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Imagine a world where you play as a true to life Scoundrel, a smuggler extraordinaire “living the big life”, with every cartel spread throughout the outer rim at your beck and call. You have a fierce and intensely loyal companion at your side, and a whole crew of outlaws ready to do your every bidding. This is Star Wars Outlaws at its best. However, as with all good things in life, reaching the apex of one’s career is no easy feat. This is perhaps the game’s biggest barrier to entry, how it throws players right into the boots of a down-on-her-luck nobody with absolutely none of the above [okay the companion is quite cute], just trying to make ends meet. Yet, despite this lack of grandiose to start with, those who stick with it and climb the smuggler ranks will experience something truly extraordinary. 

Star Wars Outlaws is a breath of fresh air, not only for Ubisoft, but for Star Wars fans and video gamers alike. It offers a unique blend of open-world exploration, surprisingly compelling storytelling, and familiar Star Wars schtick worthy of the name. After the recent gem that is Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, having a brand-new “truly open-world” game set in the iconic universe far far away is very much a dream come true for many. The good news? Star Wars Outlaws largely delivers on all expectations. 

Star Wars Outlaws is vast – it encourages exploration, slow movement, and becoming immersed into all of the seedy underworld drama a crack team of Ubisoft writers (in conjunction with universe creators over at the Lucas Film wing at Disney) could possibly come up with. Even after 40 hours of play, there are constant surprises around every dune.

Set smack dab in the middle of Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the story introduces players to Kay Vess. As a surprisingly likeable and very relatable protagonist who finds herself navigating the criminal underworld of the galaxy, players are once again reminded of how the development team – and everyone involved – Cleary took an astounding amount of care with the universe George Lucas envisioned. Dialogue captures the spirit of Star Wars while also introducing fresh perspectives on the galaxy’s seedy underbelly. 

Without going into too much detail (since the story is one worth experiencing – like the original trilogy), there is no doubt the many twists and turns will keep players invested from start to finish – it really is a good story. Narratively, the title does a wonderful job of making players feel like they are part of the Star Wars universe. It all comes together rather poetically whereby the developers ensure the choices Kay needs to make have consequences; whether it means rolling the die blissfully or naively, and dealing with the outcomes thereafter. 

Accompanying Kay at every step of her journey is her loyal companion, a merqaal named Nix. There are also a host of morally questionable characters joining in on the fun as the narrative matures. There is Waka, a dubious yet aloof engineer who will leave players with certain expectations; the likes of ND-5, a bomb maker, a heavy; and even a mercenary named Rooster (to name but only a small few) – each of which will outright exceed all expectations. It is an incredible feat of dedication to have so many fleshed out characters for an open-world title, with each being faithful to the lore and universe. 

Characters really are the core of what makes Star Wars Outlaws great. Whether integral to the story, or simply a random non-playable peasant, through to those who join Kay’s crew; every character is seemingly fleshed out beyond expectation. The characters, for the most part, also really help make Kay unique in terms of gameplay and story. The planet Kijimi comes to mind as an example: an ice world ruled [mostly] by a hive-like clan called the Ashiga. Here Kay learns more about herself whilst also meeting some of the most intriguing characters in the title – some of which could aid her on the path toward her ultimate goal (saying more would spoil the story, but choices do matter). Then there are the plethora of known characters from both canon and Legends (finally introducing Legends characters into canon lore), and how the inclusion of an equally massive codex will set any long-time Star Wars fan’s heart aflutter. 

Gameplay is another massive boon for Star Wars Outlaws. While it is challenging to grasp what the developers really mean when they call the game the “first open-world Star Wars game” (Jedi: Survivor really raised the bar set by Knights of the Old Republic II), locales are vast and exploration is plentiful. Thanks to a variety of travelling methods, players may explore both land and space. There are plenty of planets, each complete with its own unique set of environments, quests, challenges, story drama, and side quests to explore as and when players see fit. With multiple clans and cartels to keep happy and a reputation score to uphold, few players will follow the same progression and path; further adding onto the game’s obvious replayability (side note: Crimson Dawn will rule all… in my humble opinion). This is both one of the best and weakest aspects of the title, as players will need to give the game time to open up and become the best ‘Kay’ they can be. Doing so will prove just how good the game can be, but it will take several hours to do so. Give Star Wars Outlaws the time it deserves, as the rewards are absolutely worth the journey (promise).

