Star Wars Outlaws: Hands-on Preview
Star Wars Outlaws represents a first in quite a few ways. It is the first Star Wars game from Ubisoft, it is the first Star Wars game to focus solely on the galaxy’s underworld and, perhaps most amazingly, it is the first Open World game in the franchise. As a result, Outlaws will be under a microscope, with fans worldwide closely watching to see how it turns out. Well thanks to Ubisoft Australia, I now have a much better idea. I got to sit down and play about 4 hours of the game and have come away positive, if not blown away, by my time in the Galaxy’s underworld.
For those not sure what the setup is, Star Wars Outlaws is an open-world adventure starring Kay Vess, a down-on-her-luck smuggler who is looking for that one big score to put her on easy street. While attempting to make life better for herself, she takes jobs from various crime syndicates, such as the Hutts and tries to avoid attention from the Empire. Of course, things don’t exactly go to plan and she is forced into all sorts of situations requiring quick wits, quips and trigger fingers. It is a classic setup and it works well here, primarily because this is a part of the Galaxy Far Far Away that hasn’t been explored before.
During my time I got to partake in a range of missions and experience a little bit of the open world. The first thing I noticed is this is a game that has a huge focus on stealth. A lot of my time was spent sneaking around, silently taking out enemies while getting assistance from my constant companion, the fluffy toy in waiting, Nyx. The stealth is solid, though I felt it lacking a little depth. It would have taken it to the next level if Ubisoft included some of the staples from Splinter Cell, like the last known locations shadow. As it is, there is nothing wrong with this part of the gameplay, I just feel like it could have been more.
When the action heats up, Kay is by no means defenceless. She has her handy blaster which can be upgraded to include multiple different fire modes and Nyx makes for a handy companion, fetching weapons, attacking enemies and setting off environmental traps. There is actually a very Uncharted-type feel to the combat with ducking for and shooting out of cover being the order of the day. The set pieces I got to take part in were all exciting and by no means easy. There feels like some serious challenge here, after all, life shouldn’t be easy for a smuggler on the run.
The Uncharted feels continue through some of the more linear sections of the game, with grappling, swinging and climbing through the environment common. These mechanics all feel tight and responsive and while initially, I found it a little hard to discern what was climbable and what wasn’t (which led to some embarrassing deaths) but once I recognised how the game identified these surfaces I had no issues. Once again, these are mechanics we have seen before, but never in the Star Wars setting.
As for Star Wars lore, there is a host of recognisable factions and the time frame is set between A New Hope and Empire. The Hutts, Crimson Dawn, the Empire and a host of other recognisable names, groups and syndicates are present and some of the coolest moments in my time were deciding who to support and who to upset. By taking sides I got access to different locations, upgrades and stores and there is a tantalising promise of real consequence when the full game comes out. I can’t wait to see how my fondness for the Crimson Dawn annoys the hell out of Jabba and what it means for the story.
As for the open-world components, I only got to play around here briefly. My initial impression is, well, it is very Ubisoft. There are a host of small activities dotted around the map meaning I got distracted quite often going from point A to point B. I had fun out there, helping civilians fight off raiders, discovering new locations and sneaking into Imperial Outposts but as is always the case with open-world games, I worry that these activities will wear thin over the course of a full game. Only time will tell on this score.
What would a Star Wars game be without some space combat and thankfully Outlaws doesn’t disappoint. Jumping into Kay’s ship and blasting some Tie Fighters is a load of fun but once again isn’t deep. It is very much on the arcade side of things, so people looking for something akin to the old X-wing games or even the more recent Rogue Squadrons will be disappointed. That said, I feel like these sections are going to make for a great little break in proceedings, helping to stave off any fatigue people may feel with the rest of the gameplay.
The final part of the game I want to talk about is the two locations I got to see. One is a tundra-like planet with a host of impressive rock structures, swampland and sweeping plains and the second was a frozen city on a world in the middle of a gang war. Both locations were stunning. This game is a real treat for the eye and the artists have clearly had a load of fun designing these new planets while keeping them within what we know as a traditional Star Wars location. It will be interesting to see how Tatooine looks in the final product in comparison because I have a feeling that the well-visited planet will feel a little boring after hanging around in these two new spots.
After my four hours with the game, I feel confident in saying Star Wars Outlaws will be a good game, I am just not sure if it will be a great one. Its biggest sin, as far as gameplay is concerned, is that it feels like it is playing Open-World’s greatest hits. There is little in the way of innovation when it comes to what you are actually doing. That said I can understand that the developers have taken this road. This is, after all, the first open-world Star Wars game so I can certainly forgive them for playing things a little safe. That may not even matter though because it may all come together in the final product perfectly. There is a reason these gameplay systems are familiar and that is because people like them. Either way, we don’t have long to wait to find out.
Star Wars Outlaws releases on the 30th of August on PS5, Xbox Series and PC.
