EA’s decade-long Star War exclusivity deal came to an end last year, leaving the ever-popular IP open to new takers. Ubisoft is among the first to get their hands on the massive sci-fi property and their mark on the franchise comes in the form of Star Wars Outlaws. Unlike virtually every other Star Wars video game, this one doesn’t put another Jedi in the spotlight. It’s easy to lean into the flashy fantasy of lightsabers and Force powers, especially within the confines of this form of interactive media. Instead, Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment studio has opted for a scoundrel roleplay experience, diving deep into the seediest parts of the Han Solo lifestyle.
Star Wars Outlaws introduces us to its rogue protagonist, Kay Vess. She’s no stranger to hardship and struggle, having eked out a living on the streets of Canto Bight—this casino city was featured in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She sports that signature scoundrel swagger, combining life-saving wit with a casual nonchalance for breaking rules. And, of course, there’s the charismatic cherry on top of it all. Kay is all you want in a compelling thief-for-hire, and she’s complimented by the cute, furry axolotl-like partner-in-crime, Nix. The voice-over for both, and several other characters, is very well done and creates an immediately positive connection to the cast.
The duo easily make for compelling leads in a mostly by-the-books Ubisoft open world game that sees the two take on high-risk, high-reward jobs from different factions in pursuit of a fresh start (and withdrawal of a death mark). This journey involves traveling to multiple planets—Akiva, Kijimi, Toshara and Tatooine—and working for (or betraying) the criminal syndicates embedded within the planets’ bustling locales. It’s in these digital environments, whether the all-new moon of Toshara with its neon lit underworld hub or the nostalgia-invoking Mos Eisley spaceport on Tatooine, that Star Wars Outlaws truly excels. In the same way that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora brought a gorgeous, vivid world to life, Massive has once again successfully executed the source material’s vision and vibe. There’s a level of immersion and awe on display that hasn’t been so heavily present since MMOs like Galaxies and The Old Republic.
Chutes and Ladders
Much like their efforts with Avatar, Massive gives in to Ubisoft’s safe open-world design trappings, this time stripping away components without filling the gaps with enough meaningful replacements. Sure, Kay won’t be synchronizing at select viewpoints or dumping skill points into an assortment of skill trees—completing prerequisite tasks and uncovering Experts is the unlock path for new abilities now. Instead, the lead scoundrel will roam the open environments, taking on different odd jobs to make a stack of Credits. The Pyke Syndicate, Crimson Dawn, Hutt Cartel, and Ashiga Clan are all in need of extra help, and Kay can choose how to manage those relationships (and reap various benefits) by working for or against each thanks to an engaging reputation system. Regardless of the chosen allies and foes, following the main story or one of the many side quests largely boils down to the same combination of futuristic ventilation systems and ladders.
Those two traversal options are staples to the middling stealth mechanics rounding out half of what this action-adventure title has to offer. Coming from a publisher responsible for the phenomenal (and long absent) Splinter Cell games, the stealth in Star Wars Outlaws simply doesn’t measure up. The current form of stealth demands more love since it accounts for such a large portion of the core gameplay. I mean, what is with those takedown animations? The unimpactful, barefisted punches Kay throws shouldn’t be knocking out helmeted Stormtroopers with such ease. Perhaps it’s nitpicky, but it’s an immersion-breaking piece affixed to an already unremarkable stealth implementation.
It doesn’t help matters that missions occasionally throw instant-fail conditions if caught, further highlighting the lackluster stealth system. Being a scoundrel that has to think on their feet makes those unexpected go-loud moments fun transitions into improvisation. Needlessly resetting the player for a raised alarm is aggravating and removes part of the scoundrel fantasy that the game works so hard to elevate elsewhere. The poorly designed and arguably frustrating lockpicking minigame doesn’t do Outlaws any favors either, as there’s nothing worse than getting caught while contending with the touchy rhythmic inputs. Similarly, the number sequence hacking minigame doesn’t fare well either.
One Gun Gal
When the action does break out, Star Wars Outlaws flows a little better. Kay’s signature blaster pistol, much like her speeder and ship, can be upgraded with different components to lightly change up the approach to combat encounters. The plasma option, for example, produces that iconic red bolt that splashes and sparks across enemies. On the other hand, the ion module makes quick work of enemy shields, instantly deenergizing them. There’s some tactical depth to be found in these pistol upgrades, and it’s a good thing since the game is weirdly restrictive when it comes to using anything but Kay’s sidearm. While other weapons, like the E-11 Blaster Rifle and PK-23 Sniper Blaster, can be picked up and used against opposing forces, the game forces Kay to drop them when she does virtually anything. Climbing a ladder? Say farewell to that added firepower. Jumping on the speeder? Goodbye, sweet space gun. It’s surprising just how little the player can do to hold on to scavenged weapons for any notable amount of time.
Granted, the blaster pistol does put in the work for the most part. And our star criminal knows how to handle it with deadly efficiency. Although she didn’t get Sam Fisher’s exceptional stealth tactics, she did lift his Mark and Execute ability. When blaster fire is raining down upon her, an Adrenaline Rush ability begins to fill. Once ready, Kay can slow time to select multiple targets and then systematically eliminate each highlighted threat, turning her into a dead eye-wielding space cowboy. The same talent can be used while engaged in high speed chases on the speeder, making for memorable moments when pursuers are dispatched in this fashion.
Combat can spill into space, too, thanks to the Trailblazer ship in Kay’s possession. Much like the planet-bound locales, the space sections are truly incredible vistas to behold. During the first space trip, I stared in wonder at a dense debris field of metal scrap and defunct ships. Whipping through the debris as Tie Fighters pursued me was exhilarating, even if the combat mechanics themselves weren’t. The simple lock-on system made it feel like the game was playing for me at times, encouraging me to focus on my unnecessarily fancy maneuvers between floating obstacles as opposed to spending too much of my attention on how I was attacking.
Star Wars Outlaws Review Verdict
Star Wars Outlaws: Star Wars Outlaws is a mixed bag. Kay and Nix make for an enjoyable team that you'll want to stick by for the duration of their journey, especially given the gorgeous and well-realized Star Wars locales begging to be explored. Unfortunately, the core of the game revolves around underdeveloped stealth and combat, and neither come close to reaching the heights of the digital vistas. What it boils down to is, Outlaws is at times more fun to look at than play. – Joshua
Editor’s Note: Star Wars Outlaws was reviewed on PC, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.
