The ambition of Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws constantly struggles to deliver in a game that is alternately invigorating and frustrating, a title that feels like it has limitless potential but at the same time feels like it traps you in the same repetitive mechanics. It also suffers from an all-too-common problem of AAA games, which is that it’s unacceptably broken at launch, with game completion errors and general performance issues that will likely be fixed, but probably not quickly enough for the fans who are so excited they pre-ordered it. For the first 3-4 hours of this game, I was furious about everything that was wrong with it, and that first impression could be really damaging to a gaming world full of instant hot comments on social media. I’d recommend anyone interested in Outlaws give it time. It never quite lives up to the high expectations that come with the phrase “open-world Star Wars game,” but there’s more to like here, as the title offers more authorship and more variety in settings after these opening chapters.
Outlaws is a very different Star Wars game in that it doesn’t focus on the story of a Jedi. It’s more Han Solo than Luke Skywalker — think blaster pistols and stealth mechanics rather than lightsabers and the power of the Force. Set in this universe’s increasingly cluttered timeline, Outlaws takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, shifting the narrative from Vader and the Rebels to the various crime syndicates that populate this universe. You play as Kay Vess, a young thief whose only friend in the world is her alien ally Nix, who you use to steal, fight, and distract enemies. For players familiar with the franchise, Nix is to Kay what Clank is to Ratchet.
The game begins on a planet called Toshara, one of those game environments that feels vast but, at least initially, remarkably empty. You drive your speedrunner across miles of empty land, past buildings where you can do nothing, just to get from a conversation in one town to an objective in another. These first few hours are heavily dictated by the crime syndicates on the planet Toshara and their attitude towards Kay. You can sign contracts to earn a better reputation with one, but that might anger another. At the end of quests, you’ll often be faced with choices that directly affect what something like the Hutt Syndicate (like Jabba) thinks of you. As you level up for a syndicate, the part of the planet it controls becomes easier to navigate; as you go down, the opposite is true. If you anger one enough, its members will literally hunt you down.
Outlaws’ Syndicate structure is obviously ambitious, but a little clunky in execution. For one thing, it means you have to be stealthy to complete missions in areas controlled by criminals who don’t like you, and the mechanics are clunky and downright evil when it comes to checkpoints. Even if you sneak around a Syndicate stronghold for many minutes, you’ll be thrown right back to the beginning if you’re discovered. Relentless stealth isn’t exactly what the Star Wars universe is known for, and it dominates far too much of the opening hours of this game.
Fortunately, the makers of Outlaws have even more ideas. Before long, you’re racing through the universe to other planets on your ship, the Trailblazer. While it’s not like Starfield or No Man’s Sky, it’s undeniably cool to be able to take out a fleet of Tie Fighters on the way to Tatooine. There are actually only four planets in Outlaws – Tatooine, Toshara, Akiva and Kijimi – and the initial feeling that this title’s open world is limited changes when it becomes open. universe. Despite the different settings — the desert world of Tatooine compared to the lush greenery of Akiva, for example — there remains the nagging feeling that you’re doing much of the same on each planet, usually attacking enemy bases to loot coveted intel, but the design elements become a compelling aspect of this game. Even the landing town in a place like Akiva feels alive, with stormtroopers running through the alleys and residents going about their lives. It’s moments like these that make Outlaws truly feel like the open-world Lucasfilm experience it promises, one where you can stumble upon something unexpected rather than just be pushed from quest point to quest point across a vast landscape.
The middle section of Star Wars Outlaws becomes a notable tug-of-war between what is good about the game and the elements that hold it back. Regarding the latter, the aforementioned stealth mechanics can be annoying not only because of the long checkpoints, but also because of the inconsistency of the enemy AI. You can walk past one enemy and not notice you, but another will see you from the other side of the map. You spend a crazy spending a lot of time hiding behind inconsistent cover or attempting platforming maneuvers that are, to put it politely, poorly engineered. It was annoying how often I’d open doors and see enemies seemingly waiting for me, only to be checkpointed back several minutes later. The game is fun when it’s open and playful; less so when its stealth mechanics are annoyingly restrictive. The game also has some seriously annoying controller mappings, like R3 for picking up the many items scattered throughout this universe that you use to upgrade your stuff, or the fact that O is good for both dropping and crouching, which leads to some confusion when attempting any of the maneuvers near a ledge.
On the other hand, the more tools Kay has in her belt, the more exciting the combat gets. Your blaster is of course upgraded with different functions, you get grenades, and you can even pick up weapons in the environment. Switching between weapons can be cumbersome, but it’s a real thrill to blast your way through the stormtroopers standing in your way. And using Nix in combat adds a nice dynamic, as your buddy can distract or even attack enemies along with you.
Like a young Jedi uncertain of his fate, Star Wars Outlaws clearly tore me between its light and dark sides. I admit that I found the first few hours boring and annoying in a way that gave me Gollum flashbacks, but it’s a game that rewards patience. It’s starting to hide its weaknesses in its strengths. Maybe there’s hope for this outlaw after all.
The publisher has provided a review copy of this title and it has been tested on PS5. It will be available on August 30thth.
