A few weeks ago I got to play a few levels of Star Wars: Outlaws and I’ve come to the conclusion that it is the worst possible way to play the game. In fact I went away thinking that I wanted to love the game but only liked it. A game like Star Wars: Outlaws needs to be enjoyed from beginning to end as the greatness comes from the game as a whole, not just highlight clips.
Once I got my hands on the complete game and starting at the beginning I got a much better feel for the relationships between the characters Kay Ves and Nix and even their place in the galaxy that is far far away. A galaxy that feels big, lived in and the first true “open world/s” Star Wars video game.
Massive Entertainment have done a really great job of designing an aesthetic that fits the era directly between the films “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”. I spoke with some of the design team and they were really passionate about Ralph McQuarrie’s original concept art for Star Wars and how they had giant prints as inspiration around the office. It’s a passion that has left its mark on the game in a way that some of the modern Star Wars media have missed the mark on.
@doccydarko I sat down with Sam from Star Wars Outlaws to chat about the inspiration behind The Ashiga Clan #starwars #starwarsoutlaws #ubisoft #ubisoftaustralia ♬ original sound – DoccyDarko
Even down to the audio in the game, the score has wonderful modern elements that feel sci-fi but not really “Star Wars”, suddenly it will then break into a more traditional “John Williamson” style theme that is the perfect blend to say this is the franchise you love, just not a “Skywalker Saga”, it’s in that space, but it’s also its own thing. It’s a really impressive balance of music.
The five worlds that you visit throughout the game feel extremely unique and are visually amazing. There’s the familiar territory of the sand-covered Tatooine, which manages to feel as huge as you would imagine it with plenty of nods to the franchise. Then there is something like the Casino city of Canto from “The Last Jedi”, which felt like a side-mission in the film but takes centre stage as it’s where you start the game. Learning more about these planets we’ve seen and read glimpses of in the past is always the best part of playing a Star Wars title.
While the scenery looks great, the people in parts seem a bit off, alien creatures are fine and match the overall Star Wars look, but there’s a lot to be said for the appearance of Kay Ves and other humanoid characters’ faces in particular that don’t always feel as “Next Gen” as they should. Hair is an issue in the game which is why you won’t see any Wookies but it’s not enough to take you out of the game..
Star Wars for me is at its best as a story of a “ragtag group of misfits” who are out trying to survive in a galaxy that is making it very hard for them. There are elements of this throughout the game, and those relationships that really make for an interesting story. Kay Ves herself is kind of a bit of every main character from the original trilogy but I imagine her more as a Young Female Han Solo Scoundrel.
Her offsider is a small creature named Nix who is far more fun than I thought he would be. I’d written the creature off as an unnecessary trope but the reality of playing the game brought the gameplay of the character to the forefront as he is an extension of Kay and the way they work together is more of a symbiotic relationship. It works, and I’m here for it. He also might just be the cutest Ubisoft character I’ve seen since Chorizo the Dachshund in Far Cry 6.
I’m not going into details of the story, needless to say you don’t want spoilers and I don’t want to ruin it for you. But I will say that the way that the Empire and the Syndicates are worked in and around your main mission is really well done.
Those syndicates play a massive part in the way the game plays out and if you are a casual Star Wars fan you’ll appreciate that the game explains their background quite well to you. Picking sides will choose your path through the game with some actions raising the relationship with one gang, while lowering your standing with another. This will have an effect on the way you do business and could even lead to some very dangerous outcomes. It’s a game of balance, and playing factions off each other as much as you are able. You ultimately chose the type of “scoundrel” you want to be.
At times it feels like a Ubisoft greatest hits catalogue but if I have a critique it’s that they chose to run it in 3rd person. I would have rather they embraced “Far Cry” more than “The Division” or “Watch Dogs” and go in hard with a first-person action-adventure title. However, that might be down to the way I like to play, there’s multiple ways to attack each mission but ultimately stealth or shootout. I tend to fall into the latter, not that I don’t want to be stealthy, I’m just not very good at it and eventually just end up shooting my way out.
The vehicles in the game are extremely well-designed. Once you unlock them, the speeder bike is a fantastically fun way to traverse the open-world environments that manage to capture the feeling of speed without being too hard to control. The Trailblazer is the ship that you pilot from planet to space with a wonderfully simple but effective transition. The smuggling and protection missions in outer space create some great environments for epic dogfights and the ship controls are pretty on point. You will need to upgrade regularly or you’ll be outclassed more often than not.
Another upgradable feature is your blaster, the “clumsy or random” weapon as Obi-Wan would call it is anything but. In fact that description must be in relation to Storm Troopers in the movies only. You’ll find components on the journey that will unlock some pretty powerful enhancements, but it’s good to play with this in order to find a system that matches your play style.
Your own character levels up by meeting experts along the way that you gain knowledge from. You’ll complete a job for them and they will help you to unlock new skills. It’s a simple mechanic but a welcome one as the game already has a lot going on.
The game is full of mini-games, some fun others frustrating but none that have an ultimate impact on your game experience. The lockpicking minigame is in the latter, to the point I turned on the visual assistance just to be done with it. But the slicing game is a lot of fun, it’s more like a memory/guessing game you’d play with the kids.
Combat is combat, if that makes sense. It’s as good as any other game but never feels groundbreaking. There are moments when enemies react and others when they don’t. Sometimes it feels too easy, the next minute you are hitting replay for the 10th time.
Final Say
Star Wars: Outlaws is a game I got to love when I started from the beginning. The expansive worlds and character personalities all feel very fitting for a story set in a Star Wars universe and it gets so many things right that many other media fail to. Because at its core the designers understand what makes Star Wars special to so many people.
The game is not without its faults and I’m sure there’ll be lots of commentary around the negative aspects of the game simply because it carries the burden of being “Star Wars”, but what you have here is a game that lets you play in a quality Star Wars sandbox with characters and elements that are new while at the same time feel familiar. If this is the future of Star Wars gaming, then the franchise is in good hands.
