You begin as Kay Vess, a scrappy young thief navigating the rough streets of Canto Bight. Life here is tough, and Kay’s survival depends on her quick wits and questionable choices. When a heist goes south, she’s forced to escape, accepting a risky job well beyond her skills. Amid the ensuing chaos, Kay steals a starship, leading to a crash landing on an unfamiliar planet—marking the start of her daring adventure.
The game kicks off with a rapid pace, but the flow feels natural after the initial rush. Kay is quickly thrust into assembling a crew for another high-stakes job, driven by the looming threat of a Death Mark on her head from her last botched mission. Being entangled in the criminal underworld, Kay's instincts lead her into dangerous situations where betrayal is always a risk—and trust me, it will happen if the price is right.
This sets the stage for a Star Wars story that truly captures the essence of the universe. Unlike other Star Wars games, Outlaws is more grounded, with minimal presence of the Force or Jedi. This approach is as much a stylistic choice as it is a narrative one. The game’s tone evokes classics like Shadows of the Empire and Jedi: Outcast, offering a familiar yet refreshing experience. I appreciate how Outlaws doesn’t rely on heavy cameos or push Kay to choose a side. She remains a scoundrel through and through, making this game uniquely Star Wars.
One thing noticeably absent in Outlaws: the bombastic moments you'd expect from a Star Wars game. While there are some solid encounters and a few intriguing scenes, none of the story beats left me awestruck. The narrative and set pieces play it safe, which isn't necessarily a flaw, but given the grandeur of other Star Wars games, I anticipated something more epic.
Star Wars Outlaws stays focused on the present, which is both a strength and a weakness. I'm invested in Kay's immediate struggles and the challenges she faces, but the game doesn’t delve deeply into her character. Her backstory is revealed through sparse flashbacks and occasional dialogue, leaving me wanting more insight into her motivations. While her development in the present is solid, I’d appreciate a deeper understanding of who she is beyond the surface-level details we’re given.
Kay's character remains believable, with her development throughout the game being compelling to watch. She puts on a tough exterior, yet longs to trust others—a recurring theme in the story. While this doesn't always resonate as strongly as it could, Humberly González delivers a heartfelt performance as Kay. Some moments in her journey feel genuinely earned, while others fall a bit short.
This also impacts the other characters you encounter. The cast in Outlaws is excellent, fitting the Star Wars universe perfectly. However, a few characters feel underdeveloped, particularly one whose identity I’ll keep under wraps to avoid spoilers. Her connection to Kay lacks depth, especially since you don’t team up with her until the endgame. This makes the high stakes in their relationship feel forced and less impactful.
Despite some shortcomings, characters like Nix, ND-5, and Gedeek showcase the team's ability to develop compelling figures without relying on heavy backstories. Nix, a co-main character, steals the show despite not uttering a single word—seriously, he's my favorite aspect of Star Wars Outlaws. ND-5, a re-formatted commando droid, effortlessly wins you over with his charming mannerisms as the story progresses. Gedeek, a Rodian droidsmith, stands out for his depth, revealed through your mission conversations. While there are more great characters to meet, these three are definite standouts in the game’s world.
Speaking of the world, Outlaws is rich with lore and diverse locations. You’ll explore five planets throughout the adventure, with Canto Bight being the only one you visit at both the beginning and end. Although this casino planet from Star Wars: The Last Jedi is featured, it’s barely recognizable from the movie. The closest you get to a familiar sight is a brief moment in a casino, but it’s so vague that it could easily be any other planet.
Toshara, a new addition to the Star Wars universe, is a stunning sight with its bright savannahs and amber hills, perfect for traversing on a speeder. Kijimi, from Rise of Skywalker, is somewhat disappointing; despite its beautiful snowfall, it’s the smallest of the four main planets, feeling more like an open level than a true open world. Akiva, a jungle planet with an epic underground droid factory, is a highlight. Tatooine, while familiar, is impressively vast, with exhilarating desert rides. Mos Eisley and Jabba’s palace are present, and contrary to rumors, Jabba isn’t locked behind a paywall.
All these planets contribute to an incredible experience with stunning views and vibrant, detailed towns. Whether climbing a cliff on Tatooine or speeding across a waterway on Akiva, I felt deeply immersed in the worlds crafted by Massive Entertainment. This immersion is partly thanks to the clean UI design, which avoids overwhelming you with endless objectives. While objectives are present, they feel appropriately optional. Outlaws doesn’t have the intimidating open-world complexity of some previous Ubisoft titles.
The lore in Outlaws is rich, perhaps even overwhelming. As a Star Wars comic book fan, I particularly enjoy the nods to events from the comics, such as Hidden Empire, Crimson Reign, and War of the Bounty Hunters. For instance, ND-1 mentions Qi'ra’s auction of the carbonite-frozen Han Solo, a detail that will delight dedicated fans while remaining accessible to those unfamiliar with these comics.
