As a seasoned gamer with over three decades of gaming under my belt and having witnessed the evolution of the industry, I must say that the latest release from Ubisoft, “Star Wars Outlaws,” has left me rather disheartened. It’s not often that we see such a blend of promising elements marred by nonsensical plot points, inconsistencies, and downright dated design choices in a major AAA title of this era.
As a die-hard Star Wars fan, I’ve eagerly awaited the massive open-world game by Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft. However, upon its release, it seems that not everything went as planned. Don’t get me wrong; there are numerous appealing aspects to this space-faring escapade known as Star Wars: Outlaws, especially the roguish atmosphere it manages to create. Yet, at every twist and turn, the game is burdened by considerable flaws that hinder its full potential. Here, let’s delve into both the pros and cons of this galaxy-trotting adventure.
LIKED:
FEELING LIKE A SCOUNDREL
The primary appeal of Star Wars Outlaws has always been its ability to let players embody their dreams of being a cunning, witty, and duplicitous space outlaw in the Star Wars universe. Fortunately, this aspect is where the game truly shines. The sensation of playing as a suave, devious interstellar felon in the expansive Star Wars galaxy is every bit as satisfying as one would expect. The game manages to achieve this in multiple ways, such as providing players with the means to think on their feet and improvise Han Solo-like when situations turn south, or navigating the seedy underbelly of the galaxy while keeping various factions content – or at least not enraged by your mere existence. This leads us to our next point…
THE REPUTATION SYSTEM
In the world of Star Wars Outlaws, the Reputation system plays a crucial role, connecting with virtually every significant aspect or function within the game. While some may argue that it could have been more fully developed, there’s no disputing its effectiveness in realizing the scoundrel fantasy. After all, the outlaw character has long been a staple of Star Wars lore, maneuvering skillfully among various criminal factions to achieve personal objectives. The Reputation system here does an impressive job of mirroring this dynamic. Furthermore, the decisions you make in the game often demand careful consideration, and the repercussions of these choices frequently feel genuinely meaningful.
THE STAR WARS AESTHETIC
For any Star Wars game, this one seems like a surefire success. The iconic sci-fi franchise has been a cultural giant since its inception, and over time, it’s developed a unique visual style that, once you’re hooked, you can’t seem to get enough of. We, for one, are thrilled with how accurately Star Wars Outlaws portrays this aesthetic. The game features the sleek, confined interiors of Imperial bases and space stations, along with the distinct sound effects of speeders and blasters. Every cantina you visit is densely packed with intricate details, and the vistas across the galaxy are stunning. Massive Entertainment has clearly grasped the essence of recreating that classic Star Wars look and feel.
THE OPEN WORLD DESIGN
You’d be forgiven for having at least some skepticism over Star Wars Outlaws’ open world design. Though Massive Entertainment itself has crafted plenty of excellent open world maps in its time, Ubisoft as a publisher has become associated with some of the most fatigue-inducing open world tropes around. Thankfully, Star Wars Outlaws feels like a very un-Ubisoft game in that regard. Far from feeling too formulaic or rigidly structured, the map here is surprisingly organic, with an actual sense of discovery defining the experience. Being naturally distracted by things that pique your curiosity rather following markers and checklists definitely makes for much more compelling open world gameplay.
KAY AND NIX
In “Star Wars Outlaws”, there are certain writing flaws (I’ll delve deeper into that later), which results in some characters not getting as much spotlight as they should. However, the duo of Kay and Nix stands out remarkably well from the start. Unlike established characters such as Han Solo or Lando Calrissian, Kay is relatively inexperienced and tends to make rookie errors; however, her knack for quick thinking and improvisation transforms her into a compelling lead character. Additionally, her charming demeanor, coupled with her heartwarming connection with the lovable Nix, makes it effortless to become emotionally involved with them both.
DISLIKED:
INCONSISTENT WRITING
Let’s begin this discussion focusing on the writing flaws in ‘Star Wars Outlaws’, as we’ve previously addressed them. To clarify, the game’s writing isn’t uniformly poor; Kay is an engaging protagonist and her relationship with Nix adds depth to the narrative. However, the story can be marred by illogical plot devices, inconsistencies, characters acting irrationally, and similar issues. Moreover, it appears this game failed to follow the advice “show, don’t tell”, which results in key narrative twists in later stages feeling underdeveloped and losing impact.
INSTA-FAIL STEALTH SECTIONS
In 2024, it’s surprising to find ourselves discussing insta-fail stealth sections in a major new AAA title. This design approach seemed outdated even a decade ago, and yet, the upcoming game “Star Wars Outlaws” not only incorporates it, but also amplifies this choice. The game includes an excessive amount of compulsory stealth segments that are further aggravated by AI problems, technical glitches, and subpar stealth mechanics, resulting in a stealth experience that’s far from enjoyable for us, who appreciate the stealth genre. It’s disappointing to see a game so adamant about emphasizing stealth gameplay, despite lacking the necessary capabilities to execute it effectively.
STIFF MOVEMENT
In games developed by Massive and Ubisoft, you rarely encounter issues with gameplay quality, as they typically offer an enjoyable experience in terms of moment-to-moment gameplay and overall feel. However, this expectation is not met in the case of “Star Wars Outlaws”. The game’s movement feels incredibly awkward, and while many of these problems can be attributed to technical issues within the game (which we’ll discuss later), even if these were resolved, the game would still feel clunky and difficult to manage on a fundamental level.
BLAND CLIMBING MECHANICS
In Star Wars Outlaws, there’s a multitude of AAA tropes at play, and one notable aspect is the climbing mechanics similar to those in Uncharted series. However, unlike its smooth and engaging counterpart in Uncharted games, the climbing experience in Star Wars Outlaws feels awkward and rigid with Kay’s movements appearing jerky and stiff. As you navigate walls and ledges, it seems as though you can sense the transitions between one animation and the next. Moreover, these climbing sections tend to be overly straightforward and linear, often resulting in a series of QTEs that seem devoid of real challenge or excitement.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
It’s not unusual for technical problems to occur at launch with games from Ubisoft or even AAA-level titles, as was the case with last year’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. However, Outlaws seems to have a particularly noticeable rough edge. During our playtime, we encountered performance drops, blurry distances, lip syncing problems, texture pop-ins, animation glitches, and various bugs. It’s surprising because the game was finalized for production nearly two months before its release.
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2024-08-30 16:12