Star Wars Outlaws review — A scoundrel’s tale

By David Burdette, Adam Moreno and Ron Burke

Posted on August 26, 2024

Star Wars Outlaws is one of the few games I’ve felt incredibly comfortable with well before review time. After about four hours of preview access, that makes sense. That’s not the only reason though, as what Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment has crafted fits perfectly into your grasp, easy for anyone to play. How does it do that, you ask? We’ll have to take a trip to a galaxy far, far away.

You begin as Kay Vess, a young thief who isn’t living in any sort of luxury on Canto Bight. She’s the definition of street mongrel, always up to no good, although that’s just how you survive on these mean streets. After robbing a local group of thugs goes wrong, Kay finds herself forced to leave, taking on a job she’s underqualified for, and in the ensuing chaos of said mission, stealing a starship and fleeing to an eventual crash land on a new planet.

Everything starts fast, but the pacing feels natural after these opening bits. You’re thrust into finding a crew to do another big job because there’s a Death Mark (a bounty on someone who is wanted dead) on your head from the previous failed job. Worse still, Kay is a part of the criminal underworld, so her base instincts will lead her into places where someone might be willing to betray her (and believe me, it’ll happen) if the price is right.

This leads into a Star Wars story that feels extremely Star Wars. It’s more grounded than other Star Wars games, without the Force or Jedi making much of an appearance. That’s as much on the style of game as much as the way the narrative is constructed. The comfort I feel may stem from Outlaws feeling similar in tone to games like Shadows of the Empire and Jedi: Outcast. I love how Outlaws doesn’t feel the need to press for cameos (even if there are a few minor ones) or force Kay to take a side. She’s a scoundrel, and that’s exactly why this game feels unique to Star Wars.

One thing you won’t find: many bombastic moments. There are some great encounters, and even a few interesting moments, but I don’t remember any story beats that had my jaw on the floor. Outlaws is safe in narrative and set pieces, and while that’s okay, I expected something more grandiose based on other Star Wars games.

Star Wars Outlaws largely stays in the present, and that’s both to its benefit and detriment. I’m happily invested in what’s happening to Kay and her current plight, but there isn’t a lot of explored depth. Her backstory only unfolds in a few flashback cutscenes and dialogue here and there, so I don’t feel as if I’ve really gotten to know this character as well as I could have. What she builds to in the present is well done, but I’d love to understand more of her motivations beyond what we get.

Kay’s character is still believable, and her development over the course of the game is great to watch. She tries to act tough, but she wants to be able to trust people. This is a theme over the game. While it doesn’t always work as well as you’d hope, Humberly González voices her heart out as Kay. There are some moments in this journey that feel earned, and others, not so much.

That affects the other characters you interact with as well. The cast chosen for Outlaws is fantastic, a group that befits the Star Wars name. Unfortunately there are a few characters that can feel hollow, especially one in particular I won’t name for spoilers sake. Her connection to Kay is too underdeveloped, especially considering you don’t even work with her until the endgame, which makes the eventual stakes in their relationship seem forced.

Even so, Nix, ND-5, and Gedeek are proof of how well this team can develop characters without heavy backstories. Nix is a co-main character, and it’s amazing how you can add a creature that doesn’t speak a single word of dialogue and have him steal the show. Seriously, Nix is my favorite thing about Star Wars Outlaws. ND-5 is a re-formatted commando droid who, even though he isn’t trying to, will win you over with his mannerisms as the story goes. Gedeek, a Rodian droidsmith, is one of the more intricate characters, with a lot of depth coming from your conversations with him in missions. There are more awesome characters you’ll meet, but these are certainly standouts in the world.

Speaking of the world, Outlaws is lush with lore and locations. There are five planets you’ll visit on this adventure, with one you only briefly stay on at the beginning and end: Canto Bight. This is the casino planet from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, although you won’t probably recognize it given you won’t spend any time in the spots from the movie. The closest part would be one moment in the casino, but even that is so vague that you could pass it off as any planet.

Toshara is new to Star Wars, and it’s a sight to behold. The bright savannahs and amberine hills are a delight to traverse on a speeder. Kijimi is from Rise of Skywalker, and I’m a little disappointed in it. While the snowfall of the biome is pretty, it’s the smallest of the four main planets, more of an open level than an open world. Akiva is a jungle planet that has an underground droid factory you’ll explore, which is just epic. Tatooine… well, we all know Tatooine. That said, it’s massive, and riding around the desert is stupendous. Mos Eisley and Jabba’s palace are in place, and so you know, the rumors of Jabba being locked behind a paywall have been greatly exaggerated.

All of these planets lead to an incredible experience with beautiful views to survey. The towns you’ll visit feel alive and the attention to detail is apparent. Whether I was ascending a cliff on Tatooine or speeding over a waterway on Akiva, I felt immersed in the worlds that Massive Entertainment crafted. This is at least partly due to the clean design of the UI, not peppering you with endless objectives. Those exist, but feel as optional as they should. Outlaws isn’t an intimidating open-world like some previous Ubisoft titles have been.

