Star Wars Outlaws may break Ubisoft out of its open-world funk

Ubisoft Massive’s Star Wars Outlaws is set to be the biggest Star Wars game ever, positioned between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi., The game has that distinct Ubisoft flair, but not in the way you’d expect. I’ve spent about seven hours playing the game so far (split into a few hands-on sessions), and the more I play Star Wars Outlaws the more intrigued I am to see how all of the game’s systems come together.

Star Wars Outlaws takes a bold turn Away from the Jedi Unlike many other blockbuster games in the universe, in this open world game, The criminal underbelly of Star Wars It focuses on crime syndicates and follows the villain Kay Vess and her little friend Nix, who leaves the working-class district of Kanto Bight to try and make a name for herself. Encountering the Hutt Cartel, Pyke, Crimson Dawn and the Ashigah Clan, players choose who to ally with and who to betray. It’s an intriguing enough concept, and when mixed with space-based shenanigans it leaves you wanting more. However, a few systems had me hesitant about whether Star Wars Outlaws would achieve true greatness.

Star Wars Outlaws

Open World

Action-adventure

system

Franchise

Star Wars

Platform

PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S

release

August 30, 2024

Developer

Large-scale entertainment

Publisher

Ubisoft, Lucasfilm Games

engine

Snowdrop

ESRB

t

Expand

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Making Kay Vess a key part of a growing and expanding franchise

Establishing an entirely new character in the Star Wars universe is no easy task.

Source: Ubisoft

Star Wars Outlaws introduces Cay Vess, a worker on the casino planet Canto Bight. The planet only featured meaningfully in The Last Jedi, so we get to see a new perspective on the setting through the eyes of Cay Vess and Nyx. The preview I played doesn’t reveal why she’s off the planet, but it’s a fascinating setting that intrigues me. It also lays the foundation for why Star Wars Outlaws is a more realistic story based in the crime world of this universe.

Cay is not a Jedi, nor is she Force sensitive (unless she is in a later game twist). Yes, she’s just a blaster-wielding thug who’s happy to get her hands dirty and make some money. After traveling the stars in her Trailblazer, Cay crash-lands on Tshara. She hops in her speeder and heads to the Pyke-controlled city of Milogana. To earn money for new parts and repairs, Cay starts doing odd jobs for Pyke’s stevedore, Gorak. Cay is resourceful and appears unsure at first, but each time she clashes with crime bosses she is able to hone her “fake it till you make it” energy.

In one of the cutscenes, Nix steals the ring from Gorak’s hand. He gives it to Kay and the two share a cute moment. Kay strokes her little friend and Nix leaves the room. This relationship is not just decoration. Nix plays an important role during gameplay. While walking through the streets of Mirogana, Nix can pickpocket Stormtroopers and civilians to get extra credits. Nix can also be called to interact with out-of-reach panels. Additionally, Nix can be called to distract enemies so you can sneak through them or kill them silently.

Though we only got to explore two planets in the game, there’s plenty to do. Star Wars Outlaws has side content that fits this world better. The game offers speeder races, treasure to collect, and outposts to raid for even rarer items. Throughout it all, the relationship between Kay and Nyx is on full display. When invading the Ashigah tribe’s base in Kijimi, Kay tells Nyx to “squeal quietly.” Even as a pet owner myself, this exchange brought an instant smile to my face.

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Star Wars Outlaws’ reputation system is its most interesting element

Betraying others and building relationships with criminal organisations will allow new storylines to emerge.

Source: Ubisoft

Many systems in Star Wars Outlaws utilize the faction reputation system. Mirogana is run by Pyke, but is also home to the Crimson Dawn Syndicate. As you begin to take on various missions, some areas are easier to get into than others depending on your standing with each syndicate. An added layer to the reputation system comes down to how you complete the missions. Often, missions end with a choice. In one instance, you infiltrate Pyke’s base and find valuable intel. Kay is then informed that the Crimson Dawn may use the information for their own gain. Will you give the information to Pyke and boost your reputation, or betray him and get some extra cash?

This system is what got me interested in Star Wars Outlaws. In two of the three hands-on demos I attended, I made a conscious effort to take a different path when it came to joining a particular syndicate. For example, at one point, Kay has to steal parts to upgrade her blaster. My allies tell me they can be found at Pyke’s base or the Crimson Dawn base. If my reputation is too low, I might be turned away at the entrance to Pyke’s base, forcing me to sneak in. On the other hand, the Crimson Dawn might welcome me into their base. After that, it’s up to me to decide what to do. Gaining a higher reputation with a particular syndicate than the others opens up new missions, but at the same time, I risk cutting ties with other criminal syndicates.

When the full version is released, I’ll be paying close attention to how the choices I make change the story and gameplay. I’m interested to compare my journey with friends and colleagues to see how a widening web of choices affects key plot points and endings. This player freedom means a lot to me, if handled properly from start to finish. It’s also a good way to encourage multiple playthroughs, increasing value for the player.

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Star Wars Outlaws gameplay and performance can be a bit mixed

While I love the gunfights, I can’t say I was enthralled by the stealth sections.

Source: Ubisoft

There’s a lot to like about Star Wars Outlaws’ moment-to-moment gameplay. As a huge fan of The Division series, I immediately picked up on the series’ hectic yet satisfying gunfights. Kay’s blaster shots feel a bit whiffy, but are incredibly satisfying when they hit. Movement also feels incredibly smooth; when you’re infiltrating an Imperial ship, climbing through that machinery feels smooth, but at times it feels larger than life.

There are many moments when Kay is asked to remain stealthy while exploring the facility’s base, and the game has a number of systems to help her along the way: calling in Nix to distract guards or using her blaster to stun them allows Kay to make quick work of many enemies; in some cases, the game will open up when she’s caught and she can switch to firing. However, when the game (and its story) forces you to play within the limitations of stealth, Star Wars Outlaws can get a bit frustrating, especially when the auto-fail system doesn’t work well with the auto-save.

In the aforementioned Imperial warship section, I hacked a terminal to open a door and sneaked past the guards to reach a large hangar. With no clear path forward, I had no choice but to make my way by trial and error. Against my best judgement, I used Kay’s blaster to stun an enemy. In most other cases, this would result in a silent kill. But in this room, the effect caused a commotion that caused another stormtrooper to sound the alarm, causing me to fail this segment. Having lost five minutes of progress, I went back, completed what seemed to be a Wordle-inspired hacking mini-game, and after multiple attempts to take a different route, I was finally able to get through. I’d rather reserve judgement until I’ve played the endgame. Perhaps this is a one-off scenario and the auto-fail mechanic is better optimized for other stealth sections.

I’m also a bit put off by the performance of Star Wars Outlaws. Certain texture glitches I experienced during the hands-on preview are completely tolerable. The build I played is now several months out of date. I understand that open world games have to make some compromises when it comes to graphics. However, despite using the Snowdrop engine, some of the lip syncing during cutscenes is significantly out of sync. Other minor quirks include delayed button prompts. Hopefully many of these issues will be ironed out before launch.

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