When you think about it, it’s pretty wild that we’ve yet to see a truly open-world Star Wars game until now. The space-faring nature of Disney’s behemoth transmedia franchise goes hand-in-hand with exploration and non-linearity in a way that few IP do. Being able to venture through planets from all corners of the Star Wars canon while you contend with the Empire and the galaxy’s seediest forces sounds like a surefire hit. It’s an ambitious prospect that can be taken in so many different directions, one that Massive Entertainment is looking to break into.
When it comes to Star Wars, the conversation is so often dominated by the eternal conflict between light and dark, good and evil, Jedi and Sith. Star Wars is arguably at its most interesting when it explores the impact that conflict has on the galaxy and those that call it home, the citizens kept firmly under heel by the might of the Empire and the scoundrels who revel in the chaos of their rule. This is the space that Star Wars Outlaws occupies, and I was lucky enough to get a lengthy hands-on with Massive Entertainment’s take on this universe.
The first chunk of my preview session took place in the opening hours of the story. After a job gone wrong, protagonist Kay Vess and her cute little partner in crime, Nix, crashland on Toshara – an all new planet designed in collaboration between Massive and Lucasfilm. With a hefty bounty on Kay’s head, the duo set out in search of freedom in a universe under the iron grip of the Empire. Setting the story of Outlaws between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi means the Empire are at the height of their power, which is made immediately apparent.
Instead of being met with help or sympathy upon exiting their crashed ship, the Trailblazer, Kay and Nix are quickly thrust into a shootout with some bandits. This serves as a quick introduction to the Adrenaline system, where Kay generates Adrenaline while in combat. Once full, you can activate Adrenaline Rush, where you slow down time and mark targets for a swift dispatch similar to Splinter Cell’s Mark and Execute mechanics. It’s a slick and thematically fitting ability that always feels great to use without cheapening encounters.
After the skirmish, a local mechanic offers to fix up the Trailblazer for a price, so Kay and Nix head to Mirogana City in the hopes of getting some work from a local Syndicate underboss. As much as I’d like to say the speeder bike ride over was uneventful, that would be far from the truth. I was ambushed again by bandits, as if they’d been lying in wait. A high-octane chase ensued where I was ducking and weaving blaster shots, threading the needle between obstacles until I could activate Adrenaline Rush to send the bandits careening into Toshara’s rugged terrain.
It’s exhilarating stuff that really reinforces just how lawless Toshara is. The Empire is here, but little is done about conflict not involving them outside of Mirogana, even less if the local Pyke Syndicate is involved. This is a sentiment that reverberated through the rest of my time with Outlaws. You’ll often come across bandits and raiders trying to rob Empire outposts or locals who’re minding their own business, and rivalling Syndicates can be found trading shots while they implore Kay to take their side. It all serves to make Kay and Nix feel like a small part in a much larger criminal underbelly that thrives under Empire rule.
The lawlessness of Mirogana City’s outskirts is juxtaposed by the city itself. Primarily occupied by the Empire and the Pyke Syndicate, Mirogana is subject to restrictions and oppression no matter where you go. Empire security checkpoints monitor the locals as they go about their days and the Pyke Syndicate have their own muscle guarding territory. It oozes atmosphere and vibes that only this kind of Star Wars story can.
Kay and Nix’s introduction to Mirogana also paints them as inexperienced bounty hunters on an unfamiliar world. They’re clearly out of their element and overconfident, leading to a quick dismissal by the local Pyke underboss, Gorak. Their efforts don’t go unnoticed, though, and instead they pick up work from a local broker named Danka. The job is simple – infiltrate Gorak’s private base in Mirogana and steal some information that he’s keeping under lock and key.
It was here that I got my first real taste of stealth in Star Wars Outlaws. At first, I found it unwieldy and awkward. I was stumbling from cover to cover desperately avoiding enemy sightlines and patrols while searching for Gorak’s base. It was only once I started making use of Nix, that things started to click for me. Nix is quite the crafty little fellow. At Kay’s order, he can grab items, distract guards, activate devices, and even attack enemies. Using Nix to distract a patrol allows Kay to sneak up behind them for an easy takedown or move past them entirely.