Star Wars Outlaws Gameplay
The standout feature of Star Wars Outlaws is its gameplay. Coming from the same team behind The Division, I'm impressed by their versatility in adapting to a new style. Unlike The Division's spongy enemies, Outlaws offers a more forgiving experience with most foes falling to just a few blaster shots. The game’s third-person gunplay echoes the post-apocalyptic looter-shooter mechanics of The Division, though I wish it had incorporated a more reliable cover system, as the current implementation feels less sticky.
Surprisingly, there’s a lack of enemy variety and somewhat oblivious AI in Outlaws. Most of your encounters are with troopers or syndicate members, occasionally armed with snipers or grenade launchers. I missed having more diverse and dramatic monster fights, especially given the rich Star Wars universe. On the plus side, you can pet plenty of creatures, which is a nice touch from Massive.
If you're a Splinter Cell fan like me, you'll spot familiar elements in the gameplay. While not exclusively stealth, the game often gives you the option to sneak through quests rather than engage in combat. Climbing through vents, hiding in “tall grass,” and using Nix to distract guards all contribute to the fun. Although I occasionally triggered alarms by mistake, it’s generally easy to recover. Some sections do require stealth, turning them into puzzle-like challenges that involve a bit of trial and error to navigate.
Nix is a standout feature in Star Wars Outlaws. His versatility adds a new dimension to gameplay. Whether fetching a bacta vial while you're pinned down, distracting thugs for a stealthy approach, or sabotaging alarm panels, Nix enhances the experience in ways other games often don’t. My favorite use was sending Nix to attack one trooper, allowing me to take out the other before finishing off the one Nix was engaging. Moments like these make stealth more challenging yet manageable, adding depth to the game’s tactical options.
Many of the levels in Outlaws feel like intricate mazes, larger than expected. The flow is engaging, with no empty moments or feeling of staleness. The game's similarities to Uncharted and Assassin’s Creed bring freshness, especially with the verticality of climbing and grappling. While open-world games often suffer from monotony, the main quests in Outlaws are notably free of it, though some side missions might exhibit a bit of repetitive elements.
The speeder in Outlaws is a solid piece of machinery but can be tricky to handle. Its twitchy controls and default high speed can be frustrating. Additionally, the inability to engage in firefights while riding, relying instead on a Red Dead-like slowdown ultimate to deal with opposing speeders, is a missed opportunity. Nonetheless, having the speeder is a welcome addition for navigating the expansive worlds, though it's not usable in Akiva due to its dense foliage.
There’s some good news: upgrades can enhance your speeder. While it starts off feeling one-dimensional, collecting resources around the world allows you to add useful abilities. For instance, the ability to perform a jump can prevent collisions with ledges and save you from losing health, making the speeder more versatile and practical.
Similarly, you can unlock additional abilities for your ship, the Trailblazer, your blaster, and Kay herself. These upgrades are mostly tied to story progression, with certain missions requiring specific enhancements. You’ll also earn perks by meeting various conditions, like spending 2000 credits at a merchant or catering to Nix’s preferences. None of these abilities are overly extravagant; they’re accessible by paying attention to your actions and interacting with the right vendors for the necessary resources.
I'm pleased that Massive kept the upgrade system for your blaster straightforward. While you can pick up enemy weapons, they don’t stay with you. Your main blaster features a few modes and up to four additional perks to unlock. These perks, such as accuracy boosts or reload bonuses, are simple but effective, providing useful benefits without overcomplicating the system.
If you’ve played Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017), flying the Trailblazer in Outlaws will feel familiar. The mechanics are almost identical, making it easy to navigate through debris and reach your destination. Engaging in space combat against TIEs and other starships is straightforward, thanks to a tracking system that helps you lock onto targets. While the 360-degree movement in space can be disorienting at times, Massive has created a solid spaceflight mechanic overall.
Outlaws keeps flying straightforward, fun, and explosive without overwhelming you with too many details. The flying segments are more engaging than they might seem, with hidden treasures and exciting dogfights to discover. What could have been a minor part of the game feels well-developed despite its simplicity. There’s a unique thrill in breaking through the atmosphere to land on a planet or jumping to hyperspace, even if these moments are presented through cutscenes.
It’s easy to get engrossed in the side missions while playing Outlaws, with a wide variety available throughout your galactic journey. I found myself struggling to stick to the main missions and had to consciously choose to progress the story. By the time I left Toshara, I had already maxed out my reputation with Crimson Dawn, earning a stylish and impressive Crimson Dawn-themed outfit.
