Star Wars Outlaws finally lets players go wherever they want in a ‘galaxy far, far away’. The game is quite unique in that respect, although Outlaws by no means reinvents the open world genre and does not really excel in any of its gameplay aspects. It is above all an endlessly atmospheric addition to the Star Wars universe, and a surprisingly fresh Ubisoft game.
In the first true Star Wars open world game, we see familiar and new galaxies through the eyes of Kay Vess – played by Humberly González – and her companion Nix. Both the player and the character themselves are taken into a lesser-known side of this famous universe, which now lies at their feet.
A long time ago…
Kay and Nix are no strangers to the underworld. For years, the pair have survived on the seedy side of their home planet, but now they’re thrust into a gigantic new universe. The story of Star Wars Outlaws begins with a botched heist that sends Kay on the run with a so-called “Death Mark” on her head—and a bounty hunter hot on her heels. Kay is left with only one thing to do: plan an even bigger heist to buy her freedom.
It’s a great setup for the story, although it’s a shame that the price on Kay’s head hardly ever actually makes an appearance in the game world. Members of hostile syndicates are after her every now and then, but you don’t hear much about the Death Mark outside of the story. It’s mainly an excuse to let players explore a handful of planets on their own. There are familiar places among them, such as the desert planet Tatooine and Kijimi from The Rise of Skywalker, but also Akiva from the books and the new Toshara.
Ubisoft has clearly seized the opportunity to expand the Star Wars universe with both hands. For example, you can enter the basement of the Mos Eisley Cantina and race past the dewbacks – grotesque beasts – near the Dune Sea on our speeder, a new and authentic look at something we have known for decades. This is the case with every existing planet, but the new Toshara also feels like a logical addition, just because of its unique, savannah-like style. At the same time, it is also the perfect playground for an outlaw, just like the other planets. The atmosphere is grim where necessary, with beautiful music that is no less than the films and a unique identity in the form of deep electronic tones.
A huge compliment is that every location in Outlaws feels alive. There are bugs hopping around and conversations between NPCs of all kinds of alien species. Cities are filled with eateries, shops and ‘cantina’s with plenty of activities to keep you busy. Think Star Wars versions of arcade machines, betting on races and – our new obsession – Sabacc. This card game once earned Han Solo the Millennium Falcon in the films, and like The Witcher 3’s Gwent, with its simple rules it is a delightful distraction from the worries of being an outlaw. In addition, so-called Intel Chains – small side missions – provide small adventures.
Helping hand or laser in the back
All of this takes place within the context of rival crime syndicates taking advantage of the chaos within the Empire, who in turn hunt down the Rebel Alliance. As such, Kay’s actions in the open world have an effect on her reputation. Star Wars Outlaws’ morality system doesn’t go as far as in Red Dead Redemption 2, for example, but it does affect her reputation per faction. The underworld of Star Wars is controlled by a quartet of crime syndicates consisting of Crimson Dawn, the Hutt Cartel, the Pykes, and the Ashiga Clan. These groups offer you jobs and missions, which give Kay a certain status with them.
Building a reputation with a syndicate isn’t terribly complicated. Contacts in the game world offer contracts – simple tasks that earn Kay some credits, but also show the client that she’s trustworthy. A good relationship with a syndicate provides several advantages, such as access to missions that earn more credits and discounts with merchants associated with that group. Another very useful thing is that Kay can move around the syndicate’s territory without any worries if her reputation speaks in her favor. The opposite is true for a bad impression: if Kay gets into trouble with the Pykes, they won’t let her into their territory or will just as easily throw her back out on the street.
The underworld is in a constant battle for power, and Kay must therefore choose wisely who she partners with. During side missions, she also often gets the chance to thwart her employer, with all the consequences that entails. Syndicates can in turn stab Kay in the back, which adds a bit of intrigue and grimness to this system.
Keeping track of your relationships with each faction feels like a logical aspect of the story and has enough meat on the bones to stay interesting. Throughout the game, you actually notice the consequences of your actions, making certain sections easier or more complicated. Kay’s reputation is even relevant to the story in some cases, although we deliberately keep that to ourselves.
No rest for the wicked
The natural progression of the game is also noticeable in the way you explore the world of Outlaws. As Kay walks around the cities and cantina’s you regularly pick up information. A datapad with the location of a treasure or a conversation about an uncharted cave give you a reason to go out into the world and find these locations. In the meantime, you are bound to stumble upon another interesting place or event, such as pirates attacking a village. Even something as simple as buying an item from a merchant can lead to a confrontation with the Empire.
This gives a much more natural flow than we are used to from the average Ubisoft game. There is a list of activities that you can systematically work through, but the compass and map are absolutely not filled with icons. It never feels as stylishly woven into the game as, for example, Red Dead Redemption 2’s approach to side missions, but it comes surprisingly close.
