When I attended the first hands-off briefing for Star Wars Outlaws<\/em> at Summer Game Fest 2023, I left Ubisoft\u2019s demo room on a high, thinking this could be the piece of media that finally pulls me into the Star Wars universe. I loved the focus on a solo protagonist, Kay Vess, and her cute merqaal pet, Nix. I adored the fact that developers said the game would tell a cohesive, linear story, rather than throwing players into an unfocused open world and calling it AAA. I was eager to get my hands on it.<\/p>\n Since then, I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to access two different previews of Star Wars Outlaws<\/em>, and my initial excitement has been tempered. It\u2019s not completely extinguished, but the slices that I\u2019ve played have reinforced a bloaty vibe underpinned by unclear navigation and generic combat. I still think Star Wars Outlaws<\/em> is a pretty game with interesting character designs and environments, but I\u2019m now less hopeful about everything else it\u2019s offering \u2014 you know, the elements that haven\u2019t been plucked directly out of the existing Star Wars universe.<\/p>\n The sections I\u2019ve played of Star Wars Outlaws<\/em> span cosmic dogfights, parkour levels in metal-lined space stations and military bases, and stealth missions against roaming Stormtroopers and interstellar criminal factions. I also hopped on a speeder and had a great time flying over the dunes of Toshara with Nix on the back of my bike; one thing I\u2019m definitely looking forward to in the full game is entering hovercraft races.<\/p>\n As for the bits I actually played, I would describe the overall theme as confusing<\/em>. I encountered a head-scratching moment in the first minutes of my initial preview at Summer Game Fest 2024 in June: I crawled through a busted, rocky base and found myself at the mouth of a cliffside cave, the mountain too steep to climb down and the ground too far away for a leap of faith. I stood there and searched for an indication of where to go next, scanning the scenery from side to side and top to bottom, but nothing jumped out. So, I jumped.<\/p>\n This was the incorrect move, and I died and reset. After searching the edge of the cave for a few more minutes and second-guessing whether I was in the proper location, a Ubisoft spokesperson pointed out a strip of coiled metal high above my head \u2014 literally as far up as Kay\u2019s field of view would go and blended in with the foliage. An inconspicuous white label identified it as an interactable object, but the entire thing was incredibly easy to miss. I pushed R3 on the controller and hooked onto it with my grappling gun, feeling incredibly dumb. Unfortunately, this was a repeated experience (and feeling) throughout the preview levels.<\/p>\n One of the selling points of Star Wars Outlaws<\/em> is its parkour-style mechanics, where Kay climbs metal grids, slides along shallow ledges by her fingertips and uses her grappling hook to swing across gaps. However, these mechanics are hit-or-miss, draining the flow from any attempted parkour action. The climbable grids are highlighted in a dull yellow that doesn\u2019t exactly stand out against rusted metal walls, and even when Kay jumps directly to them, she sometimes fails to connect. This happened to me during both previews, in different sections of the game, and the second instance led me to think the grid wasn\u2019t actually climbable at all. I wasted a good chunk of time farting around the affected area before considering another jump to the grid. It worked, but the loop left me frustrated.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t mind some enmeshed, not-obvious traversal points in my games, but Star Wars Outlaws<\/em> seems to take this idea too far.<\/p>\n Navigating the environments was also weirdly challenging. I got lost in multiple areas in my previews, even with a responsive HUD and highlighted objective markers on the screen the whole time. The little yellow indicator was difficult to follow through maze-like settlements filled with similar-looking stalls, stairwells and hallways, and tracking objectives only got harder once blaster fights broke out. I never want to wonder where the hell I\u2019m supposed to be going in the middle of intense combat, but Star Wars Outlaws <\/em>served up this situation multiple times.<\/p>\n I enjoyed some sections of the game just fine, particularly the final mission that I played. On the icy planet Kijimi, I snuck into a protected, two-story ballroom on a mission to steal an object in the center of the space. Nix is always by Kay\u2019s side and he can be instructed to collect shinies, flip switches, and distract or attack enemies, and I made him do all of these things during this mission. The stealth mechanics in Star Wars Outlaws <\/em>are straightforward \u2014 crouch to be sneaky \u2014 and enemies are generally oblivious unless you\u2019re directly in their line of sight. In rooms with two enemies, it\u2019s best to send Nix after one guard while silently taking down the other, and then finish off the attacked, disoriented foe as Nix scurries away. I employed this tactic to great success, and even once a blaster battle broke out anyway, I had a good time lobbing grenades and landing headshots in this level.<\/p>\n My time on Kijimi gives me hope that maybe I just need a few uninterrupted hours with Star Wars Outlaws<\/em> for the game to really click. I\u2019m intrigued by its reputation system, where players can track their standing with various interstellar criminal networks, altering the level of access Kay will have with the associated areas and characters. Hacking doors and safes involves a screwdriver and a little rhythm game, and the process is satisfying every time. The speeder controls well and I\u2019m stoked to try out some actual races once I practice a little more. Space battles are dizzying and perfectly serviceable. Nix is adorable in every situation. There\u2019s plenty to look forward to here, but I can\u2019t forget the frustration that\u2019s seemingly built into the climbing mechanics, grappling hook and nav system.<\/p>\n I\u2019m concerned that Star Wars Outlaws<\/em> has fallen victim to classic AAA bloat, offering a big universe of mediocre experiences, some of them half-functional and the rest lacking depth or innovation. In the game\u2019s previews, there are hints that this is the case. As always though, I\u2019m prepared to be surprised.<\/p>\n If I had advice for anyone interested in Star Wars Outlaws<\/em> \u2014 and this still includes me, just barely \u2014 it would be this: Look up. Like way up.<\/p>\n Star Wars Outlaws<\/em> will hit PC<\/a>, PlayStation 5<\/a> and Xbox Series X\/S<\/a> on August 30.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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