Star Wars Outlaws review - August 2024

As a seasoned gamer with a heart full of Star Wars lore, let me tell you that Star Wars Outlaws has truly captured my imagination and left me eager for more. The game’s unique approach to character progression and abilities has me reminiscing about the days when I earned Fortnite XP through completing small goals.

It’s beneficial when those in control are well-versed in the subject matter as it assures fans they’ll receive a quality product to enjoy playing. Massive Entertainment has a deep understanding of Star Wars lore, filling Star Wars Outlaws with references from various parts of the galaxy, hints to past eras, and hidden corners of the franchise’s history that enthusiasts will appreciate. Instead of constantly reminding you of Skywalkers, Death Stars, or troubled Sith, it offers a fresh tale featuring new characters. Although it includes familiar figures and locations, it stands independently, making it even more engaging.

1. Kay Vess, a rogue character, is planning the grandest heist yet, aiming for tranquility and liberty she yearns for. In Star Wars Outlaws, players navigate through diverse planets and moons, gathering a team to swipe millions of credits from Sliro, who’s hot on your trail. The main quest offers thrilling action sequences and an engaging narrative, but the characters truly elevate the experience. BX Commando Droid ND-5 is one of the freshest personalities introduced in Star Wars for a while, but wait until you become smitten with the endearing character named Nix!

1. I hadn’t fully appreciated my affection for them until they were stolen and almost sold to the Hutt Cartel – a situation that would have prompted me to risk my life to protect them. A significant aspect of Kay’s actions involves utilizing Nix to divert foes, enabling attacks through manipulation of switches, buttons, lowering ladders, triggering explosions, pilfering civilians or officers unawares, and so forth. Nix is an integral component of Star Wars Outlaws, serving as an extension of Kay Vess’s abilities. Whether infiltrating an Imperial Base or an aging Clone Wars factory, the movement and stealth aspects are quite gratifying.

Exploring through ducts, leaping over chasms using your grappling hook, scaling walls and traversing vast constructions, creeping around enormous complexes while staying hidden from detection, Kay has a multitude of thoughts racing through his mind, but there are numerous chances to reach your goals scattered everywhere. With multiple entryways and methods for infiltration at hand, you’re constantly weighing the most effective approach to sneak into an operation base. Should you uncover an underground passage or find a cliffside jump-off point? Could you divert the attention of the Stormtroopers and hack a terminal to lower the blast doors? Regardless of your decision, every base is brimming with possibilities for finding both entry and exit points.

Manipulating terminals for tasks like disabling surveillance cameras and turrets forms a mini-game involving deciphering symbol sequences, which may initially seem puzzling but grows clearer with practice. Additionally, certain doorways or crates require the use of your splicing tool. Infiltrating numerous buildings and bases adds depth to the experience, making progress towards your goal more engaging. Stealth is usually a viable approach, though it can grow repetitive at times, especially when one prefers a more aggressive approach against enemies. However, stealth remains almost indispensable in most situations.

In this game, Nix has the ability to spot adversaries and, if commanded to attack someone, it allows for a stealthy takedown as a follow-up action. However, if an enemy detects your presence, they could alert others, potentially leading to intense firefights, forcing you to use your blaster skills to survive. Your character’s health appears to deplete quickly, and while bacta vials can help heal, they may work slowly or seem unresponsive, which can be irritating during combat. Fortunately, most checkpoints are right before the area where you were defeated.

When you’re not engrossed in clandestine operations, you have the liberty to explore numerous cities, listening in on conversations for useful information, participating in races or arcade games at cantinas, shopping for components to enhance your blaster, ship, or speeder, or simply living life within the expansive universe that Massive Entertainment has crafted. Each location offers ample chances to acquire resources, uncover hidden treasures, and establish a lifestyle for Kay and Nix as you prepare for the ominous heist ahead. These planets and satellites are meticulously designed, with each one offering a unique experience compared to the last.

Star Wars Outlaws sets its stage primarily on Tatooine, a planet that’s no stranger in Star Wars games and stories. This choice isn’t arbitrary; it’s because Tatooine houses Jabba the Hutt and his gang, key characters you’ll interact with frequently during gameplay. What adds excitement is the inclusion of Akiva, a world predominantly showcased in the Aftermath series of novels. Kijimi, less explored outside Rise of Skywalker, stands out for its distinct atmosphere as it becomes home to a new criminal organization, the Ashiga Clan. The opening hours are spent on Toshara, a moon skillfully designed with numerous activities.

