The unique Abilities skill tree also makes character progression feel far more natural than many other games.
Otherwise, this is a fun game for any Star Wars fan.
It took me roughly 30 hours to beat the main story and see credits roll.
Bram the Bartender is the first Expert Kay unlocks in her travels.
Here’s what I think about this single-player adventure.
This review was made possible thanks to a review code provided by Ubisoft.
The company did not see the contents of this review before publishing.
Star Wars Outlaws: What is it?
However, they soon get in trouble and are forced to steal a ship and get off world.
To confirm she stays on target, Jaylen assigns a threatening ND-5 Clone Wars droid to work with Kay.
It’s a dangerous game to play, but one that can pay off if done correctly.
It’s possible another is unlocked once the game is beaten.
ND-5 has no say in the matter since he’s programmed to obey Jaylen regardless of his own feelings.
Parts of the story, especially relationships between characters, feel contrived and rushed.
This makes her seem immature and clueless while also making parts of the plot inconsistent and unbelievable.
So, who knows?
Kay might come off a little different in a better ending if there is one.
But this doesn’t stop her from learning from those she meets.
Once done, these people have about five skills they can teach Kay.
Much like the lauded Skyrim progression system, Kay only unlocks skills if she puts them to use.
For instance, Bram the Bartender is the first Expert Kay unlocks.
All in all, this system makes learning skills feel more earned.
Outside of personal growth, Kay can also upgrade her speeder bike, blaster, clothing, and ship.
Doing so might increase her firepower, defense, health, carrying capacity, and more.
Specific component quests lead to necessary upgrade items.
Bram the Bartender is the first Expert Kay unlocks in her travels.
Aside from the initial tutorial quests, many upgrade side quests are optional.
This, in turn, makes me want to pursue upgrades rather than feeling obligated to do so.
I mean that completing missions requires a lot of stealth takedowns and sneaking around in vents.
If you have the right parts and the credits, you can pay a mechanic to upgrade the Trailblazer and speeder bike.
Kay’s companion, Nix, is honestly one of the best parts about Star Wars Outlaws.
He does adorable things during cutscenes that frequently make me smile.
As such, I found myself using this creature’s abilities often.
Kay must climb cliff faces, swing across gaps, and clamber up ship parts in order to infiltrate various locations.
The more creative you get with Nix, the easier a job can be.
Regarding lock picking and slicing, Kay has to participate in small mini-games for these actions to be successful.
Meanwhile, slicing is basically Wordle with alien digits.
You can send Nix ahead of you to attack an enemy so they don’t see you coming.
You select from a list of characters and enter them in.
The character will get X’d out if it doesn’t belong in the code.
A character will appear yellow if it belongs in the code but is in the wrong spot.
Lastly, a character turns green if it belongs where it was placed.
After some simple trial and error, deducing the accurate code is easy and satisfying.
Enemies can also drop grenades and healing Bacta Vials, which are necessary for survival.
Slicing or hacking basically involves playing Star Wars Wordle.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Within minutes, the whole place was on alert and looking for me.
To clear my wanted status, I was told to head to a Death Trooper outpost.
Once done, I was blissfully anonymous to the Empire once more.
Lock picking involves listening to a beat (accompanied by a light) and then repeating it in perfect time.(Image credit: Windows Central)
The whole experience was very exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat.
Syndicates and side quests
So, how do side quests work in Outlaws?
you’ve got the option to find many the old-fashioned way by exploring and talking to NPCs.
Additional Storm Troopers will be flown in to an Imperial Compound if the alarm is raised.
Additionally, some quests are trickier than others and cannot be repeated if Kay is caught.
This might involve betraying the group I initially signed on with or completing the job to the end.
Kay is a scoundrel, after all, so I get to choose whatever outcome seems best to me.
Taking on Contracts from syndicate brokers can raise and lower your reputation among criminal groups.
The Reputation tab in the game menu shows my current standing with various criminal groups.
The speeder bike can go much faster than a horse usually goes in Assassin’s Creed games.
This is helpful when I’m being chased by angry syndicate members or patrolling Scout Troopers.
Exploration is often rewarded regardless of what planet you’re on.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Thank you for that, Massive Entertainment.
However, I can engage in dogfights in space and explore asteroid fields or nearby shipwrecks.
Kay’s ship, the Trailblazer, handles easily and can turn around quickly enough without feeling sluggish.
The speeder bike can be upgraded to go insanely fast.(Image credit: Windows Central)
The actual areas of space I can explore feel somewhat small and limited, though.
But this prevents the game from feeling too wide open and empty likeStarfielddoes.
In the case of stealth, I found being able to see more at once is also more helpful.
You can go up to most docile creatures and pet them.(Image credit: Windows Central)
I love that Outlaws fully embraces the original trilogy’s late 1970s and early 1980s aesthetic.
Because of this, she fits into her classic Star Wars controls perfectly.
I won’t list all the planets so as not to spoil anything.
There are different animations for different creature interactions.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Instead, I’ll stick to describing Tatooine since it’s been shown off in trailers and promo pictures.
Everything looks amazing, with lots of textured detail, effects, and great shading.
I frequently find myself opening photo mode to capture the gorgeous scenes I discover.
You can explore asteroid fields or engage in dogfights.(Image credit: Ubisoft)
These are absolutely beautiful to watch, filled with even more stunning detail than regular gameplay.
Stuttering, choppiness, and bugs oh my!
The game plays relatively smoothly on both devices when playing at the system’s default controls.
You can quickly jump to light speed in your ship.(Image credit: Windows Central)
It wasn’t consistent, but when it happened, it was notable.
This is very unfortunate, given how powerful my laptop is.
Don’t plan on playing Star Wars Outlaws onSteam Deck, though.
By default, Star Wars Outlaws displays in a cinematic 21:9 ratio.(Image credit: Windows Central)
But what about other platforms?
As a reminder, Star Wars Outlaws is not onXbox Game Pass.
Each of these problems was fixed by either fast traveling to another location or restarting the game.
You can change the view to full-screen if desired.(Image credit: Windows Central)
With any luck, the problems I mentioned will be resolved by launch or shortly thereafter.
Star Wars Outlaws: Can you play on gaming handhelds?
Does Star Wars Outlaws run well on gaming handhelds?
Jabba’s Palace can be found on Tatooine.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Can I play Star Wars Outlaws on Steam Deck?
For one thing, Star Wars Outlaws isn’t on Steam.
Star Wars Outlaws: Should you play it?
Kay and Nix work as a team when infiltrating bases or exploring.
Massive Entertainment managed to beautifully recreate familiar locations while providing engaging activities to keep players entertained.
It is not available on Xbox Game Pass.
You’re a petty thief who has managed to steal a ship from a powerful man.
You’ll find plenty of easter eggs and interesting locations when exploring the various planets.
But to do that, she’ll first need to take on odd jobs with various criminal syndicates.
Star Wars Outlaws is not on Xbox Game Pass and likely will not be anytime in the near future.
Star Wars Outlaws can easily be enjoyed on ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, and Legion Go.
ND-5 is a relic from the Clone Wars and is added to the crew to keep an eye on Kay.
