Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Plenty of Star Wars games have put players behind the lightsabers and Force-fueled powers of brave, earnest Jedi on epic quests to save the galaxy far, far away, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one that stars a scrappy scoundrel just looking to save their own skin. Star Wars Outlaws remedies this, placing fans in the dusty boots of Kay Vess, a Han Solo-like antihero doing her best to survive in the sci-fi saga's lesser-seen criminal underworld. And much like the iconic smuggler she's inspired by, the game's a bit scruffy around the edges, but makes up for its shortcomings with immense charm and charisma.
Less than an hour into the open-world action-adventure, we find ourselves making a daring getaway, exchanging blaster bolts with pursuing enemies as we scamper up the ramp of a star-ship we’re about to steal. If you're a Star Wars fan with a pulse, playing this scene will immediately evoke Episode IV's thrilling Death Star escape. Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, Outlaws is packed with these sorts of fan-pleasing moments. But thanks to its beautiful visual presentation, incredible world-building, engaging storytelling, and colourful cast of characters, these sequences never play like cheap nostalgia grabs, but rather organic beats within Kay's original, canon tale.
Outlaws is at its best when you're carefully balancing your alliances between crime families.
And while outrunning the Empire's finest on a speeder bike or reducing TIE fighters to smoldering scrap from the cockpit of your ship might make you feel like you're living out some of the movies’ greatest hits, it's really Outlaws’ subtler, more nuanced leveraging of the license that truly immerses you in its rich world. Deeper into Kay's quest to remove the death mark that's been placed on her, we enter a seedy cantina. As an Aqualish barkeep slides a drink over to an Ithorian patron, we overhear a pair of unsavory sorts casually conversating: “I've been to Tatooine... it was hot, miserable, and full of Hutts,” one quips to the other. We could soak in this authentic atmosphere all day, but this particular mission is all about business. Across the cantina sits a Hutt underling we're about to double-cross. We won't spoil whether we exit the establishment with a handful of credits or a fresh bounty on our head, but suffice to say Outlaws is at its best when you're carefully balancing your alliances between crime families.
Managing your standing with the likes of the Pyke Syndicate and Crimson Dawn faction injects a fresh layer into the familiar open-world formula Ubisoft has become synonymous with. But this engrossing reputation system barely scratches the surface of the gameplay features and elements that shape your planet-hopping journey. Many aspects, like adorable merqual companion Nix – who can assist with everything from hacking and attacking to distraction and theft – significantly elevate the experience. While others, such as dated stealth mechanics, repetitive mini-games, and clumsy platforming, can occasionally pull you from it. As your adventure expands across lesser-explored locales – like the frozen wasteland of Kijimi, briefly visited in The Rise Of Skywalker – or returns you to more familiar turf, such as Tatooine’s stretching deserts, you’ll mostly revel in unfolding Kay’s absorbing, underdog tale. Sometimes though, these shortcomings will swallow up the fun like a hungry Sarlacc.
That said, the game’s flaws are generally overshadowed by its unmatched ability to fully immerse you in the sort of interactive swashbuckling romp other series’ entries have only hinted at. If you’re more Solo stan than Skywalker stalwart, Outlaws is definitely the Star Wars’ game you’re looking for.