Navigation in Star Wars Outlaws is handled exceptionally well by Massive Entertainment. Your speeder can be summoned at most locations across the larger maps, enabling swift traversal of vast territories in a short span. The Trailblazer, Kay’s distinctive (and pilfered) vessel, is effortless to maneuver in space and off-world, allowing you to engage TIE fighters, salvage debris, and scan for valuable components. However, the most enjoyable aspect of piloting the ship is the hyperspace travel. The various modes of transportation within Star Wars Outlaws are seamlessly integrated, ensuring that galaxy exploration never becomes monotonous.

Star Wars Outlaws doesn’t overwhelm you with numerous quests or tasks simultaneously. Unlike some games like Ubisoft where the maps are filled with markers making it feel overwhelming, this game presents a more manageable pace. Much of your information comes from cantinas, either by chatting with the bartender or eavesdropping on others, or through contacts who will provide you with information for a fee. While you have main quests to advance the story, other tasks don’t feel random as they all contribute to your reputation within crime syndicates, help you discover Experts offering new abilities, acquire parts for your weapons, speeder, and ship, and pursue intel that could lead to a pirate camp treasure location or something else.

One intriguing aspect that sets Star Wars Outlaws apart is its innovative method for acquiring new talents and powers. Unlike traditional games with skill trees and character level-ups, this game doesn’t reward you with experience points for defeating enemies or completing missions. Instead, you seek out Experts scattered throughout the galaxy, each offering insights into specific aspects of Kay and Nix’s abilities. Once you locate them, you can unlock new abilities by accomplishing various tasks such as gathering a specified amount of credits from hidden stashes, eliminating a certain number of enemies with Nix creating distractions, or traversing a defined distance in the air on your speeder. This system is reminiscent of Fortnite’s method for earning experience points by completing small objectives.

This game provides a subtle means to enhance your character, equipment, and vehicles. You may accomplish these objectives unknowingly, or choose which new abilities to unlock deliberately. Although the primary narrative presents thrilling missions, the side activities are equally engaging. Discovering new Experts is enjoyable, but syndicate interactions are also intriguing. By cultivating favor with either the Pykes, Crimson Dawn, Ashiga Clan, or Hutts, you’ll receive unique rewards, superior goods from associated vendors, and better treatment when within their territories. Conversely, neglecting these groups might lead to unfavorable encounters and consequences, but you always have the freedom to make your own decisions.

The game “Star Wars Outlaws” doesn’t necessitate familiarity with Jedi, Sith, or the wider Star Wars universe to be enjoyed. However, for those in the know, it abounds with subtle references, nods, and Easter eggs that deepen the experience. One of my most delightful experiences was discovering an ancient High Republic vessel. Not only did this serve as a beautifully detailed and enjoyable play area, but I stumbled upon datapads referencing the Nihil and the Starlight Beacon. The game is rich in lore, and it’s always a treat to see how it incorporates various eras of Star Wars. Also, don’t forget to eavesdrop on a conversation at a specific cantina on Tatooine, near a particular seating area. It’s incredibly cool!

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of Star Wars Outlaws, yet there were some hiccups that occasionally dampened my fun experience. For instance, the fast-travel points are sparse, making traversing the deserts of Tatooine or the jungles of Akiva tedious and frustrating, especially when you accidentally collide with an unseen rock or tree trunk while speeding, causing you to lose control. Moreover, enemies seem to detect you far too swiftly, which can make stealth missions start prematurely. Lastly, some missions require a lot of back-and-forth travel that becomes repetitive as you have to traverse long distances, return, then venture further again.

Regardless, I’m confident that Star Wars Outlaws will catch many off guard. Its innovative method of enhancing skills and capabilities is a welcome change. The stealth aspects are diverse and engaging, and when you do engage in a firefight, it’s usually electrifying. The Star Wars lore is abundant throughout, and while you may find yourself spending hours infiltrating Imperial compounds, you might just as easily spend that time at the sabaac tables trying to outwit a group of high-stakes gamblers for some additional credits. Kay is an outstanding character who you’ll cheer for all along the journey, and Nix, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, is the star of the show.

2024-08-26 16:47

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