.png)
Spoiler free review (PS5)
Star Wars Outlaws came out on 30 Aug 2024 and it’s only now that I finally finished the main story of the game. That’s not to say it wasn’t fun enough, it’s just that I have this tendency to not want to end games that I enjoy because - it’s just that, I don’t want the journey to end. So yes, this was the case for this game.
The story is pretty straightforward, with our protagonist Kay Vess struggling with her life as a thief, just seemingly unable to catch a break (whoa hitting a bit close to home for some of us - not the thief part of course). Through the game, we bring Kay on various missions to try to catch that breakthrough so that she and her best friend Nix, a Merqaal (who you can pet as many times as you want) can finally get away and live the life they want to without having to keep doing these things she doesn’t want. Wait, that sounds like those of us stuck in the rat race and seeking that breakthrough to get out - is this a Star Wars game or mirror of our lives whut.
The gameplay is nothing groundbreaking, with a primary blaster which you can upgrade as you progress through the story. You can pick up secondary weapons but for some reason you can’t keep them. When you climb up ladders the weapons just drop. Ah well, the blaster is good enough anyway. It’s a typical FPS, with action sequences, taking cover and stealth.
Speaking of stealth, well, it’s not realistic at all. You can be taking down an enemy just a few feet away from someone else and that person will be completely oblivious to the brutal takedown of their colleague. There could be a heated gunfight just a few metres away with grenades exploding and the next group of enemies hear nothing. The enemies also seem to be lacking peripheral vision as you can creep up to them from their sides without them suspecting anything. Yup it’s quite laughable but helps a ton if you just want to progress through the story easily.
With that said, what I enjoyed was being a part of this immersive universe of Star Wars. Getting to visit Tatooine, visit Imperial bases both on the ground and in space, and just being on the streets rubbing shoulders with the citizens of the Galaxy. That’s something that this game offers. That open world ability to travel to the available planets and join quests, enter cantinas, and speed around on your speeder.
You also never really know who to trust in this underworld of Star Wars that we seldom get to see in the movies and TV shows. It’s also refreshing to see the story of the Empire vs the Rebels from a different set of eyes. It shows how big the Galaxy is, where some people really don’t care much for the ongoing tussle and just want to get by living their lives.
There's also a faction feature where you can carry out tasks for any of the four "gangs", and you can earn credits and boost your reputation with that specific faction. Doing so can result in a fall of reputation with another faction, which affects things like favour with their merchants, or areas you can or cannot enter (sometimes even getting shot on sight). For me, I didn't really play these faction side quests and just did the main quest and a few other side quests. There didn't seem to be a broader long-term difference pursuing these tasks.
I have to add that I enjoyed the soundtrack, with some bass-ey beats that’s different from the usual orchestral soundpieces from the films and TV. The developer are also continually rolling out patches to improve the gameplay so that's a positive. You can also look out for additional DLCs with their season pass at a cost.
Yes, there may be its share of criticism, but for me, I did enjoy the game. So should you get the game? If you’re looking for some serious stealth gaming or amazing FPS quality, you won’t get it here, but if you want to be immersed in the Star Wars universe and just enjoy it as a fun game, you can sure get it here.
More on the game: Ubisoft's game page