When there’s an actual galaxy waiting out there to be explored and exploited, not getting the opportunity to do so can be downright disappointing. At the Ubisoft Forward showing, Massive Entertainment finally had the right stage to show off just what it’s been working on for Star Wars Outlaws since its initial reveal, but what we got were more focused sections that shied away from its potential.
Of course, a game is often the sum of its parts, and while we may eventually see the open world in action, there is still plenty of exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving to witness in the demo.
There is a sense of familiarity to the adventures of Kay Vess And Nix, albeit coated in the shiny paint of the Star Wars franchise. Sneaking around enemy bases, using Nix as a distraction, and picking locks is pretty much a standard formula, while combat can be a mix of real-time action and marking your enemies for instant execution. Even taking to space felt oddly like how you would sail on the open seas.
All of these can be experienced in other Ubisoft titles, and while Star Wars Outlaws may still harbour a surprise or two, there is a nagging feeling that more could be done with the game to help it stand out. That lack of impact of blaster shots is always going to be something we find hard to ignore, and the relative lack of awareness of the enemy during stealth sections is never a good thing. Surely, an IP of so much lore and worldbuilding can afford to do more; a lesser version of a space Uncharted will always pale in comparison to something like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
But at the very least, we still have the open world awaiting us, and perhaps once all of these various activities and gameplay sections are pieced together, it would truly deliver a scoundrel’s life. Maybe it doesn’t need to have a galaxy-changing narrative, or strong gameplay elements to bring it all home; maybe, just maybe, being a travelling mercenary for hire is just going from moment to moment, never able to rest and having plenty of short stories to share.
We could definitely see ourselves getting lost doing odd jobs instead of pursuing the main story, and if that’s not possible, getting too involved in games and bounty hunts could be on the cards as well. But ultimately, we want a space-faring adventure that is fun to play, instead of a journey that gets padded with too much to do and nothing to enjoy.
There are high expectations placed on Star Wars Outlaws, both for good and for bad, and there’s still plenty of time to change the minds of those who desire more. August 30 is still a good two months away, so fingers crossed that our impressions of Outlaws are more misguided than a Stormtrooper’s shot.
