During the very first firefight I encountered in Star Wars Outlaws, I hit an enemy who immediately glitched halfway into a door. We couldn’t hit each other after that, and I thought: here we go again. I should’ve listened to the skeptical voices that said, “Ubisoft bad!” But luckily, that thought disappeared in no time.
Outlaws is far from a perfect game, but it undeniably has a high fun factor—much higher than many critics had led me to expect. And no, unfortunately, Ubisoft didn’t offer me a trip to Disney to say that.
This review contains no spoilers and is written from the perspective of someone who’s not deeply invested in Star Wars (I know, I should be ashamed of myself). So, I’ll focus mainly on how the game plays and feels, rather than how well it captures the “Star Wars” magic. But if I can trust my reliable sources, you won’t have to worry about that part.
The Story Is Solid Enough to Support the Excellent Character of Kay Vess
Star Wars Outlaws introduces us to scoundrel Kay Vess and her irresistibly cute companion Nix, who charmed me into taking a photo of him every five steps I took. When they were first revealed, my initial thought was that they might be trying too hard to replicate the dynamic between Cal Kestis and BD-1 (from the Star Wars Jedi franchise), but the duo quickly won my heart.
Kay is a witty character and she often made me grin throughout the game with her dry commentary on the events around her. Her bond with Nix is cute to witness, which soon made me care about their fate. And that’s a good thing, as the story itself isn’t where this game truly shines.
In short: after a failed heist, Kay receives a so called “death mark” from Sliro Barsha, leader of the criminal syndicate Zerek Besh. To start a new life for herself and Nix and pay off her debt, she must assemble a team to pull off the biggest heist the galaxy has ever seen. The plot may not be the most original, but it’s solid enough to give Kay and Nix a stage where they can frequently shine.
Exploration Is Where the Game Shines
Fortunately, we’re quickly set loose in the aspect where Star Wars Outlaws truly excels: exploration. Once Ubisoft loosened the reins and told me to go do my thing, returning to the main quest whenever I was ready, they didn’t see me again for about 20 hours. There’s so much to discover in the beautiful, vibrant environments laid out before us.
The city feels alive, bustling with activity, and people are going about their daily routines. I spent my first few minutes aimlessly wandering, observing the life around me. Some people were sitting in food stalls, playing games, running their stands, or gambling. I could even eavesdrop on some of them to gather intel, like finding out where to locate certain treasures.
During my exploration, I also stumbled upon various datapads. Sometimes these would lead me to valuable resources, while other times they’d tip me off about who would win a fixed fathier horse race— quite useful!
Before long, I found myself at a Sabacc table, a game I had never heard of before. But after a few rounds, I quickly realized it was my second favorite mini-game ever (Gwent still holds the crown, of course). To be fair, a good chunk of those 20 hours I spent exploring was actually spent at the Sabacc table.
Exploring the different planets never got old for me. Whether I was wandering through a city or speeding through scenic environments on my speeder, there was often something new to find. I came across intel and quests in the most unexpected places, many of which are easy to miss. These elements are seamlessly woven into the game.
I also sometimes ended up in dialogues where I was asked to give my opinion on various galactic issues. While these didn’t change the game in any sense, and the discovered quests themselves were often rather light, they still contributed to the world-building and ensured that my excursions never felt pointless.
Another favorite activity of mine was visiting the street food stalls on different planets. This triggers an interactive cutscene where Kay and Nix enjoy a local dish. It may sound a bit dull, but in practice, it was always entertaining to watch them dive into these unique meals. As if the charming, humorous cutscenes weren’t rewarding enough, you also unlock certain bonuses for Nix.
One improvement I’d have liked to see for the exploration aspect is that treasures shouldn’t be marked on the map. This simple change could have easily added many more hours of wandering through the galaxy, inspecting every interesting spot on the map in search of treasure.
