A Decent Star Wars Singleplayer Shooter
Star Wars Outlaws Review
Star Wars Outlaws offers a decent shooter experience within a richly realized Star Wars universe. While its gunplay and environments shine, the story, gameplay elements, and depth hold it back from greatness.
Pros
- 🔫 Tight, satisfying gunplay mechanics
- 🌌 Stunning and authentic Star Wars environments
- 🎨 Impressive lighting and visual effects
- 🎯 Good pacing in combat sequences
- 🎮 Decent stealth mechanics when working properly
Cons
- 📖 Story is uninspired with unlikable main characters
- 🤨 Suspension of disbelief broken by some stealth inconsistencies (e.g., punching armored stormtroopers)
- ⚠️ Occasional bugs and AI quirks detract from immersion
Star Wars Outlaws presents a tantalizing proposition: a gritty, open-world adventure set in the criminal underworld of a galaxy far, far away. That sounds like the recipe for a masterpiece, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, a great premise doesn’t automatically make a masterpiece—and Star Wars Outlaws is proof. However, don’t rule it just yet.
I dove into Star Wars Outlaws as part of my one-month Ubisoft+ subscription, mainly to make my money’s worth after Assassin’s Creed Shadows. With that context, and for practically zero additional cost, was it worth my time? Absolutely. In fact, I would say the game is underrated for how it’s often perceived online. It’s a decent game and a decent Star Wars shooter, delivering moments of genuine brilliance that are unfortunately held back by a few significant flaws.
The game’s strongest asset is its incredible presentation. The graphics are amazing, especially when you’re taking in the world itself. The lighting, the environmental detail, and the sweeping landscapes all pay perfect respect to what Star Wars looks and feels like. From the dusty, sun-beaten streets of a desert moon to the neon glow of criminal dens, the atmosphere is simply fantastic. However, this visual excellence is most apparent when you’re not looking at the human character models, which unfortunately don’t quite reach the same level of quality as the stunning worlds they inhabit.
Gameplay wise, the gunplay in this game also shines. The third-person shooting is tight, responsive, and satisfying, making every firefight an exciting and fluid engagement. This solid combat core is the anchor of the gameplay experience. As with other modern Ubisoft games, the structure will feel very familiar to many players. The open world is broken into distinct planets, each acting as its own large map filled with points of interest, and there's a detailed reputation system that tracks your standing with various criminal syndicates. While some may find this formulaic, it provides a solid foundation for the action.
You’re also never truly alone, thanks to your loyal companion, Nix. This small, clever creature is a key gameplay tool, capable of distracting enemies, fetching weapons, retrieving distant objects, and activating switches, adding a unique and helpful dynamic to both stealth and combat. And most of all, he’s cute.
Unfortunately, this fantastic setting is home to a story that feels uninspired. I found the main character, Kay Vess, to be not that likeable, which makes it difficult to get invested in her personal journey. The narrative lacks the spark and memorable characters that define the best Star Wars adventures. and I'm not even talking about her appearance, which is usually a point of contention online. I really don't have problems with how she looks, its really just the writing.
Conclusion
Overall though, Star Wars Outlaws is a decent, often beautiful, and likely underrated shooter set in the Star Wars galaxy that absolutely nails the look and feel of its world. Its excellent gunplay, solid questing loop, and stunning environments make it well worth your time, especially if you can access it through a cheap subscription like Ubisoft+ or on a deep sale. It falls short of being a Star Wars video game classic due to its weak story and some questionable gameplay choices, but it’s a fun and action-packed trip through the galaxy nonetheless.</
