Review of Star Wars: Outlaws – Expectations fulfilled

Star Wars: Outlaws lets fans experience adventure from a new perspective: With plenty of action, but without a focus on rough and tumble elements, Massive Entertainment's open-world game is a lot of fun. And it's also a Ubisoft game that doesn't even feel like one. In our game review, we reveal how well Star Wars: Outlaws was received by us - of course, as usual, with no spoilers at all.

When the first rumors started circulating on the Internet that Ubisoft was working on an open-world game in Star Warsuniverse, the hype was quickly there. The additional information that Massive Entertainment, the studio that was previously responsible for the excellent The Division titles, would be taking on the project, made the whole thing even more interesting. However, doubts quickly arose: Ubisoft, open world - here they could perhaps simply use the publisher's well-known formula to bring fans an interchangeable video game with a Star Wars sticker. But it is now clear: Star Wars: Outlaws does not feel like a typical Ubisoft game. And that should be taken as a compliment.

As good as the conditions sounded, Star Wars: Outlaws was to be the next big thing after the two outstanding solo games from Electronic Arts have a hard time gaining a foothold in the Star Wars universe. The two titles from the Star Wars Jedi trilogy (Fallen Order and Survivor) have set the bar pretty high for entertaining action games. Star Wars: Outlaws doesn't quite reach that level, but it does convince with a different approach to gameplay, which ultimately isn't much worse, but doesn't play quite as smoothly as the linear, story-driven single-player game.

Without him she would be nothing...

The first positive thing about Star Wars: Outlaws is the charming protagonist. It was completely unclear whether players would be able to develop any real connection to the unknown villain. Massive Entertainment has obviously taken inspiration from Star Wars Jedi and the plan is working. The duo of Cal Kestis and BD-1 worked brilliantly. In terms of gameplay and in terms of the story.

The Star Wars: Outlaws is similar with Kay Vess and her cute companion Nix. The latter ensures that you quickly and happily accept the heroine of the adventure as a controllable main character. The developers have also embedded her companion in the action in a playful and sensible way: You can have objects brought to you, steal from enemies, explode barrels, create distractions, complete switch tasks and much more. Nix is ​​not lacking in things to do - if you want, you can simply pet the little alien axolotl.

The duo of the four-legged friend and Kay Vess works so well in Star Wars: Outlaws that you quickly forget that the actual gameplay can be broken down into a few things: sneaking, shooting and climbing - and there are also regular flights or trips across the planet's surface.

blaster and hide-and-seek

Star Wars: Outlaws also features elements from Ubisoft's game catalog, primarily those elements that worked well in the past are recycled, albeit mostly in simpler versions. There is a lot of shooting and you shoot red beams for damage or stun enemies with blue lasers; you can also collect weapons from defeated enemies and use them at times. The shooting sequences are comparatively easy, which is mainly due to the enemies not being particularly accurate. They often shoot at ambushes, just not at Kay Vess - and fortunately not at all at Nix (!).

The alternative to open battles is stealth, but these are also usually simple, because the enemy density in the individual rooms is low. In the end, you only have to sneak past a few enemies. The goal is reached quickly. If you are discovered, there is usually more than enough space to hide.

You often have to master climbing sections, but these are also significantly slower in comparison to Star Wars Jedi. The game mechanics are similar - you press A, climb, press A, keep climbing - but it lacks the dynamic moments of "wall running" that always caused changes in pace in Electronic Arts' rival game. Everything sounds average, so where does the fun come from in Star Wars: Outlaws? It actually comes from the open world and the stories - for a game in the Star Wars universe, that's a kind of accolade.

Listen to the Cantina Whispers

Exploring the planet's surfaces and cities is enormously entertaining. There is something to discover everywhere, and it is not uncommon to come across quests during the game by listening to the whispers and conversations of the NPCs. This is not only cool, but fits perfectly with the setting of the game, where the lawlessness of the galaxy can be heard, seen and felt at every corner. Massive Entertainment has implemented this visually to a high standard. Star Wars: Outlaws is a beautiful game, even if it is not a breathtaking graphic display. The passages where you have to delve into the dingy corners of the cities are really good: dim light, dirt, smoke and defects - when it all comes together, it creates a real atmosphere. This formula, which works on a small scale, also applies to the big picture in Star Wars: Outlaws. Although the individual game elements are pretty simple when viewed in isolation, sometimes too simple, as a complete package they are great fun.

Hanging out in cantinas, betting in the casino or visiting the dealers for useful items, sweeping through the landscapes on the speeder or enjoying the smooth transition between the surface and space (it's ultimately just a kind of loading screen with no real options for intervention, but brilliantly implemented) are all small details that make it easy for players to immerse themselves in the world of Star Wars: Outlaws, even to lose themselves in it.

