The latest game in a galaxy far, far away is here! Star Wars Outlaws is out today! This marks the first open-world game in the franchise following the adventures of Kay Vess and her creature companion Nix as they traverse the galaxy. The game is playable on PlayStation 5, PC, and the Xbox Series X/S.
Now that Star Wars Outlaws is released, what are the reviews saying about the game? Overall, the reviews have been mostly favorable while noting a few missteps here and there.
IGN's Tristan Ogilvie said that "Outlaws’ story is a consistently entertaining quest" going through recognizable and new locations noting how this take on the underworld feel fresh. The games sticks the landing with story as Ogilvie shares, "Outlaws builds to an absolute Rebel rouser of a finale, and Kay’s evolution from self-serving scoundrel to compassionate comrade is completed." However, the review gave it a 7 out of 10 as " it’s hindered by simple stealth, repetitive combat, and a few too many bugs at launch."
The Rolling Stone's Christopher Cruz called Outlaws "One of the best Star Wars games ever made," nothing that the brightest part of the future of the franchise might just be in the video game side of things. Cruz praised the depth of the gameplay and noted that the game won't let you take easy paths. However, that might get frustrating for some players. He noted one instance, saying, "I was tasked with planting evidence on the Pykes, with whom I was friendly. But as soon as I was caught and heavily under fire, I tried to load up a prior save file to undo my transgression. Lo and behold, even with a recent save, I was kicked all the way back to the beginning of the mission, losing over an hour’s progress. There’s no easy way to game the meta without the penalty of time. The creators want you to be true to the roleplay, and deal with the blowout that comes with it."
PC Mag's Jordan Minor wasn't as warm. While he praised some of the same above elements, Minor didn't connect to any of the characters outside of ND-5, saying, " But the game could use stronger, more colorful characters. The only one who left any impression on me was ND-5, a no-nonsense droid bodyguard who wears a stylish coat. Everyone else just felt like alien background extras. At least Star Wars: Hunters came up with some imaginative concepts for its knockoff characters." He also gave negative marks for the repetitive gameplay, especially with Ubisoft's "familar open-world chore."
If you're more of a casual gamer or even a more casual Star Wars fan, I suggest checking out Alex Damon's review over on Star Wars Explained. He's not the biggest fan of open-world games in general, so his review is tackled more from the point of view of someone who is new to this kind of format. He focuses more on the story, lore, and characters.
Star Wars Outlaws is out now! Are you going to jump on this new adventure?