Star Wars Outlaws

Star Wars Outlaws does a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong, resulting in a gorgeously realized galaxy that feels simultaneously dated and innovative.

Star Wars: Outlaws is so monotonous that it fails to leave any lasting impression. In 2024, a merely mediocre game is unlikely to satisfy players, especially one with as many flaws as this. Despite focusing on stealth gameplay, the issues with the levels, combat, and mechanics make it hard to truly enjoy the experience. Ironically, the only saving grace is the strong and well-established Star Wars setting, which serves as the game's last shred of dignity.

Star Wars Outlaws is a smuggler with flaws that are easy to turn a blind eye to and be charmed by despite them. The cinematic story told keeps you intrigued until the end, the worlds are pleasing to the eye, and the gameplay offers a variety of attractions. Yes, there are problems, but they are not very painful, you can get used to them, sometimes you just need to grit your teeth and curse at the screen. The Force in this game turned out to be stronger than I assumed.

The universe that Star Wars Outlaws presents you with is really optimal enjoyment and the addition of syndicates does the gameplay justice. The audio is fantastic and the story and characters are very interesting. But where the game performs really well in those areas, it is mostly more of the same. There are many opportunities for original and unique gameplay possibilities, but instead the game plays very much on safe. Also, interaction with Nix is very limited, and on top of that, the whole upgrade system feels rather uninspiring and even somewhat limiting.

Sneaking, shooting, smuggling: Star Wars Outlaws delivers a good and compact open world adventure, but without ever wanting to deliver more. Protagonist Kay, on the other hand, is a real asset to the franchise, while minor bugs and AI weaknesses slow down the otherwise good game flow.

Outlaws’ exploration so often leads to wonder and joy, but it's contrasted by other elements that fall flat — rote and generic quest design, frustrating stealth, and an underbaked crime syndicate system. This is a game that wants you to constantly feel immersed and soak up every second in the Star Wars universe, but it too often breaks that immersion with its own problems. Despite those complaints, Outlaws is one of the most stunning representations of Star Wars we’ve ever seen, at least visually, and a game that I learned to love, warts and all.

There’s an awful lot of content and mechanical ambition in Outlaws with its reputation system, and it’s fun enough to experience most of it, but it still isn’t able to prevent things from blending together once you’ve spent an extended amount of time with Kay and her crew.