The ambition of Ubisoft’s “Star Wars Outlaws” constantly battles with the execution in a game that’s alternating invigorating and frustrating, a title that feels like it has boundless potential that also feels like it traps you in the same repetitive mechanics. It also suffers from a too-common problem of AAA games in that it’s unacceptably broken at launch with game-ending glitches and general performance issues that will likely be fixed, but probably not quickly enough for the fans so excited that they pre-ordered it. For the first 3-4 hours of this game, I was infuriated by everything that was wrong it, and that first impression could be truly damaging for a gaming world of instant hot takes on social media. I would suggest that everyone interested in “Outlaws” give it time. It never quite lives up to the lofty expectations that come with the phrase “open world Star Wars game” but there’s more to like here as the title offers increased authorship and better variance in settings after those opening chapters.
“Outlaws” is a very different kind of “Star Wars” game in that it’s not focused on a story of a Jedi. It’s more Han Solo than Luke Skywalker—think blaster guns and stealth mechanics instead of lightsabers and the power of the force. In the increasingly cluttered timeline of this universe, “Outlaws” takes place between “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” shifting the narrative away from Vader and the rebels to the various criminal syndicates that crowd this universe. You play Kay Vess, a fledgling thief whose only friend in the world is her alien ally Nix, who you will use to help you steal, fight, and distract enemies. For gamers familiar with the franchise, Nix is to Kay as Clank is to Ratchet.
The game opens on a planet called Toshara, one of those gaming environments that feels huge but, at least initially, feels remarkably empty. You will ride your speedrunner over miles of empty land, passing buildings in which you can do nothing, just to get from a conversation in one city to an objective in another. These opening hours are greatly defined by the criminal syndicates on the planet of Toshara and how they feel about Kay. You can complete contracts to earn a better reputation with one, but that might anger another. You are often presented with choices at the end of quests that will directly impact how something like the Hutt Syndicate (as in Jabba) feels about you. Going up for one syndicate makes the part of the planet they control easier to navigate; going down does the opposite. Anger one enough and their members will literally hunt you.
The syndicate structure of “Outlaws” is obviously ambitious, but somewhat clunky in execution. For one, it means that to complete missions in territories run by criminals who don’t like you that stealth becomes the objective, and the mechanics are clunky and downright vicious in terms of checkpoints. Even if you’re sneaking around a syndicate stronghold for many minutes, getting spotted instantly pushes you back to the beginning. Unforgiving stealth isn’t exactly what the “Star Wars” universe is known for, and that dominates way too much of the opening hours of this game.
Luckily, the creators of “Outlaws” have more ideas. It’s not long before you’re on your ship, The Trailblazer, speeding through the universe to other planets. It’s not like a “Starfield” or “No Man’s Sky” level of universe exploration, but there’s something undeniably cool about being able to take down a fleet of tie fighters on your way to Tatooine. There are actually only four planets in “Outlaws”—Tatooine, Toshara, Akiva, and Kijimi—and that initial sense that the open world of this title is limited changes when it becomes open universe. While the different settings—the desert world of Tatooine compared to lush greenery of Akiva, for example—there is the nagging sense that you’re doing a lot of the same thing on each planet, usually invading enemy bases to retrieve coveted intel, but the design elements become a captivating aspect of this game. Even just the landing city in a place like Akiva feels alive with storm troopers walking the alleys and residents going about their lives. It’s in moments like these that “Outlaws” truly does feel like the open world Lucasfilm experience that it promises, one in which you can stumble upon something unexpected instead of just being pushed around a massive landscape from quest point to quest point.
The midsection of “Star Wars Outlaws” becomes a striking tug of war between what works about the game and the elements that hold it back. In terms of the latter, the aforementioned stealth mechanics can be infuriating not only because of the long checkpoints but the inconsistency of the enemy AI. You’ll be able to walk right by one enemy who won’t spot you but another will see you from across the map. You’ll spend an insane amount of time hiding behind inconsistent cover or attempting platforming maneuvers that are, politely, unrefined. The number of times I opened doors into enemies who appeared to be waiting for me only to be checkpointed back multiple minutes was infuriating. The game is fun when it’s open and playful; less so when it’s annoyingly restrictive in its stealth mechanics. The game also has some seriously annoying controller mapping like R3 to pick up the many items littered through this universe that you use to upgrade your junk or the fact that O is both drop down and crouch, leading to some confusion if you try either maneuver near a ledge.
On the other hand, combat gets more and more exciting as Kay gets more tools in her belt. Your blaster will naturally get upgraded with different functions, you’ll get grenades, and you can even pick up weapons in the environment. Switching between weapons can be clunky, but there’s an inherent thrill in blasting through Stormtroopers that stand in your way. And using Nix in combat adds a neat dynamic in that your buddy can distract or even attack enemies right along with you.
Much like a young Jedi torn about his destiny, “Star Wars Outlaws” clearly left me conflicted between its light and dark sides. I’ll admit that I found the first few hours lackluster and aggravating in a way that gave me “Gollum” flashbacks, but it’s a game that reward patience. It starts to bury what it does poorly in what it does well. Maybe there’s hope for this outlaw after all.
The publisher provided a review copy of this title and it was reviewed on PS5. It will be available on August 30th.