"Star Wars Outlaws" in the test: Thieves among themselves (2024)

Ubisoft in trouble: First, some questionable exclusive bonus content for the Gold and Ultimate Editions caused displeasure among fans. Then a first gameplay video showed the dark side of "Star Wars Outlaws": yesterday's graphics, lame gameplay. And no lightsaber duels to boot. So can this work?

Protagonist Kay Vess could be Han Solo's sister: quick-witted, headstrong and stubborn. The crook has just one problem: a notorious syndicate has put a bounty on her head. So it's just as well that a colleague is planning a really big deal. A casino heist promises Kay the solution to all her problems if she puts together a powerful team first.

The developers tell this story as an open-world action adventure. In terms of gameplay, it is reminiscent of a mix of "Uncharted" and "Red Dead Redemption 2". As the main character, players sneak through empire bases, shoot their way through enemy gangster syndicates and engage in fast-paced chases on their gliding bike, a hovering motorcycle. The adventure is not limited to one world. A total of four planets with different flora and fauna invite you to explore them.

It also looks good on the PC for the most part. When we run through the jungle or the sun is reflected in the water, Ubisoft's Snowdrop engine really comes into its own. In contrast to the earlier gameplay video, the explosions are effective and the animations are fluid. However, there are also moments that don't look fully developed, such as pale, poorly detailed faces and little detail in the environment. The game lacks a few weeks of fine-tuning.

Sneak, shoot, trick

The 15-hour story often takes Kay into enemy bases. Here she evades guards and cameras or sets a few traps for the enemies. An important aid is her pet Nix, which she uses to flip switches or distract enemies from a distance. When it comes to combat, Kay relies on her fists and her customizable blaster. She can only use other weapons for a short time until she runs out of ammunition. Turrets and security doors take Kay out at consoles with simple puzzles.

Sometimes she also escorts a team member out of the base or engages in a shootout while a door is hacked, before fleeing from the pursuers on a gliding bike. It often goes into space, where Kay's ship duels with Tie Fighters or bandits in dog fights. The different mission objectives and locations provide variety, especially in the story.

Unusual: There is no skill tree. Instead, Kay looks for experts for whom she fulfills tasks. If she is successful, she learns how to build smoke bombs, can sneak faster or gains health points. The blaster is modified at the workbench to improve its firepower or destroy shields. Kay can also make her spaceship and glide bike faster and more resistant at the craftsmen's workshop.

Harmless enemies

The enemies are easy to crack. Some of them stand in front of our heroine without reacting or don't even hit – typical stormtroopers at close range. Only in the fight against a giant monster or an insane droid did we have to make a bit of an effort while playing. If you are looking for a challenge, you should choose a slightly higher difficulty level.

This also applies to a mission that already caused a stir in advance: "Jabba's move". It is reserved exclusively for purchasers of the Gold and Ultimate Editions. A very questionable decision, especially as the mission hardly stands out from the rest of the game. Kay has to steal some data for the notorious gangster Jabba the Hutt while sneaking and shooting his way through a base. This is neither outstanding nor important for the story or the character of Jabba. You don't really need to buy the special edition for that.

Typical open world

The rest of the game is a repetition of the story's mission types. Numerous syndicates vie for the master thief's favor and provide her with missions. Obtain some data here, smuggle illegal goods there or infiltrate an enemy base. Kay can also incur the displeasure of a syndicate and no longer receive any assignments for the time being. However, this did not have any major impact on the game during our playtime.

If Kay is not out and about in the cities or bases, she can go in search of treasures like Nathan Drake in "Uncharted". These are usually hidden in remote corners, which she only reaches by climbing for a long time. Sometimes she has to solve a small switch puzzle to open locked doors. This provides a little variety. Like almost every open world, "Outlaws" struggles with the usual gameplay loop in which all missions are always repeated.

The numerous accessibility settings are exceptional. From contrast to acoustic signals, players can customize their adventure. Mini-games such as hacking or lock picking can be deactivated and in explorer mode the color cues disappear when climbing. Exemplary.

Conclusion

"Star Wars: Outlaws" is a successful mix of familiar open-world approaches. The story is excitingly told and varied, the gameplay is streamlined and dispenses with sprawling skill trees or excessive crafting. It's a shame that the game lacks visual polish in some places and that the dusty gameplay loop of conventional open-world games also tarnishes the enjoyment of the game a little here. At least this is a good opportunity to immerse yourself in the "Star Wars" universe without any lightsabers or esoteric Force bling bling.

"Star Wars: Outlaws" will be released on August 30 for Windows, PS5 and Xbox Series. The game is included in Ubisoft +. Buyers of the Gold and Ultimate Editions will have access to the game three days earlier. It costs approx. 70 – 130 €. For our test, we played through the PC version.

(olb)