Lockpicking and Forbidden Territories
Unlocking these treasures is often accompanied by a lockpicking mini-game, which has divided opinions. Personally, I find it to be one of the more enjoyable lockpicking mechanics I’ve come across. You see and hear a random, short rhythm of flashing lights, and you have to replicate the rhythm by pressing the trigger at the right moment. Simple but fun, and just the right level of challenge—not too hard, but engaging enough to keep you busy for a few seconds.
Spread across the map, you’ll also find territories controlled by four different factions: Crimson Dawn, the Pykes, the Hutts, and the Ashiga clan. Your ability to move freely in these areas depends on your reputation with these syndicates. If you cross them too many times, at best they’ll ban you from their territory, and at worst, they’ll open fire on you the moment you’re spotted. On the flip side, if you help them out and advance their cause, they’ll welcome you with open arms and even let you take their supplies.
One odd thing is that Kay still has her sneaking animation, even when you’re in the territory of a friendly syndicate. Ubisoft would do well to patch this, as it looks a bit awkward.
Syndicate Reputation Is an Interesting Addition
The reputation system for these syndicates is an intriguing aspect of Star Wars Outlaws. You receive many of your quests through various syndicates, and at the end of these missions, you often face a choice: remain loyal to your current employer or betray them by passing information to a rival syndicate.
This adds an interesting layer of role-playing, allowing you to either favor the syndicate you like the most, or you can try to maintain good relationships with everyone. I opted for the latter, which isn’t always easy. For example, helping Crimson Dawn will quickly make you enemies with the Pykes.
Fortunately, there is an endless supply of contracts you can take on to restore your reputation with different syndicates. These contracts can become repetitive, but they are generally straightforward to complete. As a result, I was able to maintain a solid reputation with all the syndicates for most of the game, making it easier to move through their territories when needed.
Elevating your reputation to higher levels comes with rewards and discounts. Vendors associated with a cartel adjust their prices based on your reputation, and certain items are only available for purchase if you have maximum reputation. You can also unlock various skins for your blaster or acquire important items to upgrade your speeder or spaceship. These upgrades can, among others, enhance the speed of your transport or improve their durability.
The Gameplay Offers Much More Than Just ‘Instant-Fail’ Scenarios During Stealth Sections
Star Wars Outlaw’s gameplay primarily revolves around stealth, occasionally mixed with gunplay when things escalate. Many quests require you to avoid triggering alarms—a directive I’m usually wary of, but it turned out to be quite manageable.
The stealth sections are enhanced by offering multiple ways to achieve your goals. One of the most enjoyable aspects is being able to utilize Nix to assist you. For instance, you can send him to trigger explosions, distract enemies or cameras, or open vents to bypass heavily guarded areas.
I often found myself first planning what tasks I could assign to Nix in an environment before mapping out my approach. This allowed me to either sneak past enemies or silently take them down. The animations for these stealth takedowns are, to put it mildly, underwhelming. The fact that we can knock out enemies with a punch to their helmet(!) should have been better thought out.
There are numerous online complaints about being immediately greeted with a ‘game over’ screen when stealth missions fail. Ubisoft has even acknowledged this issue and plans to address it soon. Personally, I didn’t find this overly disruptive. While I agree that instant game-overs for failed stealth operations are frustrating, I only encountered this scenario a few times. And it’s not because I’m a stealth master—quite the opposite.
The main challenge often lies in avoiding triggering alarms, which you can thankfully sabotage (or have Nix sabotage). If you’re spotted, you can also see which enemies are about to raise an alarm. As long as you manage to stop them in time, you can often complete the section without further escalation. However, it frequently meant facing an overwhelming army of enemies, resulting in my eventual defeat and needing to try again.
Another common complaint is that the AI is subpar, and I can’t refute that. I recall an instance where I was attacking a trooper with a grenade launcher, and his colleague, standing just a few meters away on guard, remained completely oblivious as if nothing was happening. Such occurrences were not uncommon and detract from the stealth experience. Even Kay Vess sometimes engages in questionable behavior, such as raising her voice while I was trying to stay in the shadows. Thankfully, the enemy AI isn’t smart enough to notice, but it still affects immersion.
