Star Wars Outlaws has the easiest elevator pitch of any game in recent history. It’s the first ever truly open-world game set within one of the most iconic entertainment franchises in history, and it’s made by Ubisoft, masters of the open-world genre. Developed by Massive Games – of The Division fame – the game promises tight gunplay, exciting quests, and complete immersion in Lucasfilm’s iconic fiction. On paper it’s an easy win, but how does Star Wars Outlaws hold up in practice? After four hours of exclusive hands-on access, I’d argue that it all works out pretty well.
My Star Wars Outlaws adventure begins on Toshara, a Savannah moon characterized by stunning rock structures and jagged outcroppings perfect for catching some air on your speeder. We play as Kay Vess, a smart-alecky Han Solo-type adventurer out to make her way in the chaotic era between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. With the Galactic Empire weakened, crime and corruption runs rampant on the planets where the Imperials cling to control. With the galaxy caught in an epic struggle between the rebels and the Empire, it’s the ideal time for an enterprising scoundrel to climb the ladder of chaos to fame or infamy.
Kay crash lands on Toshara in a hail of blaster fire, and she’s immediately set upon by bandits. It’s here that I get my first taste of Outlaws’ combat. With Massive’s pedigree with The Division series, it’s no surprise that the shooting is tight and responsive. Click the sticks on your controller (Xbox controllers were recommended for the play session) and you’ll activate a slowed-down aiming mode called Adrenaline Rush, which is reminiscent of fellow open-world game Red Dead Redemption’s Dead Eye, where you can paint targets and fire off headshots in a matter of seconds. This mode is on a cooldown, as is the blaster’s stun function, which can incapacitate enemies with a single hit.
Moments after this first shootout, I’m bombing through the canyons of Toshara on Kay’s speeder, dubbed the Trailblazer, accosted by opportunist outlaws looking for a quick score. Adrenaline Rush comes in very handy here. The level of visual polish is immediately apparent – the desert sun dances off metallic surfaces and dust kicks up as you zoom along arid paths, as the expansive draw distance teases you with glimpses of stunning structures that will surely make for compelling exploration.
Our first stop is Mirogana city – a wretched hive of scum and villainy where we get our first foray into Outlaw’s criminal underworld. The quest hub is exactly what you think it is: the city’s bustling cantina, populated by shifty aliens and policed by stormtroopers. Here, we’re introduced to the game’s criminal factions – the Pykes, Crimson Dawn, and The Hutts.
Each of these factions has its own goals and ethics, and your choice of alignment will affect how Kay’s story plays out. Your standings with each of these organizations will be updated in real-time based on decisions you make, forcing you to consider wisely instead of simply hoping for the best. Throughout our demo, we’re given several opportunities to betray our current quest giver to aid a different faction, but the long-term ramifications of these decisions aren’t made clear at this early stage.
Despite being tempted to team up with everyone’s favorite galactic gangster Jabba the Hutt, I chose to align myself with Crimson Dawn, the enigmatic faction which seems to be after a fairer society for the galaxy’s citizens. While they might seem like the virtuous choice, I suspect that in Outlaws’ morally grey world, there’s likely to be more to Crimson Dawn than first meets the eye.
I spend a good chunk of my first hours in the city, venturing through industrialized environments in a mixture of platforming, stealth, and puzzling. It’s standard third-person action-adventure fare, and I can’t help but think of Star Wars 1313 – the cancelled Uncharted-style game that I suspect is an unconscious inspiration for many of Outlaws’ ideas.
While Uncharted fans will feel at home here – grappling hook points abound and climbable ledges are even marked with that trademark yellow paint – Kay’s movements aren’t as fluid as that of a Nathan Drake or a Lara Croft. I expect the platforming segments will be more awe-inspiring out in the open world as opposed to the oppressive mechanical structures of Mirogana.
When you do encounter enemies, Kay can choose to charge into the fray blaster-blazing, or take the stealthy approach. Opponents can be marked using electrobinoculars and dispatched silently, or you can set your furry companion Nix on them, who can knock foes out without raising attention – as long as it’s not in an enemy’s sightline. Nix can also be used as a distraction, a feature that’s useful for breaking up small groups. If you’re spotted, enemies will raise alarms and bring in reinforcements, but you’ll be able to take them out before they can do so if you’re quick enough.
Combat shines in larger environments, as outside of the condensed, more linear missions, there’s a greater degree of experimentation on offer. Your blaster is your main weapon, but you can pick up automatic blasters, sniper rifles, thermal detonators, and more iconic Star Wars gadgets to get the drop on enemy syndicates. Even if you’re forced to go loud, it’s possible to disable alarms and slip back into the shadows to snap a few necks, space thug-style.
Initially, I was disappointed to see that Kay’s arsenal is limited to just one main weapon – albeit one with plenty of tasty upgrades. But as I made my way through more encounters, I found that the lack of a weapon wheel adds a scrappy quality to fights that feels fitting for Kay’s underdog bandit persona. Our hero is not an all-powerful Jedi, nor a seasoned bounty-hunting veteran, and the tense – and at times desperate – combat encounters reflect that chaotic scramble for survival.
Where the combat shines, however, the puzzle elements are disappointingly basic. There’s a rhythm-based lockpicking mechanic that already felt overused after just four hours of gameplay, and a hacking minigame that requires you match shapes in a Wordle-style trial-and-error sequence. If implemented sparingly these inoffensive minigames can provide a respite from the third-person adventuring, but they’re far too common and consistently bring gameplay to a frustrating halt.
After a couple of hours on Toshara, we’re fast-forwarded to later in the campaign as we head to the frigid planet of Kijimi, which fans may remember from Rise of Skywalker. As we approach the planet, we get our first taste of space combat, which delivers the free-wheeling thrills of the film series’ high-speed action sequences.
The phrase “this is podracing” sprang to mind several times during the sequence, which indicates that Massive has nailed the feel here. Visually, the open-space environments are awe-inspiring, which is all the more impressive when paired with the almost seamless landing transitions when you make port on a new planet.
The frosty biome of Kijimi looks stunning, and at this later stage in the story, we get a feel for how Kay’s relationships with the various crime syndicates will affect gameplay. At this stage in the campaign, our reputation with a new syndicate, the Ashiga Clan, has fallen into a Sarlacc pit, and their territories are now hostile to us. In the Labyrinthine city, we’re forced to think tactically about how we navigate the play environment, finding stealthy routes past enemy mobs by leaping across rooftops to reach our objective.
While not every mechanic in Star Wars Outlaws feels distinct and satisfying, they weave together effortlessly, making for an engrossing, immersive, and authentic outlaw experience. My short gameplay session didn’t fully illustrate how the shifting allegiances with Outlaws’ criminal factions will affect the story on a larger scale, there’s huge potential for this unique idea to elevate this Star Wars story to new heights. Although I’m still sceptical, I can’t wait to fully immerse myself in Ubisoft’s take on a galaxy far, far away when the Star Wars Outlaws release date rolls around in just a few weeks.