When I attended the first hands-off briefing Star Wars Outlaws I left Ubisoft’s demo room at Summer Game Fest 2023 on a high and thought this might be the piece of media that finally drew me into the Star Wars universe. I liked focusing on solo protagonist Kai Vess and his adorable pet Nix. I’m impressed that the developers said the game will tell a single, linear story instead of throwing players into an unfocused open world and calling it AAA. I was eager to get my hands on it.
Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to access two different reviews Star Wars Outlaws, and my initial excitement subsided. It’s not completely dead, but the parts I’ve played have reinforced the bloated atmosphere, supported by unclear navigation and general combat. i still think Star Wars Outlaws is a pretty game with interesting character designs and environments, but I’m less hopeful about anything else it has to offer right now – you know, elements that aren’t ripped directly from the existing Star Wars universe.
Sections I played Star Wars Outlaws includes space dogfights, parkour levels on metal-lined space stations and military bases, and covert missions against roaming Stormtroopers and interstellar criminal gangs. I also got on the accelerator and had a great time flying over the hills of Toshara with Nix on the back of my bike; One thing I’m definitely looking forward to in the full game is getting into the hovercraft races.
As for the bits I actually play, that’s how I’d describe the general theme confusing. In the first few minutes of my first preview at Summer Game Fest 2024 in June, I encountered a head-scratching moment: crawling along a crumbling, rocky base, I found myself at the mouth of a cave on the edge of a cliff, the mountain too steep to descend and the ground too far for a leap of faith. I stood there looking for a sign of where to go next, scanning the landscape from side to side and up and down, but nothing came up. So I jumped.
It was the wrong move and I died and started over. After a few more minutes of searching around the edge of the cave and guessing if I was in the right place, a Ubisoft spokesperson pointed out a strip of metal wrapped around my head—literally right up to Kai’s field of view. and mixed with leaves. An inconspicuous white label identified it as an interactive object, but the whole thing was incredibly easy to miss. I pushed R3 into the controller and stuck to it with my rifle, feeling incredibly dumb. Unfortunately, this was a recurring experience (and feeling) at all viewing levels.
One of the selling points Star Wars Outlaws It’s a parkour-style mechanic where Kay climbs metal grids, slides along shallow ledges with her fingertips, and uses her grappling hook to swing between gaps. However, this mechanic is hit or miss, reducing the flow of any parkour movement attempts. The climbing nets are accented with a dull yellow color that doesn’t quite stand out from the rusted metal walls, and even when Kay jumps directly at them, she sometimes fails to connect. This happened to me during both previews, at different parts of the game, and the second instance made me think that the grid wasn’t actually climbable. I spent a lot of time farting around the affected area before considering another leap into the network. It worked, but the loop disappointed me.
I don’t mind some messy, non-obvious waypoints in my games, though Star Wars Outlaws seems to be taking this idea too far.
Navigating the environments was also oddly difficult. I got lost in many areas in my previews, even with a responsive HUD and highlighted objective markers on screen the entire time. The small yellow pointer was difficult to track in the maze-like settlements filled with similar-looking barns, stairwells, and corridors, and tracking objectives only became more difficult once the blaster battles began. I never want to think about where I should go in the middle of an intense battle, but Star Wars Outlaws served this situation many times.
I really enjoyed some parts of the game, especially the last mission I played. I entered a guarded, two-story ballroom on the icy planet Kijimi on a mission to steal an object at the center of space. Nix is always by Kai’s side and can be instructed to collect glitter, flip switches, distract, or attack enemies, and I had him do all of these during this mission. Hidden mechanics Star Wars Outlaws they’re simple – bent on being sneaky – and enemies are generally oblivious unless you’re directly in their line of sight. In rooms with two enemies, it’s best to have Nix follow one guard and silently take down the other, then finish off the disoriented enemy who gets attacked while Nix runs away. I’ve used this tactic to great success and even had a good time lobbing grenades and landing shots in this level once the blaster fight started anyway.
My time with Kijimi gives me hope that maybe I need a few uninterrupted hours Star Wars Outlaws really click for the game. I’m interested in its reputation system, where players can track their position with various interstellar crime networks, varying the level of access Kay will have with related areas and characters. Cracking doors and safes involves a screwdriver and a bit of rhythm, and the process is satisfying every time. The accelerator handles well and after some more practice I’m ready to try some real racing. The space battles are dizzying and perfectly serviceable. Nix is charming in any situation. There’s a lot to look forward to here, but I can’t get over the seemingly built-in disappointment in the climbing mechanics, grappling and navigation system.
I’m worried about it Star Wars Outlaws fell victim to classic AAA bloat, offering a vast universe of mediocre experiences, some half-baked and the rest lacking depth or innovation. There are hints in the game’s previews that this is the case. As always, I’m ready to be surprised.
If I have any advice for those who are interested Star Wars Outlaws – and it still covers me, just – it would be: look up. As above.
Star Wars Outlaws will hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on August 30.
