After spending an hour with Ubisoft's journey to a galaxy far, far away in "Star Wars Outlaws," there's much to anticipate despite a few initial hiccups. The game shows significant promise, drawing comparisons to an Uncharted-style approach within the Star Wars universe. Our time with the game hinted at a compelling narrative and refined, stealth-focused combat mechanics. However, elements such as dogfighting and more action-oriented shootouts during the demo left us somewhat apprehensive.

Taking place after the legendary Battle of Hoth from The Empire Strikes Back, "Outlaws" centers around the adventures of Kay Vess, a charismatic scoundrel and expert smuggler. She navigates the remote outer rim of the galaxy, forging alliances with infamous crime syndicates such as The Pykes and Crimson Dawn. The premise is undeniably captivating: armed with wit and a sharp trigger finger, Kay Vess evokes echoes of Han Solo as she deftly negotiates and trades information with crime bosses.

Figure 1.Star Wars Outlaws

Figure 1 shows Star Wars Outlaws. Nix, Kay Vess's loyal companion, is an endearing hybrid creature resembling an axolotl-monkey-ferret. In "Outlaws," Nix proves invaluable by retrieving weapons from fallen Stormtroopers, creating distractions to facilitate Kay's thievery of crucial items, and even triggering thermal detonators attached to unsuspecting guards. This adorable creature significantly enhances the game's combat and stealth dynamics. For instance, directing Nix to engage one guard while incapacitating another provides a deeply satisfying tactical advantage [1]. As the narrative unfolds, players eagerly anticipate discovering additional abilities and developments for Nix.

During our hands-on experience, we had the opportunity to play through three missions in "Outlaws." The first mission presents a classic Star Wars dilemma: Kay Vess's ship, The Trailblazer, is seized by the Empire. Stranded in the hangar of a Star Destroyer with her first mate, Vess must stealthily navigate to the command deck to secure their escape. After discreetly neutralizing several officers and a Stormtrooper, we successfully hack a computer terminal to plan a daring getaway. However, our actions trigger a loud alarm upon reaching the hangar, where a group of Stormtroopers awaits. This prompts our first encounter with full-scale combat, requiring us to maneuver behind cover and take opportunistic shots. Despite our best efforts, our handling of Kay and Nix's abilities is still in progress, and an untimely detonation of explosive barrels complicates our situation. Eventually cornered by enemy fire with no clear path forward, we make a risky charge and meet an expected demise.

Upon respawning, we find ourselves positioned next to a formidable sniper rifle, which we promptly utilize to clear a path back to The Trailblazer for our escape. However, there's a noticeable lack of freedom or flexibility in this scenario, despite Nix's assistance. It's important to consider that this version of Outlaws is likely several months behind the final release scheduled for this summer, suggesting potential tweaks and improvements ahead. Nonetheless, the experience highlighted how a minor error could derail our progress in a less engaging manner.

After escaping aboard The Trailblazer, our journey immediately transitions into space combat. The ship is well-equipped with a boost, standard laser cannon, missiles, and a computer-controlled turret, making it formidable against TIE Fighters encountered along the way. Despite its combat capabilities, The Trailblazer lacks the speed we anticipated, which is somewhat disappointing. Upon reaching an outpost that can be hacked to evade pursuit, we find the ship serviceable but not exceptionally agile.

Upon landing on a nearby planet and completing our objective, we catch a brief glimpse of the game's open world. Unfortunately, our hands-on experience for this mission concludes before exploring beyond the spaceport. Next, we embark on an exploration through the ancient wreckage of a cruiser from the High Republic era. This segment primarily involves platforming within the crumbling, cinematic environment of the ancient vessel. While visually impressive and well-animated, the platforming itself doesn't introduce anything particularly innovative or engaging beyond its aesthetic appeal. It draws comparisons to mechanics seen in games like Jedi: Fallen Order, Uncharted, or Assassin’s Creed, employing yellow ledges and latticed metal as strategic pathways for Vess. Despite occasional cinematic sequences, the overall experience falls short of delivering sustained entertainment.

The ascent concludes on the ship’s bridge with a boss-lite encounter against a formidable duo of enemies. Although our attempt to stun one with a one-shot ability fails due to its lengthy cooldown, we manage to defeat one assailant by having Nix manipulate strategically placed explosive barrels to detonate at close range. This encounter proves significantly more engaging and enjoyable than the initial shootout, demanding the effective utilization of both Kay Vess's and Nix's unique abilities to emerge victorious.

The final segment is a swift and daring heist on the crime-infested planet Kajimi. This stealth-focused section highlights Nix's adaptability and stands out as the highlight of our preview [2]. With Nix's assistance, we skillfully eliminate a room full of adversaries silently and secure the valuable artifact we came for. Outlaws shines brightest during its stunning cutscenes and intense stealth sequences. While its dogfighting and intense gun battles are less captivating, the demo introduces several compelling and well-developed characters that leave us eagerly anticipating Kay Vess's unfolding story. By capturing the essence of lawlessness and intrigue in this meticulously crafted corner of the Star Wars universe, Star Wars Outlaws firmly establishes its appeal. With Ubisoft potentially refining the game's combat mechanics, this title has the potential to become one of the most memorable Star Wars games ever created.

References:

1. https://www.nme.com/features/gaming-features/star-wars-outlaws-could-be-the-dream-star-wars-game-youre-looking-for-3764864
2. https://www.dexerto.com/opinion/star-wars-outlaws-is-the-star-wars-game-ive-always-wanted-2768381/

Cite this article:

Janani R (2024), "Star Wars Outlaws" Might Just Be the Star Wars Game of Your Dreams, AnaTechMaz, pp.9