When it comes to lore, there’s almost too much to dive into. That said, as a Star Wars comic book fan, I really appreciate the nods to specific events that happen in the comic books, mainly the Hidden Empire, Crimson Reign, and War of the Bounty Hunters. One specific event is when ND-1 brings up the auction Qi-ra holds as leader of Crimson Dawn. That auction was for the Carbonite-Frozen Han Solo. These small nods will make those who have followed the comics closely smile while also not being overly complicated for anyone who hasn’t read these comics quite yet.

The highlight of Star Wars Outlaws is the gameplay. This team is the same behind the Division, so I’m impressed with their versatility in making Outlaws. Where the Division had spongy enemies, Outlaws proves more forgiving and presses closer to realism. Most enemies go down in a few blaster shots. The Division certainly provided a blueprint for Outlaws, with third-person gunplay that reminds me a lot of the post-apocalyptic looter-shooter. I wish they added the cover system, however, as it’s not sticky in Outlaws.

Something surprising: a lack of enemy variety, along with AI being ignorant. Very rarely did I fight off alien creatures. It was mostly troopers or syndicate members, who might have a sniper or grenade launcher to mix things up. I’d have loved a few over-the-top monster fights to liven things up, especially in a universe as dense as Star Wars. That said, I can pet plenty of creatures, so I’ll give Massive that.

If you’re like me and a huge Splinter Cell fan, you might see its trappings in the gameplay. It’s not exclusively stealth, but you’re presented with the option more times than not to sneak your way through a quest rather than engage in combat. Looking for vents to climb through, finding the “tall grass,” and using Nix to distract guards all makes this so fun to play. I would occasionally make a wrong move and trigger an alarm, but you can usually move on. There are some sections that do force you through stealth, and it’s like a puzzle, figuring out the way forward through trial and error.

Nix in particular is a fantastic part of Star Wars Outlaws. Being able to use Nix in so many different ways makes you look at the game differently. I’ve often been pinned down with a sliver of health left, and then saw a bacta vial in the distance. In any other game, I’d have to risk my life, but being able to send Nix to fetch it changes my perception. Using him to distract thugs to sneak past, or sabotage an alarm panel adds a layer to Outlaws you don’t always get in other games. My favorite use was sending Nix to attack one of a pair of troopers, allowing me to take out the other before slamming down the one Nix was on. Moments like this allow the stealth to be more challenging without being impossible.

A lot of the levels in Outlaws feel like a maze, and larger than I thought they were going to be. I enjoy the flow; it doesn’t feel restrictive or have empty moments where you don’t feel like anything is happening. Even better, the Uncharted and Assassin’s Creed similarities keep things fresh, with a lot of verticality in play as you climb and grapple around. In any sort of open-world game you have monotony, and while some side missions may have a bit of that, it’s completely absent in the main quests.

Now, the speeder? It’s a good piece of machinery, but can be finicky to ride on. Controlling it is a bit twitchy, and it being fast as a default setting can be frustrating. I also don’t understand why I can’t engage in firefights while on it, only being able to use the Red Dead-like slowdown ultimate to take out opposing speeders. In any case, I’d rather have it than not on these big worlds, and Akiva is the only place where you can’t ride it anywhere due to the plentiful foliage.

Some good news: there are some upgrades to help you out. Your speeder seems one dimensional at the start, but after picking up different resources around the world, you can add a few useful abilities to it. Being able to pop a jump to keep from slamming into a ledge can save you a health bar, after all.

Similarly, you can also gain a few extra abilities for your ship, the Trailblazer, your blaster, and Kay herself. Most of these happen through playing the story, with certain missions requiring an upgrade, along with certain conditions of these perks being met as you go about your business, i.e. spending 2000 credits at a merchant or doing things Nix likes. None of the abilities are too extravagant to get, attainable by paying attention to what you’re doing and hitting up the right people to buy certain resources needed.

I’m glad Massive stuck with what they have when it comes to upgrading your blaster. You can pick up enemy weapons along the way and use them against your foe, but none of those stick with you. Your trusty blaster has a few modes, and none have more than four additional perks to unlock. It’s nothing special, like an accuracy boost or reload bonus, but it’s a simple system that gives nice benefits.

If you’ve played Star Wars: Battlefront II from 2017, you’ll know exactly how to fly the Trailblazer in Outlaws. It’s almost exactly the same mechanics as Battlefront II, and that made it extremely easy to start the flying segments with no issue flying through debris and making my way to my destination. Fighting against TIEs and other starships is also easy, with a tracking system in place that allows you to focus in on the enemy you’re targeting. The 360 degree movement in space disorients me sometimes, but overall, Massive has crafted a solid mechanic in their spaceflight.

