Star Wars Outlaws review: “An exceptionally fun Star Wars game hampered by poor stealth systems”

Don’t get caught. It’s been an underlying tenet of the villain lifestyle for decades, ever since an exasperated Han Solo tried to talk his way out of a confrontation with Jabba the Hutt in (one of the versions of) Star Wars: A New Hope. The crime lord wants to know what kind of smuggler would drop off his cargo at the first sign of an Imperial starship, and Solo’s response is why so many have become enamored with the character. He’s a wild card willing to do anything to survive another day in a galaxy warring between the forces of light and dark, regardless of the personal or reputational cost of his actions.

Star Wars Outlaws tries hard to make this fantasy a reality, but developer Massive Entertainment has misinterpreted elements of its appeal with a pathological contextual stealth system, unfriendly progression checkpoints, and often rigid objective parameters. Critical missions therefore teeter between fantasy and frustration, distracting from the litany of successes earned elsewhere in the experience.

Quick Facts

Release date: August 30, 2024
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Developer: Huge entertainment
Publisher: Ubisoft

Don’t get caught and don’t sound the alarm. Don’t do this and Certainly don’t do That. When Massive dictates the pace of the game, the fantasy falls apart. Star Wars Outlaws doesn’t communicate detection and visibility well enough to support stealth as such a key focus of the critical path. Main missions leave little room for you to exercise your own judgment, instead insisting that you infiltrate the ventilation systems of Imperial starships and Syndicate outposts. Get caught and you have to start over at the cost of your patience and credits.

It’s a shame, because if Han Solo and Lando Calrissian taught me one thing, it’s that you have to figure out what to do once you’re a kid. Doing Getting into trouble is part of being a rogue. And like any good rogue, you’ll feel the need to be quiet until it’s time to get loud, no matter the situation. You’ll be trying to sneak past enemy personnel, dressing up in ill-fitting costumes to avoid detection, and having the space to talk your way out of (and into) trouble. What we have here instead is a bunch of vents, and an annoying lockpicking minigame to open them. Star Wars Outlaws exists in this strange space as a result; it’s one of the best Star Wars games for the strength of its sense of place, but a poor stealth experience; understanding which you value more will ultimately push you toward or away from this adventure.

Step by step

Star Wars Outlaws Screenshot

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Kay Vess is a rogue in search of a quieter life. Star Wars Outlaws follows the search for that dream, and the dark paths that await those who blindly follow their intuition. A death mark earned is a death sentence, forcing Vess to leave the only home she’s ever known and venture to exotic new lands – Akiva, Kijimi, Tatooine, and Toshara. On planets like Kijimi and Tatooine, you’re given the freedom to explore expansive environments that have always existed on the edge of a camera lens; and in the case of Toshara, Massive proves itself more than capable of being an additive contribution to the broader Star Wars universe.

These planets are microcosmic open worlds – lush, sprawling landscapes with bits of civilization, challenges, and collectibles to stumble across – connected to each other by chunks of explorable galaxy; a little dull, but there’s a thrill to free flight as Tie-Fighters scream overhead. Massive throws out the playbook honed by Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry to great effect, freeing you to roam on foot, speeder, or ship without having to rely on crow’s nest cartography to traverse landscapes. Your journal fills with optional tasks as you accept contracts, stumble across locations, and overhear snippets of conversation as you traverse beautifully constructed cities.

Star Wars Outlaws is at its best when it leaves you alone to absorb the atmosphere of these locations, authentically capturing the iconic visual aesthetics and succinct tension inherent in populations externalizing the events of The Empire Strikes Back. Syndicates struggle for control of territories, exploiting Imperial forces as they turn their attention to a resurgent Rebel Alliance. The Hutt Cartel extorts moisture farmers on Tatooine—maybe you can help. The Pyke Syndicate runs Sabacc tournaments—maybe you’ll want to join in. Crimson Dawn is a shadow in the corner of every cantina, lurking nearby as you lean against a bar and watch a live band play on a stage in the back.

Star Wars Outlaws Screenshot

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

“You really feel part of a larger world, rather than a function of it”

Building and breaking uneasy relationships with syndicates is an area where Star Wars Outlaws shines. As your reputation grows, a light system of choice and consequence informs every decision you make. This system works because of its simplicity; it’s omnipresent but never burdensome, a clever way to mirror the dire circumstances Vess must navigate as she assembles a crew capable of pulling off an impossible heist.

Reputation management is authentic and organic, and the same goes for character customization and progression. Experts you discover on your travels help refine your skill set over time – Massive’s decision to forgo funneling experience points through skill trees is liberating. Changing the efficiency of your blaster or the speed of your cruiser is similarly organic, with Vess swapping out parts to steadily improve upon them. The effect of these progressive design decisions means you truly feel part of a larger world, rather than a function of it.

Never tell me the odds

Star Wars Outlaws Screenshot

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

When Star Wars Outlaws isn’t locking you into forced stealth scenarios, it’s much more fast-paced – combat is chaotic. A blaster might be considered an inelegant weapon for a more uncivilized age, but it’s a lot of fun to wield, sharp and powerful. It’s easy enough to cycle through Plasma, Ion and Power modules, introducing some flexibility into your approach to crowd control. Your companion, Nix, is also easy to control, giving you the ability to distract or engage enemies while you focus your attention elsewhere. An adrenaline rush fills you over time as plasma bolts sizzle through the air around you, allowing you to mark multiple attackers and dispatch them with cinematic ease. It’s in moments like these that you remember that Star Wars has a lot of potential when there’s no lightsaber in sight.

Star Wars Outlaws has an impeccable atmosphere and knows how to feeling of existence in the Star Wars universe perhaps better than ever before. Massive does a great job of recreating the 70s-inspired, lived-in style that defined the original trilogy; exteriors and interiors look good, the atmosphere is brought to life with authentic VFX and SFX, and a phenomenal performance from actor Humberly Gonzalez as Kay Vess serves as a suitable grounding in the adventure – enough to distract from some surprisingly mediocre character models and animations that plague the supporting cast.

All in all, Star Wars Outlaws is a compact open-world adventure that often succeeds in spite of itself. The kind of video game that doesn’t hide its influences, but instead uses them to soften the rough edges that might prevent even the most casual player from enjoying a Star Wars adventure. The environment navigation is reminiscent of Uncharted, albeit without the polish you’d typically associate with a Naughty Dog production. The way side stories unfold across the open worlds is reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption, though Massive never bogs down intricate system design as a catalyst. The easygoing, atmospheric vibes remind me of Ghost of Tsushima. Gears of War’s “perfect reload” dictates the flow of combat, the way Vess contextually moves around cover recalls Quantum Break, and the Adrenaline Rush mechanic is a wonderful revival of Splinter Cell’s beloved Mark and Execute. Many different pieces come together to show a Star Wars themed photo.

But what I was most reminded of when I played Star Wars Outlaws was the experience of first sitting down with Mass Effect in 2007. A game that, despite its poor performance and flawed combat, truly captured the imagination. It wasn’t until I took my first steps on the Citadel with Commander Shepard that I realized I’d been waiting my entire life for Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Star Trek to be made interactive – for an RPG that would so convincingly indulge the fantasy of entering a world alien to my own. I’ve sacrificed my time to Star Wars: Galaxies and The Old Republic, fallen in love with the ‘Jedi’ games in all their guises, and played countless other games set in the franchise. But it was Star Wars Outlaws that first truly made me feel part of this universe, and that’s got to count for something – even if I hope to never see the inside of an Imperial ventilation system again in my life.

Star Wars Outlaws has been reviewed on Xbox Series X, with code provided by the publisher.