You still have to think about how you move through these restricted areas, though. One decision I’m not a huge fan of, is that detection in any of these restricted areas boots you back to the entrance. There’s no opportunity to smooth talk or shoot your way out of a confrontation and it feels jarring to be hit with a black screen and then have to retread your steps as if it never happened. It’s especially odd given the focus that Star Wars Outlaws places on Kay’s reputation with each Syndicate and how actions can impact your standing.
After reaching the Pyke Stronghold, the restriction is lifted and stealth is no longer a necessity. Gorak’s base lies at the far side of the stronghold, barred by an energy barrier powered by two generators. In trademark Ubisoft fashion, I equip Kay’s Electrobinoculars to scope out and mark patrolling enemies. After some more stealth to thin the numbers a bit, I send Nix off to trigger an explosive barrel, the alarm sounds, and a firefight ensues.
It’s clear what kind of influence Massive’s time on the Division games has had on Star Wars Outlaws here. Shooting is scrappy in all the right ways. It feels like a veritable scramble as you take potshots from cover and send Nix out to grab weapons more lethal than Kay’s own blaster. Repositioning behind new cover as enemies try to flush you out, only for you to cleanup the fight with a well timed Adrenaline Rush. These elements in combination with an active reload mechanic really deliver on the fantasy of being a resourceful scoundrel in combat.
One other small element that I really enjoyed during this mission was the minigames. Terminal Slicing and lockpicking each take form in distinct little puzzles. The first is almost identical to Wordle, providing simple but straightforward headscratchers that feel rewarding to solve with a much higher overall attempt count. The latter is a rhythm minigame, where you need to listen for clicks in the locks and press a button in time with them. They never overstay their welcome and are always a nice way to break up the pacing of combat and stealth.
The final piece of the puzzle for this mission comes right at its conclusion. Gorak’s terminal reveals that there’s a traitor in the Pyke Syndicate looking to overthrow him, and Kay is given a choice over what to do with it. You can give it to Eleera of the Crimson Dawn, another crime Syndicate on Toshara in conflict with the Pykes, or you can take it to Gorak himself to get in his good books. I chose to hand over the info to Eleera, growing Kay’s standing with the Crimson Dawn.
This reputation system is what lies at the beating heart of Star Wars Outlaws. Kay and Nix, like any bounty hunters, live and die by their reputation within the galaxy’s criminal underbelly. Being in good standings with a Syndicate means you can access their restricted areas freely, gain access to new blaster skins, landing zones, and more. Being in bad standing means the inverse, even getting to the point where hit squads will be sent after Kay and Nix in the open world. It’s a fantastic system that impacted countless times during my roughly four hour hands-on.
The most impressive thing about this is that Massive have designed it in a way that implores you to make decisions that benefit Kay and Nix as opposed to pledging loyalty to one faction. I constantly found myself bouncing between the Pykes and the Crimson Dawn based on how I perceived the outcome would impact the pair. Their endearing relationship is what makes you want to see these two reach their dreams of unfettered freedom and solace from the reign of the Empire, a feeling that translates nicely into this system.
It was at this point that I decided to dive into some of Toshara’s open world offerings. Considering this is one of five planets in Star Wars Outlaws, Toshara’s overall size is pretty astonishing. Darting around its orange-hued landscape on Kay’s speeder bike feels fantastic. It has a weight and sense of resistance that sells the highspeed nature of these vehicles. Ramps are dotted about Toshara’s world like they’re going out of fashion, giving you plenty of opportunity for air time as you explore.
PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON FOR $89
It helps that there’s a lot to move between and do in Toshara. Aside from dynamic world events that happen as you stumble across them, there’s many secrets to uncover as you find notes and clues in Mirogana and its surrounds. One note I found spoke of how typical it is that someone’s partner had hidden their stash behind a waterfall in Jaunta’s Hope. I investigated said waterfall only to find another note, saying the stash had been moved to a nearby abandoned building because the waterfall was just too obvious. It was a funny moment of storytelling that made me chuckle as I made my way over to the cache’s new location.