Time and again, you have to make decisions as part of the quests that can have consequences - others are forced on you - or complete side quests instead of following the main story. The job search is part of the villain's everyday life - and it significantly extends the gaming experience by 20 to 30 hours. If you want to complete Star Wars: Outlaws, you will need between 50 and 60 hours to do so; the storyline will be completed in about half the time. The fact is: it will be difficult to always just follow the main thread, because the side quests are tempting, often lucrative and often quite excitingly embedded in the gameplay. Going in search of missing goods after overhearing a dialogue arouses curiosity - the loot is ultimately irrelevant, but you would really like to know what is going on in such situations. You then usually hop on your speeder, drive many kilometers and often let an extra hour pass.

The concept works in all game worlds. And there are quite a few of them: fans visit planets in the Outer Rim (there is also a Star Wars board game): Known among the worlds is of course Tatooine, Cantonica and its casino city Canto Bight are also well known to fans of the franchise. Perhaps less well known is kijimi, although the snow planet was introduced in Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker. In addition, the new world Toshara in the Toshaal system. Also rather unknown is akiva a jungle world that did not appear in the films, but was featured in the Star Wars literature. There is also a lot to experience in space itself - the spaceship is more of an accessory, but it is still essential when it comes to discovering adventures. Of course, there are still fights and chases.

The worlds are large, but their dimensions cannot be compared to other open-world games from Ubisoft, especially not Assassins' Creed. Ultimately, however, this is a good compromise, because in Star Wars: Outlaws the gaming experience is not watered down. You always stay in the story, even during extensive exploration.

factions and the good reputation

It is also worth pointing out that in Star Wars: Outlaws you spend far less time in your spaceship than you might think. The stars are the planets and the NPC life on them. The activities of the factions, the gang wars and the reputation system woven into them are also closely linked to this. The concept is well thought out and has a real influence on the gameplay. Depending on the popularity of the factions, the approaches to quests can change. If you fail tasks, for example, your reputation drops. If you fail multiple times, this can get so bad that you have to rethink things because you suddenly lose your good reputation and are no longer allowed into certain areas without any problems.

The basic idea behind it: If you are in the favor of a gang, this leads to amenities. Special traders offer rare goods in areas that are not accessible to outsiders, there are discounts or special orders, or you can access cosmetic items. This usually feels rewarding and again it fits perfectly with the setting around the outlaws of the galaxy.

The developers have implemented this in a much more focused way than expected. For almost every action in the game, you gain or lose reputation with the factions. The popularity bars are constantly shifting, in real time. This is certainly a rarity in video games. The blunt mechanics behind it feel almost alive, and also give the game world that certain something. And ultimately, it is one of the big differences if you want to compare Star Wars: Outlaws with the linear Star Wars Jedi series. The world in Outlaws changes, and you react to it as a player. And the neutrality of Kay Vess as a money-hoarding hired villain, which was initially perceived as criticism, suddenly feels extremely appropriate. You chase the credits, the battle between good and evil takes place on the level above.

Information about Star Wars: Outlaws

Number of players: 1 Age: from 16 years Playing time: 30 hours for the storyline Difficulty: medium Long-term motivation: medium Classification: Open World; Action game Developer: Massive Entertainment Publisher: Ubisoft Official Website: Link Year of publication: 2024 Platforms: Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Language: German Cost: 70 to 170 euros

Conclusion

You spend around 60 hours with Star Wars: Outlaws – the extra time after the main story, however, feels more satisfying for those fans who really want to explore and discover everything. What Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft offer players is good entertainment at a high level and that for at least 25 hours, probably even a little more. The focus on the stealth aspects underpins the setting and it often makes more sense from a purely gameplay perspective to avoid direct confrontation. Kay Vess is slow-moving and not necessarily a born fighter. Her blaster does a good job, but the missions are much more exciting if you work your way through them stealthily. The developers support this approach subtly, making Kay Vess's awkward movements an obstacle in blaster combat; in addition, the use of Nix in stealth situations is a nice bonus that you'll gladly use. With a little planning and practice, you can pull off impressive stealth kills. That's motivating.

Overall, Star Wars: Outlaws is rather shallow in terms of gameplay, but many different elements fit together so well that in many places you don't want it to be more complex in order to be able to advance the main or subplot. In Star Wars: Outlaws, the focus is clearly on the actions in the world - it's not just about playing an outlaw with Kay Vess, but also experiencing the situations from the perspective of a real galactic outlaw: you quickly feel like a small and insignificant cog in the machine - in a positive sense. In Star Wars: Outlaws, there is no admonishing finger that wants to force the player to do good deeds. Instead, you just do what brings in credits. Certainly interesting, if tedious, mini-games and the many cool dialogues support this in small ways.

With Star Wars: Outlaws, it's not enough to just look at the core of the game, you have to look at the details, then you'll discover what a wonderful job the developers have done. And you can safely overlook the fact that in the end you'll only be shooting, sneaking or climbing. What is hardly new or exciting on its own becomes - embedded in the world of villains - a convincing gaming concept as a whole. Star Wars: Outlaws is particularly interesting for fans, because experiencing the galaxy from Han Solo's perspective is a rarity. Far too often, Star Wars in video games degenerates into a thrashing, rough-and-tumble action at a rapid pace. Outlaws' slow gameplay provides a welcome contrast. Not every player will like it equally, but focusing on the simple things in the galaxy is ultimately something really great.

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