. It’s also similar to Avatar, by the way. The developers are doing a great job with the license. They are trying to please fans by allowing them to visit the universe as they know it from the original films. The story is set between Episodes V and VI, and you can rightly guess that plenty of surprises and easter eggs are waiting for you. If it occurs to you that you can visit a familiar place given the circumstances, the writers have thought of that and will allow you to do so. You’re not wrong if you bump into a familiar character here and there, too. Outlaws handles the atmosphere, props, and the whole set well. It feels like an authentic story from an old trilogy. The world here is familiar, dirty, slightly western, and has a deliberately 80s feel and style. It’s evident in the main character, who is reminiscent of Sigourney Weaver and her Ellen Ripley.
Action-packed but Lacking Depth
Unfortunately, the authors didn’t take full advantage of this magical world in terms of story. I was surprised that the plot is one-sided, and the storyline is not very interesting. I probably wouldn’t play Outlaws because of the script alone. When you can make a giant open-world Star Wars game, you would first try to create an incredible story to tell people. There’s a lot of talking, but the dialogue moves you from one quest to the next. And that finally brings us to the gameplay itself. Outlaws do indeed offer you a large variety of side quests and activities, with the authors encouraging you to explore their world yourself actively and not just chase the story. But if you want to, there’s no one and nothing stopping you from playing Outlaws as a more or less linear action-adventure game. You won’t encounter any obstacles, the need to grind, XP, or other things developers often want to slow players down. But even if you follow the main storyline, be prepared for the game to take around 20 hours for casual players. Dozens more can be invested in optional content.
Rinse, Repeat, Regret
Even though you have large maps, many different skills, and lots of equipment at your disposal, often, the action unfolds much the same or according to a few predetermined scenarios. This started to bother me over time. Usually, you can choose to sneak or shoot your way to your objective. Periodically, you have to infiltrate various bases and (ideally) not raise the alarm, similar to many other games, including Assassins, the Avatar above, or Metal Gear Solid V. It’s in the stealth arcades that you almost can’t do without Nix. He can help you distract guards, open doors or vents, sabotage alarms, grab an important item, and rob an enemy; thanks to him, Kay even has something of a sixth sense that reveals the location of enemies or important items in the area. And for that matter, you might as well whip your enemies into the nearest bushes like in Assassin. Once things go wrong, though, the game turns into a frantic cover-up in which you primarily kill with your upgraded blaster. Still, you also occasionally and temporarily use a found weapon and can dish out fisticuffs. Nix can also help you in combat, but it’s with your direct instructions.
A Galaxy Full of Choices
The protagonist can do a lot. In that sense, Outlaws feels like a game from an established franchise, but it simply builds on familiar foundations. In addition to sneaking around and fighting, you can ride a speeder, trade, or upgrade all sorts of things. Occasionally, you’ll even get a choice during dialogue. Usually, though, it comes down to who you side with. Whose tent will you side with, and who will you betray at the exact moment? Because the reputation system is with you throughout the game, it affects who you talk to, who you can trade with, and where you can enter. In addition to the Empire, several rival criminal organizations are in the game. You (ideally) try to balance your relationships with them at all times because pleasing someone sometimes means pissing someone else off. Good relationships then lead to various benefits and rewards. Bad ones, on the other hand, draw another target on your back.
Bugs and Blasters: The Real Battles
Even if you can’t avoid a fight, it’s far from being all about the fight. Kay uses a lot of other equipment. She can hack into enemy systems and disable them; for example, pick electronic locks and use a flashlight, binoculars, or a grappling hook. She often resembles a space Lara Croft because she can jump, climb, hand-climb on ledges, and so on. And you can always collect and upgrade. Your weapon gradually gets different firing modes (each suited to a different enemy), as does spaceship, speeder, etc. You can also unlock upgrades by completing specific challenges. And when you’ve had enough of the chores, you can keep yourself occupied by playing slots or betting on the races. The universe is full of possibilities, as are the Outlaws, but I still felt that some missions got repetitive. And it was hard to escape the stereotype. The gameplay could be better, but it could be more exceptional and exciting. Even though the authors give you quite a bit of freedom when approaching a problem and completing a mission.
A Visually Ambiguous Galaxy
What surprised me a bit in a bad way was the graphics. I don’t particularly care for the way games look. I’m rather undemanding in that sense, and form doesn’t win out over content for me. However, on the PS5, Star Wars Outlaws looks ambiguous. I’ve already talked about style and aesthetics. These are handled excellently. Some of the cinematics look nice as well. But in-game, I found the graphics disappointing in places despite the pretty landscapes. In performance mode, however, I had to accept that the image was quite out of focus by the standards of new games. In the distance, everything “falls apart” and disappears in a strange haze. Some worlds look more flattering than others, and I was blown away by a few maps, specifically the epic-looking space orbits. However, it still has to be said that the graphics, while not ugly, look unpolished, and the game lacks power on the console, so you must sacrifice everything else for 60 fps. Especially since the title, for some reason, primarily offers you black-bar gameplay in an unconventional aspect ratio, which I quickly dismissed. But I’ll point out again that the attractive universe, nicely designed locations, and overall setting still make the world look pretty good most of the time.
The Soundtrack and Stability: A Double-Edged Lightsaber
I have no complaints about the music or dubbing, then. I enjoyed the soundtrack immensely, and I also really liked the acting performances. The sound effects and assorted zounds also perfectly illustrate the familiar mood. Special praise should be given to the game’s rich customization options, whether it’s the difficulty and its various aspects, the interface, or the accessibility elements, and not to forget the excellent photo mode. On the other hand, I have to complain that the game sometimes crashes during missions. Also, as usual with similar games, sometimes the NPCs and AI go a bit wild, and now and then, I wondered about a strangely placed checkpoint. Once, the game even reloaded me after dying right in front of an enemy while sneaking through an enemy base where I was trying not to set off the alarm… that hasn’t happened to me in 12 years of playing video games. Fortunately, though, I handled the situation with ease. Otherwise, considering the game’s scope, the world works decently enough, and I didn’t encounter too many bugs.
Conclusion
Despite any reservations, this was a fun trip, but with some reservations. If you’re expecting a superb event, you’ll be disappointed. You may walk away satisfied if you have a decent open-world action adventure in an enticing universe. While the title could have turned out better, I have a very simple way to praise it and prove to you that it deserves fan attention and a grade of decent above average in a good way.
Where to Buy Star Wars Outlaws?
PlayStation Store (PS5): Priced at 69.99$ as well as special edition priced at 129.99$. You can purchase it from the PlayStation Store.
Xbox Store (Xbox Series X/S): Priced at 69.99$ as well as special edition priced at 129.99$. Check it out on the Xbox Store.
Ubisoft Store (PC): Priced at 69.99$ as well as special edition priced at 129.99$. You can find it on the Ubisoft Store.
Epic Games Store (PC): Priced at 69.99$. Purchase it from the Epic Games Store.
Official Website: Visit the official Star Wars Outlaws page for more information and updates.
Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Star Wars Outlaws Subreddit.