The real standout of the open world stuff is Intel Chains. These are as they sound – bits of info you can find that lead to certain people or places, only to lead you to the next until you reach an endpoint for that Intel Chain. They feel suitably on-brand for a Star Wars experience like this and almost always present worthwhile rewards. One Intel Chain I completed led me to discover a speeder bike Expert, who can eventually help Kay to upgrade and improve her own speeder bike.
Speaking of which, the Expert system in general is a neat idea. Each one pertains to a different element of Kay’s capabilities. From hand-to-hand combat and shooting, to Slicing and speeder bike traversal. Finding these Experts allows Kay to unlock new abilities within each of these areas, like being able to do a bunny hop on your speeder bike. It’s a small detail, but the way that this is contextualised reinforces Kay and Nix’s relative inexperience and sells the idea of leaning into professionals of different trades to improve your own skills. I only had access to three Experts in this portion of the build, but it seems like there’s a whopping eight of them in total.
The last thing I did during this portion of the hands-on was another story mission that took Kay and Nix into space on their newly repaired ship. Once I got used to controlling it, piloting the Trailblazer felt second nature in its fluidity and handling. The spectacle of viewing Toshara from its own orbit is also beautiful and it was surreal to think I was on its surface just moments earlier. This mission also pivots away from getting amongst the Syndicates and instead has Kay and Nix meddling with the Empire as they board an Imperial fuel station.
What follows is another stealth section, only this time it’s through the pristine and glistening halls of the Empire’s signature architecture. Stormtroopers and Imperial Officers patrol colossal hangers filled with TIE Fighters and Imperial cargo ships. Much like Toshara, it’s visually mesmerising, a complete and faithful recreation of some of the most iconic visual aesthetics in Star Wars. The mission concludes with another choice between Syndicates, followed by a dogfight in Toshara’s orbit, echoing the same exhilarating scrappiness found in grounded combat.
After three and a bit hours on Toshara, I got to move over to Kijimi, seen most recently in Rise of Skywalker. Kijimi’s recreation is honestly absurd considering how little there was for Massive to go off of. Its appearance in Episode IX was fleeting, but the detail and artistry on display here is sublime. If nothing else, it’s another signifier that Massive have a deep love and appreciation for Star Wars and its worlds. It has me excited to see what else they have in store when it comes to planets like Tatooine and Akiva.
The section of Kijimi I got to explore is much smaller than what I saw on Toshara, but just as densely packed with detail. Secrets lie in many corners of Kijimi City, most of which is occupied by the Ashiga Clan. The Empire presence feels less overbearing here than in Toshara, but that doesn’t mean that most of its inhabitants aren’t under surveillance. The aforementioned Ashiga Clan is everywhere, hunting for Crimson Dawn loyalists who seek to wrangle control from their Queen.
While all of this bodes well for the the full release of Outlaws next month, I did find that the overall experience is a bit rough around the edges. There’s still a day one patch to come but I did see a number of visual bugs and some general jankiness while getting lost in the open world. Thankfully, Outlaws’ other production values are top notch, elevating the art direction of these fantastical worlds with a raw graphical output that feels like it’s making the most of current gen hardware.
Even though I got to play almost five hours of Star Wars Outlaws, I’ve come away from my hands-on feeling like I’ve barely scratched the surface. There are still many planets to explore, Experts to uncover, and Intel Chains to reach the end of. There are many other elements of the game I haven’t touched on here. It feels ambitious in every sense of the word, fuelled by a passion and love for the IP that isn’t dissimilar to what Respawn have done with the Jedi games. It’s carving out its own identity amidst a plethora of unique takes on this galaxy, and I can’t wait to jump back in for more.
Star Wars Outlaws launches on August 30th for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Amazon has pre-orders available for $89 with free release day delivery for Prime members.
Harry was a guest of Ubisoft with travel and accommodation covered for the purpose of this preview.