When nitpicking, it is easy to discern the game’s combat as the weakest link. While fluid and responsive, blending traditional third-person cover shooting mechanics with abilities unique to the Star Wars universe – think blasting through bandits, cartel members, and Imperial troopers – easily takes a back seat compared to the exceptional stealth mechanics Kay can employ. Kay’s blaster is an older model firearm adequately described as “crude but useful” by ND-5. With it, players will be able to modify the blaster with various modules, changing the way in which players can go about doing their blasting. From a standard blaster module, through to a rapid module; an ion module, and even a detonation module, players will be able to return to earlier areas to unlock even more treasures and loot or get to places they may have thought impossible; the only challenge being actually utilising all aspects of the weapon. None of this shooting and looting compares to the true star of the show, however, which is clearly stealth gameplay.

Star Wars Outlaws clearly wants players to “do” more than “learn”, as is the way of the scoundrel. However, taking the time to scout out key locations, marking enemies and key objects using the binocular, then slowly moving through tall brush, taking cover when necessary, and sneaking through bases and restricted areas to get to computer terminals or steal some high tech gizmos; absolutely blows even the likes of recent Ghost Recon titles out of the water. With Nix at her side, ready to attack, steal, push buttons and distract enemies; Kay’s stealth gameplay is simply on another level for an open-world title – consistently making her the ‘sneakiest’ scoundrel in the sector.

Kay’s overall armament consists of her modular blaster, a utility belt full of various tools she can acquire on her journey, and her garments. Through playing and subsequently finding crates in the open world, players will unlock new gear (vest, holster, and boots/pants) for Kay to wear. Like many other games, these clothing items will sometime come with special traits affording Kay either defensive or offensive traits. Sometimes she will also find pieces of sets of gear, where when all three pieces are equipped, even more traits will become available. These also act as cosmetics. Transmogrifying gear is available right from the start, meaning players can easily wear whatever gear they want with any stats they have at their disposal, and still change the appearance of the clothing to match any other pieces they have found. Kay eventually gets more trinket slots as the game progresses, allowing even more flexibility to build her up to match every player’s preferred gameplay style. Lastly, there is a ‘food’ slot for Nix giving the cutey some interesting mechanics, which is unlocked by way of a pretty incredible – and oh so surprising – mini-game (no spoilers here, just know it is so worth it – further showcasing the incredible attention to detail present in the game).

Further augmenting personal play-styles comes by way of how players choose to upgrade the speeder and the Trailblazer. Through various merchants and other means, player can acquire parts allowing upgrades to be installed in either of Kay’s vehicles. Whether players choose a beefy starship that can one-shot TIEs or something nimbler with faster laser canons and torpedoes, it is all about player choice. Pro Tip: Shield upgrades are an absolute necessity.

Sometime during the last three years or so, Ubisoft developers have seemingly had a change of heart by moving away from the incessant need to make everything about collections and unlocks via scaling towers or finding hidden caches. While the hidden cache part is still present in this game, the painfully tiring collectathon mechanic’s have been axed in favour of a new type of progression: players are incentivised to unlock new abilities for Kay simply by going about their business. Ordering Nix to open a few doors and to distract a few enemies – before silently taking them out – will unlock new mechanics like ‘fast-talk’, which allows players to attempt and talk their way out of sticky situations (or resort to blasting and catching enemies off-guard). Sneaking around and knocking out distracted enemies will unlock even more abilities later, and so will winning a certain number of Sabbac games, catching air with the speeder, and jumping through the void with the Trailblazer (all mostly seamlessly, with cinematic shots to ease the wait). This way of doing things allows players to become even more immersed in the gameplay instead of forcing them to open a map every second minute to pinpoint exactly where the next tower or unlock may be hidden. 