Making progress feels more natural thanks to this questlines around so-called experts. These characters are specialists in, for example, shooting, upgrading speeders and the slice (read: hacking). You meet these specialists during the story or in the open game world. Once you have completed their questline, they become part of Kay’s network of experts and are the source of new skills. Star Wars Outlaws does not have a classic skill tree, but lets players complete assignments for these experts to unlock new skills. In terms of skills, think of selecting an extra target with Adrenaline Rush – the Star Wars version of Deadeye from (again) Red Dead – and easier cheating during Sabacc. It is a system that fits well with the design of the story and the game.
The only thing that sometimes conflicts with this well-thought-out flow is that certain locations you come across sometimes have nothing to offer and only become relevant when a story or side mission asks for it. The urge to explore is constantly rewarded, so it is a disappointment when that does not happen.
I’m putting together a crew
Luckily, Kay is a delightful character to follow. Her personality is clearly inspired by Han Solo – which the actress also confirmed – but much of her self-assurance nevertheless comes across as an act. Regular moments of uncertainty as she bluffs her way through the underworld reveal that she is not entirely cut out for this life. That gives Kay a unique kind of charm. Her friendship with the four-legged Merqaal Nix is also incredibly cute. The two really care for each other, and that is constantly noticeable through the strong acting.
Kay can always count on Nix, but to heist To pull this off on a large scale, she needs a crew. The main storyline is therefore about gathering specialists to assist her in this. She carries out this process in collaboration with the charismatic Jaylen and his droid ND-5. It takes a while for the characters to really feel like a cohesive group, but once the story gets going, their interactions feel more and more natural.
Repetitive battles
The missions that come with it often manifest themselves in the same gameplay cycle. Kay sneaks through enemy outposts, quietly eliminating enemies and enlisting the help of Nix. This way, he can distract enemies, after which Kay gives them a whack on the back of the head. Eventually, a mission often culminates in a firefight.
Most of the time, you’ll be using Kay’s VM-19 blaster. This weapon has multiple modes, with a standard laser for use against normal enemies, ion mode for use against shields and droids, and a power blast for an explosive blast. Combined with objects in the environment, you have enough options during encounters to keep things interesting, but essentially the combat doesn’t change much throughout the game. There are no new enemies introduced that require new tactics – they just get more health. It’s a case of taking cover, shooting, and switching between modes. It works well, but it does get a bit repetitive after a while.
Furthermore, the gameplay relies on a lightning-fast speeder that lets you race across planets, and Uncharted-esque climbing sessions. Thanks to a rhythmic lockpick-mechanics and a Lingo-esque hacking system, Kay also enters places where she really has no business. These game mechanics won’t blow you away, but they all work well and tie in thematically with the rest of the game.
Also worth mentioning is the control of Kay’s spaceship, the Trailblazer. It also works fine. Combat in the ship works practically the same as in other modern Star Wars games like Battlefront: keep a ship in sight, shoot, and pay attention to the cooldowns of your torpedoes and automatic cannons. Combat in space was clearly not the focus during the development of the game, and the activities outside of planets are not particularly special either. After blowing up the fifth yellow crate you’ve seen it all, but for those who really want to fly a bit, the option is there.
Too much style
The planets and environments are beautiful and incredibly detailed, but visually Star Wars Outlaws does have a few flaws. When you first start the game, there is a heavy film grain on, which makes the image look incredibly grainy. This option together with turning off motion blur makes the image much clearer, but the game is not as beautiful as Massive’s The Division games. In addition, the game starts with a resolution of 21:9 by default – probably to give it a more cinematic look – which we quickly converted to fullscreen.
The game’s performance is also not (yet) perfect. Outlaws crashed once for us, a bug made us reload a save to continue the mission and the music disappeared during a quest.
If you can live with a few bugs, Star Wars Outlaws has a lot to offer. Star Wars fans will enjoy the freedom of exploring this beloved universe, but for those looking for a solid open-world game, Outlaws also has a lot to offer.
Star Wars Outlaws is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S on August 30. The PlayStation 5 version was played for this review. Owners of the Deluxe or Ultimate editions will get access to the game on August 27.
Excellent
Conclusion
Star Wars Outlaws doesn’t tamper with the formula of your average open-world game. Yet Massive Entertainment makes enough changes that result in a refreshing experience.
Pros and cons
Star Wars atmosphere is constantly present
Inviting open game world
Reputation system leads to interesting choices
Kay and Nix make a fantastic duo
Sometimes story and exploration don’t run in sync
Mixed performance and graphics
Fights feel a bit monotonous
