Star Wars Outlaws is a galaxy far, far away from “Uncharted in space”

After four hours with Star Wars Outlaws, my excitement for Ubisoft Massive's open world has grown exponentially. What I once wrote off as "Uncharted in space" (something I’m sure I’m not the only one guilty of), I’ve been impressed by Outlaws' ambition.

It's perhaps unsurprising that Ubisoft, of all companies, would push a galaxy far, far away into an open-world template, but it feels less like a to-do list and more like a player-led adventure.

Dynamic Duo

Star Wars Outlaws takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, which is traditionally fertile ground for Star Wars stories. While we’ve had plenty of Han Solo types over the years, having spent a few hours with Kay Vess and Nix, I’m even more glad we’re not getting another Jedi game.

At the start of her criminal journey, Kay is likeable enough but lacking in conviction. She second-guesses herself, feeling like a Conman without confidence, and that made her more endearing than I ever anticipated.

I got to play two gameplay slices, and while she’s definitely not a hardened criminal mastermind by the time we got to the second section, she’s definitely more sure of herself and I’m looking forward to experiencing the journey between those two points and beyond.

Naturally, Kay is only one side of our scoundrel coin, and she’s joined by the adorable Nix. Nix plays to type as a "cute alien companion" acting as comic relief, but Kay’s bond with him extends to gameplay, too, letting Nix distract enemies by playing dead (complete with fun overacting), attacking them outright, or gathering their weapons.

Blast our way through

In my demo, I was able to explore Toshara Moon, a new original creation from Massive, and Kijimi from The Rise of Skywalker. Both paint an excellent picture of how exploration and mission structures tie into each other throughout the game.

Initially arriving on Toshara Moon, I was able to use Kay’s Red Dead-esque slow-motion shooting to clear a group of bandits before hopping on my speeder. Each of Outlaws' planets feels particularly sizeable without feeling too large, and before long I was able to head to a major city, full of verticality, hidden secrets, and contacts to speak to.

Many of Kay’s missions are started by cantina chitchat, but it’s also possible to bump into NPCs out in the world. In this regard, Ubisoft smartly avoids signposting these additional missions too clearly, therefore avoiding a lot of the “map clutter” that Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry have become known for.

Instead, you’ll overhear conversations that are logged to Kay’s intel for exploration later, like a downed Imperial shipment of gear and items that can be reclaimed from bandits out in the open world, or learning about keys to a particular vault on the planet.

I wanted to see what sort of legs the system has and how flexible it could be, so spent some time on Kijimi selling goods I’d stolen. I bribed a local for directions to the Cantina and found a broker there with a couple of missions to undertake.

Sneaking into the restricted area of the cartel I was friendly with, I planted a bug before being given the option to double-cross for additional credits - at the risk of upsetting the original cartel that hired me.

All of this played out from me just roaming the streets of the snow-covered city, and is a great example of how Outlaws will let you role-play as a scoundrel just making ends meet - regardless of who you want to upset.

Keep your friends close

Much of this is facilitated by the factions vying for control within Outlaws. There are four to contend with, and making friends with one will almost always have negative repercussions with another.

Each will offer specific bonuses like vendor stock and discounts, but you’ll also be able to double-cross those you work with, too. In my time on Toshara Moon, I worked to gain the favour of Crimson Dawn before sneaking into their vault to rob them of everything not nailed down and escape.

In practice, it feels a little Hitman-esque, as you gain access to new locations or are turned away by security. There’s almost always a way around, too, so even if you are denied access you can sneak through a vent or find another shortcut - just don’t get caught or you’ll be in even bigger trouble.

In many ways it feels a little like a third-person Deus Ex-lite, playing off factions against one another while you scurry through the shadows, and that’s something I wasn’t quite expecting when I started playing.

It’s a good job stealth is an option, too, because it feels heavily encouraged rather than going toe-to-toe with an army of Stormtroopers or bandits. Kay has an upgradeable blaster that can take care of enemy shields once she gains an Ion bolt, and there’s an active-reload mechanic when it overheats, but you can also ask Nix to snag weapons off the ground for a limited time, including blaster rifles and sniper rifles.

Kay packs a wallop, too, with punch animations that feel very hammy in the best way, appropriate to the original trilogy.

To the Stars

While Outlaws is an open-world title, Ubisoft has added plenty of show-stopping set-piece moments, too.

In my playtime, I was able to dogfight enemy ships to collect loose cargo, before convincing an Imperial space station that I was hauling cargo. Once I was onboard, Kay was tasked with finding a piece of intel for one of the cartels.

What followed was tense scurrying through Imperial corridors, dodging droids and troopers alike.

On another heist, I was sent into a sort of spa complex on Kijimi to retrieve an artefact and knocked out every guard I could before sending Nix to snatch the prize and blast my way out.

My four hours in Star Wars Outlaws have been full of those stories that I’d regale other scoundrels with if I were in a cantina of my own.

Final Thoughts

With so many branching paths to take, factions to side with, and areas to explore, I’m very excited to play more of Star Wars Outlaws when it launches next month.

If the rest of the game can offer as much excitement and open-ended gameplay as the sections I played, then the Force is very strong indeed.

Previewed on PC via remote streaming. Preview access provided by the publisher.