Early reviews are in, as critics were allowed to play four hours of Star Wars Outlaws a few weeks before release.
Massive Entertainment, developers of the upcoming third-person shooter Ubisoft and The Division, first announced Outlaws in January 2021. The game promises gamers an Uncharted-like adventure set in Lucasfilm's iconic sci-fi universe.
The planet-hopping digital epic follows a Han Solo-esque galactic scoundrel named Kay Vess as she makes a name for herself with the various inter-stellar criminal syndicates across the stars. The title is set to come to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on Friday, August 30.
Early Star Wars Outlaws Reviews Are In
Ahead of its August 30 release date, some select critics shared their early reviews of Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws, promising an exciting intergalactic adventure for fans.
The biggest highlights from this four-hour playable preview period seem to be the game's stepping away from the collectathon nature of many recent Ubisoft titles and its authentic Star Wars feel.
GamesRadar's Dustin Bailey was glowing about the game, comparing it to the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption:
"There's no better display of the magic in space westerns than those moments where Star Wars focuses on its underworld. Perhaps then I shouldn't have been surprised when, after spending four hours wandering the open world of Star Wars Outlaws, I found myself feeling like I'd returned to the Wild West deserts of the original 'Red Dead Redemption.'"
He wrote that the game "feels less like the collectathon checklist you've maybe come to expect from Ubisoft" but much more like an "open-ended canvas for more interesting stories and missions to take place on:"
"In practical terms, 'Outlaws' builds an open world that feels less like the collectathon checklist you've maybe come to expect from Ubisoft, and instead like an open-ended canvas for more interesting stories and missions to take place on. Like in Rockstar's old west, there are things to discover out in the distant expanses, but you won't be climbing towers to uncover map markers with all sorts of boilerplate activities to complete."
In IGN's preview of Outlaws, Ryan McCaffrey was similarly positive, saying that while "open-world games tend to be jacks-of-all-trades, masters-of-none," the Star Wars franchise's first true dip into the open-world formula "feels new, fresh, and most welcome:"
"Ultimately, though, I had a fantastic time with 'Star Wars Outlaws.' Open-world games tend to be jacks-of-all-trades, masters-of-none, and while I’m not sure 'Outlaws' will master any of its gameplay components, it nonetheless not only does them all very well, but it does so with a convincing Star Wars sheen. And since there’s somehow never been an open-world Star Wars game before, it feels new, fresh, and most welcome. I’m glad this is arguably the first big-name game out this Fall on August 30, because I can’t wait to play more of it."
McCaffrey enjoyed his time with the game but made clear he experienced several bugs in his preview, most of which he assumes will be cleaned up in a day-one patch:
"If there’s one thing that concerned me during my hands-on time, it’s bugs. 'Outlaws' went gold well before the preview event, meaning that if I wasn’t playing the certification build, it was something mighty close. And while yes, there will inevitably be a day-one patch as most games have nowadays, it was still disappointing to see as many annoying little – admittedly mostly visual and harmless – glitches as I did. Hopefully that day-one update will knock out the bulk of them."
Gamespot's Phil Hornshaw remarked that he was overwhelmed by the game and wondered how it would combine its vast number of gameplay elements into one cohesive package.
Though, Hornshaw also posited that "there's fun and a lot of potential in getting lost in [its] sprawling Star Wars underworld:"
"This was just a short look at an enormous game, however, so the question to be answered is how well 'Outlaws' brings these things together for the player as it teaches you how to play with tutorial elements and a better explanation of what's going on. Things like character and weapon upgrades and new skills that you have to hunt down and learn also seem likely to change the balance, making elements like combat feel like a more viable part of the game, and making sneaking and navigation a little more intuitive. More than anything, though, 'Star Wars Outlaws' felt huge to me, and there's fun and a lot of potential in getting lost in a sprawling Star Wars underworld."
Gene Park from The Washington Post talked glowingly about his time playing Outlaws, going as far as to say that after falling out of love with both Ubisoft games and the Star Wars brand, Massive's Entertainment has him "excited" again about the Lucasian canon:
"After my preview, I went along with my day at work. When I came home, I was excited to play more 'Star Wars Outlaws' and find out what happens when I betray that criminal overlord I just helped, or maybe upgrade my speeder bike. Then I realized that I don’t actually have the game yet — I had caught the bug. It’s a nice feeling to be excited, once again, for a Ubisoft open-world game, and for Star Wars."
Pure Xbox Video Producer Craig Reid described Star Wars Outlaws as "a solid experience with vibrant worlds, interesting characters, and enjoyable stealth mechanics," albeit one with some slightly "underwhelming aspects:"
"Despite some underwhelming aspects, 'Star Wars Outlaws' offers a solid experience with vibrant worlds, interesting characters, and enjoyable stealth mechanics. Whilst it might not always be extraordinary, it remains a fairly good game that fans of the franchise will appreciate, if they can justify the hefty price tag. We'll have to wait for the full game to settle our thoughts on 'Star Wars Outlaws,' but when Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft promise an immersive and expansive Star Wars adventure, it’s hard not to remain a bit excited despite a few drawbacks."
Reid's biggest drawback comes from the game's combat. He called it "muddy and disconnected" like he was "playing Call of Duty without the 'hitmarker' sound:"
"As we hinted at before, what irked us most about gameplay was the combat. Blasting foes in 'Star Wars Outlaws' feels muddy and disconnected, like playing 'Call of Duty' without the 'hitmarker' sound. Kudos to the 'Gears'-inspired active reload system though—we love tapping reload at the right time for a damage boost. If stealth isn’t an option, you’ll need to use Kay’s blaster mods wisely."
Tim Gettys from Kinda Funny said that he has been excited about the game but "not frothing at the mouth," and coming out, he is in the "exact same place:"
"Going into playing 'Star Wars Outlaws,' I was excited, but not frothing at the mouth. And after playing it, I am in the the exact same place. I am still excited for it. I am just as exctied for it. I think it lived up to my expectations, but there was not anything about it that wowed me and made me go, 'I cannot wat to get my hands back on this. Oh my god I am counting down the days.' But knowing it is so soon, I am like, 'Oh, this is going to be rad.'"
What To Expect From Star Wars Outlaws
Judging from these early reviews, fans are in for an intergalactic treat with Star Wars Outlaws.
While the game does seem to have its flaws (its lackluster combat and various bugs, to name a few), it looks to be an authentic Star Wars power fantasy, letting fans live out their dreams working within the dark, seedy underbelly of their favorite galaxy far, far away.
One of the biggest sticking points fans should take away from these impressions is the game's ability to break free of Ubisoft's typical open-world formula.
While exciting since the beginning, some fans were trepidacious when Ubisoft announced it would make an open-world Star Wars title.
For the last decade and change, the publisher has become known for its checklist-style open-world games (see Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Far Cry, and Assassin's Creed).
Outlaws looks to be a less structured open-world game, featuring emergent storytelling and a more natural-feeling universe. This could be an exciting prospect, allowing gamers to not just play in the world of Star Wars but truly exist in it.
Again, this is based on a four-hour preview build of the game, so fans must see where the game stands when the whole product is released.
The early returns on Outlaws are promising, though, and they will almost surely have Star Wars gamers gripping their blasters with eager anticipation as the countdown continues toward the game's eventual release.
Star Wars Outlaws comes to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on Friday, August 30.
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