Star Wars Outlaws

 

Star Wars Outlaws is one of those games where I feel like right off the bat I have to excessively disagree with the internet vitriol surrounding the game, Ubisoft, and the protagonist/actress who plays her. The amount of hate I've seen for those things is wild - and concerning - and does not mirror the experience I had with Outlaws. 

That disclaimer aside, I also cant help but walk away from Star Wars Outlaws thinking of it in a hindsight lens as akin to the first Assassin's Creed. Much like that game, it has a ton of fun things to do, it can feel unique, but it can also feel clunky. It's a series where the "bones are good" and the potential is enormous, if they can establish a more focused version in a sequel. 

Outlaws plays like an interesting mix of Uncharted and Assassin's Creed. It's a 3rd-person adventure with a (humongous) open world on multiple planets. It throws a lot at you and feels clunky in doing so. It wasn't until truly 10 hours or so in that I felt "gelled" with it and even then I'd run into a variety of instances that felt off. In perhaps one of the most extreme opinions I've had of a videogame in my tenure reviewing them, I believe Star Wars Outlaws should have ditched the open world and been a linear game. It's at its best when it's focused on the core story and feeling like "space Uncharted" and while the open world can be fun (the side quests can be a blast), there's a disconnect with how Kay interacts with it. It's a game that wants to have the level of gameplay perfection that Uncharted achieves (tight shooting, expert platforming, set pieces), but is turning in a B/B- effort to provide an open world experience instead. There's a version of this game that could have existed in an in-between state with open-world-esque segments, space battles, etc. but a tighter story focus and fantastic shooter gameplay. 

The open world(s) we visit range from exciting and fun to explore (but again, difficult to know where to explore...), to incredibly boring cities. I quickly realized I wanted to avoid cities all together for how dull and errand-like they felt, while out in the open world, there are lots of exciting things, hindered by a poor fast travel system and speeder travel that looks cool, but is one of the more aforementioned clunky elements. 

The space battle gameplay is a blast

Much has also been said about the stealth gameplay. Ubisoft has implemented some fixes, but in general I just found these segments overlong. They're not difficult, it's just frustrating when you're playing a mission and 30 minutes in you're still having to be stealthy. Again, this is where I emphasize the Uncharted approach, which the game clearly wants to mimic, would create better pacing. In Outlaws, stealth isn't boring...until you're doing too much of it, and that's the issue here. 

Despite these flaws - and my general extreme opinion that this should have been a chapter/level-based game - I still enjoyed Star Wars Outlaws a great deal. It's not hitting any Game of the Year lists in my eyes, but there's a lot to love and, as mentioned, the bones are good if the refinement can come. For starters, this game is at its best when it's trying to replicate Uncharted. If my memory serves, members from that game's creative team were at one point linked to this game, so that makes sense. The blaster and shooter gameplay is fun and frequently intense, even if the bells and whistles are on the light side. The platforming is basic, but feels ripe for Uncharted moments. And our characters - potentially the best part of the game - are memorable for their rough exteriors, but human emotions. It's all of these moments that, with some added polish and tightened gameplay, could create a sequel that's truly AAA. 

Despite flaws, the game is gorgeous more often than not

Our core story is one that I greatly enjoyed. Kay Vess is a likable protagonist, despite what the internet would have you believe, and her relationship with Nix is worth cherishing. ND-5, a droid with a kill order against Vess, has a very satisfying character arc, while the supporting cast is similarly fun. The main villain situation may be "meh", but I'd love to see these characters again. The heist adventure they go on is fun, featuring tie ins to other Star Wars elements, without overdoing it. It culminates in a satisfying conclusion, marred only by a mission structure that features too much stealth.

Despite my thoughts about the open world approach, there's something magical about landing on a planet, driving around on a speeder, finding secrets and side missions, blasting back off into space, getting into space battles, traveling via hyperspeed to another planet, and repeating the process. This capability creates an authenticity of the Star Wars brand. Oh, and the space battles/gameplay is top notch.

Within this open-world concept, "upgrades" should come to mind, of which Star Wars Outlaws has a decent amount of them. Some change the game more than others, but in general you can upgrade and semi-customize nearly everything like your ship, speeder, blaster, clothes, and Kay's abilities. They may not always be straight forward and the fact you can only do certain ones from various vendors can be a chore, but I did enjoy trying to hunt for powers I knew would help me (magnetic dice in Sabacc, anyone?)

If there's one thing I can't take away from Outlaws, it's how gorgeous it is. Again, internet trolls have their opinion on Kay Vess, but the worlds themselves can be jaw-dropping. They're each unique, featuring very different fauna, topography, and climates which leads to different colors, or even other planets/moons you can see. I spent a good deal of this game gawking around some of the prettier planets, really impressed with the engine and capabilities Ubisoft's development team was able to achieve. Not to be outdone, and likely unsurprising, Outlaws sound design is flawless. Things sound very Star Wars, and the original score is memorable and rebelliously fitting. Empire sirens wail, blasters "pew", explosions are loud, and vehicle engines sound iconic. It's all here. 

At the end of it all, Star Wars Outlaws is a game I sunk around 30ish hours into. Like many open world games, it loses a bit of its luster after hitting a mid-game high (where it starts to click and gel). And despite my problems with it, there shouldn't be any mistaking that this was simply a few puzzle pieces off from being a true AAA game. I'll stand my ground in believing this could have been an awesome (and better) game if it went the full Uncharted approach as the pacing would have been tighter, the filler would have been gone, and some of the game's more clunky aspects wouldn't have existed at all. For those who have waited to play it until a price drop, I believe you'll find yourself surprised at how entertaining it can be. 

Can a [hopeful] sequel capture the full ambition? 

CONS

• Feels clunky in multiple areas. Takes a while to "gel" with
• I think the overall game would have been better and more memorable by ditching the open world and going all-in on the space-Uncharted approach
• Open world cities are boring and feel like chores
• The open world map is hard to traverse (depending on the planet) and fast travel points are weird
• Speeder travel is very clunky
• Too much stealth. The gameplay is fine, it's just way overused
• Poor button mapping design. It feel inefficient to have so many things mapped to R3 (it becomes a problem), but then I have to hit 3 buttons to throw a grenade
• Slicing minigame gets old fast and is overused

PROS

• Memorable cast of characters that I'd love to see again
• Heist story is fun and while it references other Star Wars "stuff", I appreciated it didn't go fully in on trying to connect
• At its best when it's trying to be like Uncharted. When levels are based on shooting and platforming, it can be a joy
• Main missions are consistently fantastic and many side quests can be memorable too
• Flexibility of "open galaxy" approach is neat and feels genuinely massive
• Space gameplay is phenomenal
• Sabacc is a blast (once you know the rules)
• Lockpick mini game is unique and I never got tired of it
• Stunning graphics and sound. One of the best looking and sounding games of the year
• Has ambitions of being a AAA game and a new franchise. Even if it doesn't quite reach them this iteration, the potential is exciting
• Entertaining through most of my time with it. It lays a good foundation to build a series upon, while taking notes of what worked and didn't this time

Rath's Review Score | 8/10

Enjoy some additional screenshots from my playthrough!