In Star Wars Outlaws, you immerse yourself in a world full of possibilities, experience everyday life in the Star Wars universe, and embark on a dangerous journey through the outer rim territories of the galaxy. However, despite impressive audiovisual design and a promising premise, the game leaves a mixed impression. While some elements of the game exceed expectations, other aspects are disappointing.
Kay Vess's Journey: An Unsatisfying Adventure
You step into the shoes of Kay Vess, an up-and-coming mercenary who involuntarily becomes an outlaw after a botched mission puts a high bounty on her head. Alongside her cute, axolotl-like companion Nix, Kay travels through the galaxy to assemble a team and rob the man who wants her dead. In the process, she clashes with the galaxy's biggest crime syndicates, including the Pyke Syndicate, Crimson Dawn, and the Hutt Cartel.
The game places a strong emphasis on showcasing Kay's adventure, but her character development remains superficial. Kay Vess is yet another human protagonist in a long line of Star Wars characters, and her story offers little in terms of fresh perspectives. The game attempts to explore Kay's aimlessness and lack of future plans as narrative themes, but it fails to present a credible and engaging character arc. Kay's personality remains unchanged until the end of the game, ultimately making the plot feel weak and unconvincing.
The Supporting Characters: Untapped Potential
While many Star Wars games often shine through their intriguing supporting characters, Outlaws lacks this strength. The BX-Droid Commander ND-5, who initially appears as a cold slave robot and later becomes Kay's ally, has the potential for an interesting development. However, the relationship between Kay and ND-5 is depicted hastily and unconvincingly. The game fails to provide the depth necessary to truly make their partnership understandable. As a result, the emotional climax of their story also falls flat.
An Acoustic Masterpiece
What Star Wars Outlaws excels at, however, is its sound design. The soundtrack and sound effects are outstanding and transport you directly into the world of Star Wars. Whether it's the orchestral swell as Kay jumps into hyperspace with her ship or the distinctive hum of her blaster, the audio elements perfectly capture the essence of the Star Wars universe. This immersive soundscape gives the game a unique allure and significantly contributes to losing yourself in galactic adventures.
Missed Opportunities in Gameplay
Star Wars Outlaws positions itself as a game with many facets – from heist plots to stealth mechanics to space battles – yet it fails to fully deliver on these promises. The gameplay is often underdeveloped and offers little incentive for deeper engagement.
- Heist Elements: Despite purporting to be a heist adventure, this aspect remains severely underdeveloped. Planning and executing a heist are only sporadically touched upon and often missing altogether.
- Stealth: Kay's abilities in stealth sequences are solid, but the enemy AI is so simplistic that most challenges are too easy to overcome. There is a lack of depth and reward for strategic gameplay.
- Space Battles: The space battles are disappointing. Kay's ship, the Trailblazer, handles sluggishly, and the space combat feels slow and monotonous. It is particularly frustrating that the game heavily relies on this weak component in its final moments, unnecessarily weakening the game's conclusion.
The Failure of the Decision System
Another significant issue in Outlaws is the relationship system with the various crime syndicates. The game suggests that your decisions will impact the story and relationships with these groups. However, in practice, this has little to no noticeable effect. Even drastic decisions lead to barely discernible consequences, severely undermining the illusion of choice. This is particularly frustrating when, as in the example described, you consistently remain loyal to a faction only to find out that it ultimately doesn't matter.
Beautiful Open Worlds with Weak Space Travel
The various planets you can explore throughout the game offer visually stunning and diverse landscapes. However, while planet exploration is enjoyable, the space travel element disappoints. Space is treated as a transitional zone in Outlaws, with no significant challenges or exciting discoveries. Space battles are the weakest part of the game, and it quickly becomes apparent why they are often avoidable.
A Game of Light and Shadow
Star Wars Outlaws is a game of contrasts. It offers an excellent sound design and captivating moments in the streets and markets of the galaxy, but the story and gameplay leave much to be desired. The missed opportunities in character development and player decisions tarnish the overall experience. Outlaws shines brightest when capturing the small, everyday moments in the Star Wars universe, away from the grand conflicts and hero journeys. Unfortunately, these moments are too few and far between, and the overall package falls short of expectations.