Infiltrating large bases can be challenging and occasionally frustrating. It sometimes seemed like I could reach my objective via different routes, but the developer clearly wants you to follow one specific path. This is evident from things like imbalanced guarding on certain alternative routes, and the lack of checkpoints unless you follow the prescribed route.
The Combat Borrows Cool Mechanics From Other Games
Luckily there are also times when you can let your blaster do the work. The firefights feel satisfying. The sound of lasers whizzing by is immersive, and it’s gratifying to watch the conspicuous red barrels explode when you shoot at them as enemies run past.
Kay’s blaster doesn’t use ammo, so it’s available for unlimited use. It can overheat if you fire too rapidly, though. When this happens, you encounter a ‘Gears of War’-style active reload mechanic: you need to press a button at the right moment to stop a moving meter in the optimal spot. Success rewards you with a brief period where the blaster won’t overheat, while a mistimed reload results in a longer cooldown before you can fire again.
Even in the heat of battle, Nix can lend a hand. You can command him to defend Kay, attacking enemies on your behalf, or fetch certain items for you. For example, he can bring bacta vials to boost your health or deliver special weapons and grenades (I wish I had a Nix to fetch me a beer from the fridge).
These weapons remain in your possession only until their limited ammo runs out or you, say, climb a ladder. This makes the weapons feel like a brief, powerful boost. It’s always satisfying to shift the odds in your favor when you get your hands on one.
Similar to the ‘Dead Eye’ mechanic in Red Dead Redemption, you build up adrenaline during fights that you can use to slow down time, select multiple targets, and then fire at them simultaneously. It’s a cool feature in Red Dead Redemption and equally cool in Outlaws. While Ubisoft may not reinvent the wheel, they successfully integrate interesting mechanics from other games to create an enjoyable experience.
Throughout the game, you can unlock new abilities by meeting experts. These abilities can enhance your health, increase damage, or make it easier to defeat well-equipped enemies. You unlock these abilities by completing specific objectives, such as ‘take down 3 enemies with Nix’s help’ or ‘use 3 different weapons.’
Flying Through the Galaxy in the Trailblazer
I also need to mention Kay’s stolen spaceship, the Trailblazer. Piloting this ship feels fantastic. The Trailblazer is highly responsive, and navigating it through the stunning expanse of space is always a pleasure.
In space, you’ll encounter enemy ships, and the combat remains enjoyable. You can use various turrets or missiles to shoot down enemies, creating a spectacular and chaotic scene. As previously mentioned, you can upgrade your ship to better withstand damage or to increase the damage you inflict.
As much as I enjoyed exploring the planets on the ground, I would have liked to spend more time in space. While you can linger in space for as long as you want, beyond the breathtaking views and resource opportunities, there’s little of significant importance to discover. Since space and the Trailblazer were among my favorite aspects of the game, I would have appreciated more meaningful quests that highlight this element further.
The Graphics Are Hit and Miss
The graphics in Star Wars Outlaws can best be described as ‘hit and miss’. At times, they are visually stunning, particularly when it comes to the appearance of various planets. Some vistas are so impressive that they practically begged me to dive into photo mode, which I was more than happy to do.
But there were also moments when the game’s visuals reminded me of games from a decade ago, especially in the faces of NPCs. These are notably less refined compared to the intricately detailed Kay and Nix. Additionally, there were frequent instances of textures loading too slowly, resulting in significant visual downgrades.
Conclusion
Star Wars Outlaws is an imperfect but highly entertaining game with a strong fun factor. This is largely due to the vibrant and beautiful universe Ubisoft has created, where I spent countless enjoyable hours exploring aimlessly.
The story is decent enough, but it’s primarily driven by the dynamic between the charming Kay Vess and her adorable companion Nyx.
The stealth mechanics and AI would benefit from a few more patches, with one already planned. Despite its clear shortcomings, Outlaws offers more than enough variety and entertainment to fully immerse yourself in.
I would already recommend the game without hesitation, and with upcoming patches, Outlaws is likely to only improve in the coming months.
