Star Wars Outlaws is one of the biggest releases of 2024. It’s being marketed as the first ever true open world Star Wars game, being developed by Massive Entertainment, the studio behind The Division games. We recently got the opportunity to play in a remote preview session where we were given about 4 hours to play through a number of sections in the game. Given how we only have about a month left until the full release, it’s safe to assume that what we got to experience is close to what the final build will be. Here are our Star Wars Outlaws first impressions.
Star Wars Outlaws aims to take players on an expansive journey through the galaxy far, far away. After spending some time with the game, it’s clear that it has a lot of potential, but there are also some significant areas that need improvement.
One of the standout features of Star Wars Outlaws is obviously its open world. The map is filled with intriguing locations that beg to be explored. And it helps that the environments look great. Whether you’re diving into random card games or engaging in various activities, the world feels vibrant and lived-in, which significantly boosts immersion. It’s exciting to roam around, discovering hidden corners and interacting with the galaxy’s diverse inhabitants.
However, the driving mechanics, particularly when using a keyboard and mouse, were cumbersome. The game employs a system where the mouse and WASD keys have distinct functions for movement, which felt awkward and unintuitive. Navigating the landscape became more of a chore than a joy, detracting from the overall experience. It’s clear that this is a game made with a controller in mind.
Combat, unfortunately, seems to be one of the game’s weaker points. Which is quite a shock given how Massive Entertainment’s main forte is fantastic third person combat gameplay. While it’s possible that some issues stemmed from lag during remote play, aiming often felt inconsequential. Combat animations, damage UI feedback, and explosions looked underbaked. Kay’s blaster cycles between different modes depending on what damage type you want, but it felt like they don’t work half the time. For instance, during an encounter with a droid equipped with a shield, I aimed for an exposed foot only to find that the shots were absorbed by the invisible shield barrier.
Nix, the protagonist’s companion, had a mixed impact on the gameplay. While there may be potential for more engaging interactions, during my playthrough, Nix didn’t feel particularly useful. However, there were standout moments where Nix’s antics shone through, such as stealing items or peeking at opponents’ hands during card games. These moments added a layer of humor and charm that was genuinely enjoyable. Really homes in on the galaxy scum fantasy.
Space combat showed promise, even if my experience with it was limited. I hope that the full game will offer more depth and variety in these space encounters, as they provide an exciting break from the ground-based activities. It was visually cool, but I felt like it could use some more speed, action, and involved mechanics. Right now, it’s just angling the crosshairs to a relatively close position to a handful of enemies and let the aim assist to everything else. I’m not expecting the opening act of Episode III by any means, but something relatively close to that would’ve been so much better.
A minor, yet noticeable, flaw was the game’s lack of realistic enemy AI. It was almost comical how enemies seemed to have little to no peripheral vision, allowing for stealth takedowns on their companions which they should be clearly seeing. While it didn’t ruin the experience, it certainly broke the immersion at times.
Overall, Star Wars Outlaws presents a fascinating open world filled with potential. The effort to create a rich, lived-in galaxy is commendable, and the variety of activities helps bring the universe to life. However, the clunky combat mechanics and awkward driving controls hold back the experience. In a galaxy where Jedi and epic battles define the lore, the protagonist needs to feel more competent and impactful. The game’s beautiful world deserves a gameplay experience that matches its ambition, and hopefully, these issues will be addressed in the final release. For now, Star Wars Outlaws is a promising but flawed adventure that remains to be in my radar.
Star Wars Outlaws will be out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows on August 30, 2024.