Ubisoft wants to fix the most annoying thing about Star Wars Outlaws 'in about ten days'

What you need to know

Star Wars Outlaws, developed by Massive Games and published by Ubisoft, is a third-person action adventure with stealth mechanics set in the Star Wars universe.
Some early gameplay segments feature punishing stealth requirements that have led to players struggling to progress.
Star Wars Outlaws creative director, Julian Gerighty, revealed a patch for the frustratingly difficult stealth missions that would release “in about ten days”, around September 17.
The team is also considering additional missions later in the game to retool and adjust for better difficulty balance.

As an experienced analyst with a penchant for video games and a soft spot for the Star Wars universe, I must say that my initial excitement for Star Wars Outlaws was slightly dampened by the reports of frustratingly difficult stealth missions. Having played my fair share of stealth-heavy titles in the past, I can appreciate the value of tension and challenge, but when it tips over into outright frustration, it’s a problem.

One week ago, Star Wars Outlaws was launched, and the crew at Massive Games is currently fine-tuning a fix to adjust the difficulty of certain contentious early missions that players have been finding challenging. As per comments made by creative director Julian Gerighty to GamesRadar+, Ubisoft is preparing a patch to revise these troublesome missions based on collected data showing they aren’t functioning as planned. The team aims to release this update within approximately ten days, which would place the new version around September 17.

According to Gerighty, the challenging stealth missions in the game were designed to build tension, but they haven’t quite lived up to the team’s expectations. Instead, players are finding these initial missions too tough, even unfair. Gerighty acknowledges this assessment as accurate. Additionally, he mentioned that the difficulty level, which seemed excessive only a week after the game’s release, was something unexpected by the team. He went on to describe the early mission on Mirogana as excessively punishing, admitting it was a mistake and one they would continue to address.

The initial update aims to ease the toughness of Star Wars Outlaws’ opening missions, but this doesn’t exclude future challenges. Further adjustments and refinements might be implemented to ensure a balanced game experience, taking into account player feedback and game statistics. As Gerighty put it, there are numerous opportunities for improvement that could make the game more enjoyable and user-friendly.

Gerighty explained that the update might not directly resolve the issues causing trouble for players in terms of game failures, but instead it would attempt to provide alternative solutions for those who are stuck. This could involve offering extra hints or altering the scenario where players encounter obstacles. Game director Mathias Karlson also acknowledged the challenges players were facing with progression, stating that the team aimed to maintain an optimal level of tension. However, they consider player input and statistics when deciding whether a part of the game needs adjustment.

In their review of Star Wars Outlaws, Windows Central’s Rebecca Spear noted that while the concept of a heist in the Star Wars universe is interesting, the plot might not hold up without the support of Star Wars nostalgia. Although she didn’t mention any issues with the difficulty levels, some frustration was expressed regarding the game’s stealth mechanics by other reviewers in our compilation of reviews on Star Wars Outlaws.

2024-09-08 17:39

Ubisoft wants to fix the most annoying thing about Star Wars Outlaws ‘in about ten days’

What you need to know

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