Ubisoft has often been criticized for producing repetitive open-world games, but Star Wars Outlaws serves as a testing ground for the company, offering a new direction. The game is a departure from the typical Star Wars focus on Jedi lore, instead immersing players in the life of a bounty hunter. Developed by Ubisoft Massive, the studio behind Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Star Wars Outlaws uses the same game engine and showcases ambitious visuals, which come at the cost of high PC hardware requirements.
The game follows Kay Vess, an outlaw living in Canto Bight, whose unique personality distinguishes her from other protagonists in the Star Wars universe. Kay often takes on risky jobs, and one of these missions forces her to flee Canto Bight. Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Outlaws pays tribute to significant moments from the films. Although the game’s story diverges from the main events of the movies, players still get to explore iconic Star Wars locations and encounter familiar characters.
If you are not a Star Wars fan, you might not find Star Wars Outlaws as appealing, since much of its charm comes from being part of the Star Wars universe. While the game is enjoyable, its main draw is its connection to the beloved franchise. Unlike Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Outlaws is a true open-world experience, though being developed by Ubisoft might cause skepticism among some players due to the company’s reputation.
The protagonist, Kay Vess, can use her blaster to take down enemies, but her pet, Nix, plays a crucial role in gameplay. Nix can be commanded to perform various tasks, such as distracting or attacking enemies, which becomes essential in stealth sections where players must navigate without being detected. The game emphasizes stealth, making Nix a valuable companion. While there are minor melee combat moments, most of the gameplay revolves around third-person shooting, with some platforming elements.
Though Star Wars Outlaws doesn’t offer expansive land-to-sea exploration, the gameplay remains engaging. Players can explore various planets, each with its open-world environment. Side quests are available from NPCs, and the game doesn’t enforce a strict linear progression, allowing for exploration at your own pace. As the game progresses, Kay Vess gains new abilities that enhance combat. On planets, players can explore using a speeder bike, and space travel may lead to battles in the spaceship Kay steals during the opening mission. Both the speeder and spaceship, along with Kay’s abilities, can be upgraded over time, adding depth to the gameplay.
Credits are the primary currency in Star Wars Outlaws, and they serve multiple purposes, such as advancing certain story objectives or upgrading gear. Additionally, players can engage in minigames that involve credits, such as betting on races or earning money through Sabacc. These minigames are quite enjoyable and can easily occupy a significant amount of time. However, the game can feel overwhelming due to the sheer volume of content scattered across its open world. Despite this, the game offers different approaches to completing missions, which prevents the gameplay from feeling overly restrictive. One downside, for me, is the heavy reliance on stealth mechanics in the main gameplay loop. I would have preferred fewer stealth sections, though I did enjoy exploring the world and learning more about its lore.
The mission design can feel repetitive at times, but the detailed gameplay mechanics help to keep it engaging. Aside from the stealth sections, the third-person shooting is satisfying, with the ability to land headshots on enemies. Kay Vess also gains upgrades later in the game, such as the ability to slow down time, similar to the Dead Eye mechanic in Red Dead Redemption. In many ways, Star Wars Outlaws feels like a blend of various open-world and third-person shooter elements, akin to games like Uncharted, which works in its favor.
I would recommend focusing on the main story mode initially, as the game can overwhelm players with numerous side quests that may begin to feel like a chore. While I appreciate the extensive content Ubisoft has provided, I prefer shorter, more focused games. Fortunately, players can choose to stick primarily to the main story missions, which still offer a substantial experience. Even if you focus solely on the main storyline, the game can take around 15 to 20 hours to complete, making it a lengthy adventure in its own right.
The PC version of Star Wars Outlaws allows for flexible scaling, enabling players to adjust the settings based on their hardware. Ray tracing is enabled by default, and the game supports frame generation and other upscaling technologies that enhance performance. However, the high-level ray tracing, which can be toggled separately, caused performance issues for me, even on high-end GPUs like the RTX 4090. To achieve the best performance, I recommend sticking with the default ray-tracing settings and utilizing frame generation based on your hardware capabilities.
In summary, Star Wars Outlaws was a pleasant experience, though not without its flaws. It may not be an outstanding title, but it certainly isn’t a bad game. Fans of the Star Wars franchise will likely enjoy the callbacks and the opportunity to explore familiar environments. While the gameplay is solid, it doesn’t break new ground, and the story, though engaging in parts, doesn’t quite reach the narrative heights of other third-person shooters, such as the Uncharted series. Nonetheless, it offers a fun adventure for those invested in the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars Outlaws Game Information
- Price: $69.99
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Developer: Ubisoft Massive
- Platform: PC (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
