Review— Star Wars: Outlaws

An open world odyssey involving the scoundrels and cutthroats from the Star Wars universe, Star Wars: Outlaws promises to show a new side to the beloved franchise. A massive open-world adventure involving the rogues, scoundrels and bounty hunters throughout the galaxy.

Content Guide

Language
Rare uses of h- and d-, and b-trd.

Violence
Heavy. Most of the game revolves around using bombs and blasters to achieve victory against hordes of imperials. There is little blood and gore.

Alcohol/Drug Reference
A few mentions of alcohol along with references to ‘spice runners’, spice being the drugs of Star Wars lore. Heavy amount of gambling. Entire levels rely on Kay to play Kessel Sabaac, basically space poker. Players can also bet on Fathier races, galactic horse racing in other words.

Sexual Content
Kay is introduced to a woman and her wife, very minor characters. Other than that, nothing.

Spiritual Content
A few vague references to the religion of the Ashiga Clan, but other than that, nothing. Not even a mention of The Force, a first for a Star Wars game.

Review

An open world odyssey involving the scoundrels and cutthroats from the Star Wars universe, Star Wars: Outlaws promises to show a new side to the beloved franchise. A massive open-world adventure involving the rogues, scoundrels and bounty hunters throughout the galaxy.

Outlaws follows the story of Kay Vess, a rogue who has been hired to pull off a heist from the richest crime lord in the galaxy. Along with her beloved pet/sidekick, Nix, and a decommissioned assassin droid, she sets out to build the ultimate heist team. Kay Vess is a fun character to play, even if Ubisoft didn’t bother to hide the fact that this is the female clone of Han Solo. Nevertheless, watching Kay walk around with swagger is fun, and voice actress Humberly Gonzalez gave a fantastic performance.

My biggest concern with Outlaws is that it would descend into Star Wars digital tourism, and in a way, it sort of is. There’s an undeniable joy to traversing familiar locations like Mos Espa or seeing newer locations like Kijimi and Canto Bight. There are brand new locations like the wind-covered planet of Toshara for players to explore. The sheer amount of stuff for players to do is impressive. One moment, I can be playing Kessel Sabacc with the Hutt Clan, and the next, I can be raiding their hideout. Speeder racing, Wild West-style shootouts and high-risk raids are all part of what makes Outlaws unique.

Plot-wise, Outlaws needs some explanation. At face value, the plot is so-so. We’re introduced to Kay with very little background, she gathers a team to rip off a rich guy’s vault, and that’s it. Game over. That’s the entire game from point A to point B. But Outlaws is a game that rewards and even encourages players to meander. It’s when you start exploring and taking on various missions that the game truly opens up. Engaging in a Western-style shootout with a sheriff on Tatooine, breaking into a Hutt vault to aid a family facing imprisonment, or playing Sabacc with Lando Calrissian is what makes playing ‘Outlaws’ so genuinely special. Reminding us all that life is best experienced when we go off the beaten path sometimes.

Aside from the various mini-plots that thread themselves throughout the game, exploring the world of Outlaws rewards players in other ways. Keen players will be able to discover hidden passages into fortresses and hideouts, and some of them are really well-hidden as I can attest. Finding rare collectibles is also an unexpected treat; my favorite was collecting ‘holo-dramas’ with hilarious and satirical jokes about romantic dramas and action movies. Little things like this are unnecessary, but also part of what makes Outlaws such a unique ride.

The open-world style of Outlaws applies to missions as well. Players are free to decide whether they wish to work with any syndicate they wish, Crimson Dawn, Pyke Syndicate, Hutt Cartel, or the Ashiga Clan. Each syndicate comes with its own set of missions and rewards. Players are often given the choice to sell their cargo to a rival syndicate for extra money, but a loss of reputation. Working with the various syndicates from Star Wars lore gives players a rare glimpse into an oft-ignored aspect of the galaxy.

A Gameplay Far Far Away

Outlaws uses customizability to its advantage. Kay Vess starts out with fairly simple gear that players have the option to upgrade throughout the game. This is a fairly important detail. Rather than having the game play you, you are now in control of the game. When Ubisoft offered us all an ‘open-ended’ experience, they weren’t kidding. Throughout the game, you will be forced to modify your gear in order to achieve victory.

At this point, I should probably go over how this game fits in with the rest of the Star Wars series. For a long time, video games have been really important to fans, from ‘Knights of the Old Republic’ to the newer, ‘Jedi’ games. Outlaws doesn’t ram itself where it doesn’t belong, inventing new threads that didn’t exist before. This is all about fleshing out the world of the original trilogy, and about smoothing out some of the newer elements added in recent years. It makes the entire experience feel more three-dimensional. It is still great fun to silently stalk my way through Jabba’s palace and pass Boba Fett working out a deal, or work out a deal with Lady Qi’ra from Crimson Dawn. I appreciate that Kay Vess is allowed to stand on her own.

Despite all of this, Outlaws does suffer a few weak points. The main villain, Slirro, barely makes any appearances at all. There really ought to have been more of a build-up. We’re not entirely sure why his vault is so essential. He’s rich and a jerk, so he’s an open target. Then there is the tiny map in Canto Bight. ‘The Last Jedi’ built Canto Bight up as a massive Vegas-style planet. This was one of the most exciting aspects of the game I was excited to play. Imagine my disappointment to see that Canto Bight has the tiniest map in the entire game. My final complaint is the character of the assassin droid, ND-5. ND-5 is one of the more interesting characters in the game, an assassin droid from the Clone Wars who has survived the devastating conflict, and now works as a contract bodyguard. The game has tantalizing hints regarding his past that are frustratingly never resolved.

Despite some flaws and missed opportunities, playing Outlaws is great fun. Rarely a dull moment, and it gives players a unique opportunity to experience some ignored moments throughout the Star Wars universe.