This review will be remiss not to mention the outstanding sound design in Star Wars Outlaws. As one would expect from a Star Wars title, all iconic sounds are present. From gonk droids going about their business in alleys and cantinas, through to the iconic (and terrifying) screech a TIE-fighter makes when near, everything has been painstakingly recreated and tuned to the nth degree to sound real and immersive. Blasting off to space always invigorates while setting the module in Kay’s blaster feels wonderfully real; slicing into a terminal fills players with a sense of dread and then relief, as the slicing kit buzzes and beeps to succession; and the sound of a bunch of credit chits clinking and clanking when players win a high-roller gamble never feels dull. Then there is the actual soundscapes making up the world of Star Wars Outlaws — a masterfully orchestrated assembly of sounds and music based on the original trilogy pioneered by John Williams serving to make long-time fans and newcomers alike feel like they have been a part of the universe for aeons. 

Sound and visuals tend to go hand-in-hand, and those featured in this game are no different. Star Wars Outlaws is stunning. Attention to detail can be witnessed everywhere, while characters models and special effects are top-notch. Every planet (and their accompanying space-scape) feels unique and have their own traits. Lighting and weather tied with a dynamic time of day mechanic adds to the constant immersion factor, making each location feel distinct and atmospheric. 

Like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, players will be bathed in beautiful character models and environments to further pull them into the stunningly created digital universe. Kay Vess, along with her companion Nix, are both brought to life with motion capture and animation rivalling the likes of The Last of Us: Part II Remastered. Humberly González (Ginny & Georgia) does an award-winning job bringing Kay Vess to life, while Jay Rincon (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) as ND-5 serves as a poignant contrast to Kay’s happy-go-lucky personality. Both of them are joined by film and game alma mater, Dee Bradley Baker (Phineas and Pherb), Tristan D. Lalla (Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – Freedom Cry), and Ess Hödlmoser (Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora), alongside so much more talent. Gamers will even spot several South African accents via various non-playable characters (thanks for the inclusion, Ubisoft).

While pre-release code tends to come with its own set of technical difficulties, Star Wars Outlaws performs amicably on a high-end computer setup (NVidia GeForce RTX 4090, Intel Core i9, and 32GB GDDR5) with all settings on High (including NVidia DLSS with Frame Generation and Direct Lighting). It also fairs well on older mid-range hardware (NVidia GeForce 1060, Intel Core i5, and 16GB GDDR4) on medium. Initial loading is always painless and seamless transitions between locales feel like a teensy bit slower-than-film scene transition. On Xbox Series X, on the other hand, visuals seemed stunning – to say the least – with equally as little setback.

Star Wars Outlaws delivers an experience that is both a love letter to the Star Wars universe and a bold step forward in open-world game design. It invites players into a world where every choice carries weight, every character adds depth, and almost every mission feels like a new adventure waiting to unfold. Despite minor shortcomings, particularly in the combat mechanics, the game’s strengths – its rich narrative, immersive environments, and attention to detail – far outweigh any weaknesses.

Whether players are die-hard fans of the franchise or newcomers looking for an entry point, Star Wars Outlaws truly is something special. It rewards curiosity, encourages exploration, and makes players feel like a true part of the galaxy far, far away. Navigating Kay Vess’s journey does not just feel like playing a game; it allows players to feel like they are actively living in a Star Wars story, one choice at a time. In that sense, Star Wars Outlaws does not just meet expectations; it joins the ranks of Jedi: Survivor and Knights of the Old Republic II as it sets a new standard for what an open-world Star Wars game can and should be. 

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Verdict:

EXCEPTIONAL

PROS	CONS
Breaks Ubisoft tradition	Combat takes a clear backseat
Another top-tier single player Star Wars game	Requires an internet connection, but who does not have an internet connection in 2024?
The ultimate immersive Star Wars experience
You can pet pretty much anything that looks like it wants to be pet!

Title primarily reviewed via Ubisoft Connect on Windows 11 (also partially on Xbox Series X) with code supplied by Ubisoft.

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