Outlaws keeps the flying simple, fun, and full of explosions without making you have to worry about too many aspects of the flying experience. These sections are more than meets the eye, however, with treasures to find or dogfights to get into. This could easily have been a glossed over portion of Outlaws, but feels fleshed out despite its straightforward nature. There’s nothing like the feeling of pushing into the atmosphere to land on a planet, and vice versa, even if it is a cutscene, along with the rush of jumping to hyperspace.

It’s easy to get lost in the side missions while playing Outlaws. There are so many different types of side missions throughout your tour of the Galaxy. I personally had a hard time not doing side missions and had to actively choose to do the main missions. Before leaving Toshara, I already had max-reputation with Crimson Dawn, which unlocked the neat, and great looking, outfit with the Crimson Dawn theme.

On each planet you’ll meet contacts that can provide missions for different syndicates on or in the space above that planet. So for instance, if you anger the Pyke Syndicate over Kijimi, you can do some smaller side missions to move your reputation from “bad” to “good.” I found myself doing that a lot with the Syndicates I wanted to keep in good standing, which for me were Crimson Dawn and the Hutt Cartel.

Side missions are everything from smuggling cargo through enemy territory under a certain time limit to finding pirates and stealing back the cargo they stole from someone else. My favorite side mission so far was one I found just driving around Toshara. The Empire has found out that a group of pirates have stolen Imperial goods, and they want them back. You see a transport shuttle land and a group of Stormtroopers get out and eliminate the pirates. From here, you can take the goods the Empire is collecting for yourself, albeit carefully as to avoid blaster fire.

Some of these missions will involve sneaking around, such as the one I just talked about, while in others you’ll be getting shot at. I’m not kidding, the contract will say that blasters will be involved or will actually say “you will get shot at.” Outlaws is full of side quests, and so far they haven’t gotten stale.

There are many ways to play Outlaws when it comes to the Reputation aspect. I decided to go head first into one specific Syndicate, Crimson Dawn, to see what happens if you max out one Syndicate and nothing else from the very beginning. It does do some interesting things, as every other Syndicate basically started shooting on sight. However, I could walk into almost every area of a Crimson Dawn hideout and nobody would say anything at all.

This way of playing, however, doesn’t seem to be the way it’s intended to be all the time, as there are story missions where you’ll need to steal from specific Syndicates. In Knights of the Old Republic II, I remember on Telos IV where you can choose to work with a black market dealer, or you can work with the Republic. If you work with the Republic, they actually just hand you the items the black market worker wants and you continue on your way. I wish there was a bit of that mindset when you have Syndicates at max reputation, but I understand the need to continue the story and introduce people to all of the Syndicates who may not know the backstory for all of them.

Although they don’t have a reputation to bring up or down, the Imperial presence looms over every planet you visit. You’ll battle with bucketheads on more than one occasion. Garrisons exist on each planet, and sometimes you’ll have to make a trip inside for a story or side mission, or because you’re a masochist. Be careful, because you’ll gain a wanted level if you get into a large enough skirmish, and with a high enough one, death troopers will be dispatched. These guys are no joke, requiring serious firepower to take out. Most of the time, it’s better to just get away and lower your wanted level than face that fearsome battalion.

Performance on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is solid, but expectations should be set. This will not look like the PC port of this game. While frame rate keeps steady for the most part, you will see things in the distance pop into place as you get closer at times, usually with trees more than buildings. Each of these worlds are BIG, so it makes sense. Consoles can only handle so much, but it doesn’t take away much from the experience.

While the outside world is extremely gorgeous, I can’t say the same for the character models. There are so many moments where you get up close, and the detail is simply lacking. Beyond that, there is a lot of desync in dialogue and the lip movement, which pulls you out of the immersion. On Xbox, there were multiple cutscenes in which I was unable to see Danka, and anytime the camera panned to her, it was just a big screen of her jacket. It’s sad to see, as some of the cutscenes are legitimately breathtaking, and then the following ones fall short of what came before.

If you happen to be running on PC, Star Wars Outlaws can be a real treat…if you have the hardware. The game looks solid at defaults, matching what the consoles put forward on medium settings. Tucked in the settings, however, are a wealth of options that can really push this game to another level. Ultra-widescreen support, RTX that’ll make everything shiny and gorgeous, RTX dynamic illumination, ray-traced global illumination, gorgeous shadow work, and if you’ve got a 4000 series NVIDIA card, DLSS 3.5 support including ray reconstruction, frame generation, and super resolution. Frame generation can make an incredible difference as well, driving the framerate to more than double, even when running at Quality settings.

Ultra Performance pushes that even further, and can take an RTX 4070 from the twenties at 4K to near 80 frames per second. If you’ve got even better gear and the memory to match, there are even deeper settings that can bump character models up a notch, solving some of the problems you’ve heard above, and even deepening shadows and pushing the draw distance. It’s not all just goodies for team green – the game also supports Intel XESS 1.3 and AMD FSR 3.0 for upscaling and frame generation support, though I don’t have cards of that type to test. The PC version is certainly good to great, and worth it if you have the hardware to let it shine.

Star Wars Outlaws review — A scoundrel’s tale

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