The concept of Outlaws is brilliant, and Ubisoft do an impressive job of selling you that fantasy, a scoundrel in the galaxy's Wild West. But while the gameplay supports this kind of story, it doesn't innovate or ever really impress.
I was predisposed to like Star Wars Outlaws, and by and large, I do. I've always preferred pulling off heists to saving the world or rescuing princesses. And I found the criminal underworld the game presents captivating. Which is lucky, because you have to scour all four corners of it to put together a crew for “the big one”, in this case breaking into the vault of a kingpin. As you would expect, the story of Outlaws eventually has you collide into a much grander and more important narrative, which connects with the Star Wars we know from the films. So, fewer heists, more saving the world. But for the bulk of the game, you stand shoulder to shoulder with crooks. Great.
But, enough throat-clearing, is it any good?
Star Wars Outlaws has a decent story to tell in a thrilling part of the galaxy, with sympathetic characters and good pacing. And there’s a lot of great side content to help justify the price. That said, the combat is mediocre, and it will be too stealth-focused for some. It also feels poorly optimized on PC right now.
If you take the game for what it is, a thoroughly enjoyable 40–60 hours, with a possible second playthrough a few months later, then it's worth it. 8.2/10.
Full review below.
Star Wars Outlaws: Gameplay
Given that most missions are directly related to the criminal factions vying for power, it should come as no surprise that the bulk of gameplay consists of sneaking past cameras, climbing into vents, and knocking out guards. And when you inevitably raise the alarm, you can pull out your blaster for some mildly enjoyable gunplay. The formula gets repetitive, and the stealth mechanics are iterative, but they keep the missions short and sweet enough for it to never become tiresome.
Besides the combat, there are hundreds of environmental puzzles to solve, which often involve Kay’s pet Nix (you can send him through small gaps to turn off generators and such). In many ways these sections reminded me of last year’s Jedi: Survivor, and in moderation they work well. When you’re free-roaming, you can thankfully use a Speeder, which is fun to use and satisfying to upgrade. And there are tons of minigames to play in the bars and betting shops you pass along the way (not to mention lock-picking, which is a fantastic rhythm-based minigame in itself). You're also free to hop in your ship and "punch it Chewie!" to a different solar system whenever you fancy.
In all, the gameplay is fine. Nothing feels wholly new, but I found it engaging. The only players I can imagine taking a serious dislike to the gameplay are those who can't stand stealth games, but I've always been partial.
Star Wars Outlaws: Characters, Plot & Pace
The characters contribute a lot to Outlaws, and it felt gratifying to slowly gather a motley crew of scoundrels with their own expertise; the carefree safecracker, the bullish heavy, and so on. I especially loved Kay, and felt that she was suitably relaxed for such an irreverent plot. She doesn’t want to be a hero, and that’s refreshing. The villains are less convincing, but you do meet some memorable wrong’uns as you put together your crew.
The pacing also does deserves praise; the game brings you up to speed very quickly and sends you out into the world as soon as you’re ready. And from that moment onward, they strike a great balance between giving you enough freedom to enjoy the world, while keeping you on the rails and following the breadcrumb trail to the wider story.
However, the plot, like the gameplay, is merely “good enough”. It doesn’t get in the way of the fun, and it certainly won’t be the worst we see from an AAA game this year. But I would be surprised to see Outlaws win many awards in this department. At the end of the day, it's a heist story. Gather a crew, plan for the mother of all heists, expect twists and betrayals.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Open World
Now to address the elephant in the room. Ubisoft has gained a reputation for providing formulaic open world experiences, how does this game stack up? Thankfully, Outlaws, is a decent rebuke. The world here doesn't feel like a chore to engage with, you aren't "unlocking" regions or revealing a map, instead you’re indulging in a dark, exciting underworld.
This is one of the game’s great strengths, and, in fact, I would have preferred Ubisoft to lean even further into the “underworld” aspect. The player is never exposed to anything too seedy or gritty, and that leads to certain locations feeling strangely anodyne. Of course, they’re working with a family-friendly IP, and so shooting for what ESRB describes as “appropriate for Teens” is a shrewd move, but still.
In terms of size, the scope of Outlaws feels like more than enough. Effectively you have five planets, and their surrounding orbits, to explore. There's your run-down home planet, where you start the game, and then a different planet for each environment; snow, desert, open plains and jungle. And the capital cities of each planet feel dense, without becoming overwhelming.
Generally speaking, Outlaws’ open world is a success. Did I ever spend a whole session simply wandering around and meeting NPCs, like I would in, say, a Rockstar game? No, but speaking of Rockstar, the organic, lived-in feeling of the world reminded me of Red Dead (which is obviously a huge compliment). And travelling to new planets fulfilled a sense of wonder, while minor interactions felt like a treat to engage with.
I don't know if many players will invest hundreds of hours turning over every stone, but it was far better than I expected, especially thanks to the factions mechanic and the ability to hop in my ship and go somewhere new whenever I wanted.
Star Wars Outlaws: Technical & Audio-Visual
For context, I was playing on a mid-end PC using default settings, and at least during my playthrough I didn’t experience any major bugs. The frame rate was inconsistent, hovering around 80 (whereas on well-optimized games of similar fidelity I can usually get over 100), and that was disappointing. But otherwise, nothing went catastrophically wrong.
As for the visuals, the game isn’t stunning, it simply feels on-par with other AAA games in 2024. Perhaps that’s harsh, but after playing Alan Wake 2, the neon-lit streets of Outlaws don’t compare. I was also unimpressed by the lighting, but Ubisoft mentioned that this was a known issue with the early review build of the game, so this may well be ironed out by the time you get to play.
The score is a funky variation on the familiar Star Wars theme, and it puts you in the right frame of mind for a heist, but the music in the dive-bars was a little disappointing. There were no real bangers, unlike Survivors, which had me following guides to unlock more songs for the jukebox.
Star Wars Outlaws: Verdict
I really enjoyed playing through the main quests in Star Wars Outlaws, and a lot of the side-content held my interest when I was looking for respite. The gameplay was nothing to write home about, but the characters and the factions motivated me enough to progress the story. And the open world serves that story well, don’t expect Los Santos in space, but it's certainly the best open world I can remember from a Star Wars game. Will it win Game of the Year? In 2023, I would have said definitely not (Baldur's Gate 3 exists), but in 2024, with so few titles to compete with, I think it could at least shortlist. And if there was an award for best lock-picking mechanic, it would be a shoo-in.