As you travel through each planet in Outlaws, you'll encounter various contacts offering missions tied to local or orbiting syndicates. For example, if you fall out of favor with the Pyke Syndicate on Kijimi, you can undertake smaller side quests to repair your reputation and shift it from “bad” to “good.” I found myself frequently engaging in these missions to maintain positive relations with the syndicates I preferred, such as Crimson Dawn and the Hutt Cartel.
Side missions in Outlaws offer a diverse range of tasks, from smuggling cargo through hostile zones within tight deadlines to tracking down pirates and reclaiming stolen goods. One standout mission I encountered involved a chance discovery while driving around Toshara. The Empire had learned that pirates had pilfered some Imperial supplies and dispatched Stormtroopers to recover them. I witnessed the shuttle land and the troops eliminate the pirates. Seizing the opportunity, I carefully navigated the area to steal the goods from the Empire's collection without attracting blaster fire.
Some missions in Outlaws require stealth, like the one I mentioned earlier, while others are more action-packed with intense firefights. The contracts often make it clear whether you'll need to avoid detection or brace for blaster fire, with some even explicitly stating, “you will get shot at.” The variety in side quests keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging, and so far, none of them have felt repetitive or stale.
Outlaws offers various approaches to managing Reputation, and I chose to dive deep into aligning with a single Syndicate, Crimson Dawn, right from the start. Focusing exclusively on one Syndicate led to intriguing outcomes: while Crimson Dawn welcomed me with open arms, other Syndicates became hostile, attacking on sight. This singular focus allowed me to move freely within Crimson Dawn’s hideouts without drawing any unwanted attention, showcasing how concentrated allegiance can significantly impact interactions across the game's factions.
However, focusing solely on one Syndicate isn’t always the optimal strategy, as some story missions require you to steal from other Syndicates. This approach contrasts with games like Knights of the Old Republic II, where you could choose between working with a black market dealer or the Republic, and the Republic would simply provide the items needed without further conflict. I’d have appreciated a similar flexibility in Outlaws, allowing for more seamless interaction between Syndicates at max reputation. Nonetheless, I understand the need for such design to ensure players engage with all factions and grasp their backstories.
Even though the Imperials don’t have a reputation system to manage, their presence is felt strongly across every planet you visit. You’ll frequently clash with Stormtroopers, as Imperial garrisons are scattered everywhere. Whether it’s for a story mission, a side quest, or simply for the challenge, you might find yourself breaching these heavily guarded areas. Watch out, though—getting into large skirmishes can raise your wanted level, and a high enough level will prompt the dispatch of death troopers. These elite soldiers are formidable and require significant firepower to defeat. Most of the time, it’s wiser to evade confrontation and lower your wanted level rather than risk a battle with these fearsome units.
While the game's environments are stunningly crafted, the character models fall short of the same high standard. Up close, the detail on characters often appears lacking, and there are noticeable issues with dialogue desynchronization and lip movement, disrupting immersion. On PC, I encountered specific issues where cutscenes involving Danka were plagued by a camera glitch that only displayed her jacket, obscuring her entirely. It’s disappointing, as some cutscenes are visually impressive, but these technical flaws undermine the overall quality of the experience.
For PC gamers, Star Wars Outlaws can be a visually stunning experience—provided your hardware can handle it. While the game performs well on default settings, comparable to console medium settings, the real magic happens with advanced options. You can enhance your experience with ultra-widescreen support, RTX features that add shine and realism, dynamic and global illumination through ray tracing, and detailed shadows. If you have a 4000 series NVIDIA card, you’ll also benefit from DLSS 3.5, which includes ray reconstruction, frame generation, and super resolution. Frame generation, in particular, can significantly boost your framerate, often more than doubling it even at Quality settings.
Ultra Performance mode takes optimization to the next level, boosting frame rates on an RTX 4070 from the twenties at 4K to nearly 80 frames per second. For those with even more advanced setups and ample memory, additional settings can enhance character models, address some of the aforementioned issues, and improve shadow depth and draw distance. It's not just NVIDIA users who benefit—Outlaws also supports Intel XESS 1.3 and AMD FSR 3.0 for upscaling and frame generation, although I haven’t tested these features personally. Overall, the PC version of Outlaws is impressive, offering an exceptional experience if your hardware can fully support its capabilities.
Verdict
Star Wars Outlaws may stick to familiar territory, but its strong foundation delivers an outstanding adventure. The gameplay stands out with some of the most engaging stealth mechanics I've encountered recently. Coupled with memorable characters, enjoyable side missions, and a stunning open world, Outlaws offers a thrilling journey through the galaxy. Its blend of well-crafted elements makes it a rewarding experience for fans and newcomers alike.
