31 August,2024 09:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Jaison Lewis
Star Wars Outlaws
Star Wars' swashbuckling outlaw experience is often omitted from video games, with most developers relying on the moneymakers, i.e., lightsabres, and using the - force - to pack excitement into their games. Outlaws, however, offers players an adventuring Han Solo-esque experience of Star Wars in a vast, open world where they can experience it all.
You play Kay Vass, and you start on Canto Bight. It's a typical Star Wars town with a cantina, soldiers, nightlife, gambling, mob bosses, and many nooks and crannies. Your life isn't that of luxury; instead, you have had to rely on your smarts and skills to get by.
While this may sound intriguing, Kay, as a lead character, doesn't have the right vibe needed to pull off a Han Solo-type character, though the game forces her into the outwardly bad but in actuality it's a good guy role. Her character arc too, failed to get me invested enough in her either.
Nix, though, I would kill a man for. Nix is the quintessential side character. He is cute and highly skilled. In fact, he is integral to the gameplay mechanics; you can get him to steal, distract enemies, sense electricity flow and enemy locations, and everything you need to get by in the game comes from Nix.
The game mainly consists of quests and side quests every time you do a quest. You piss off one of the four crime syndicates while getting closer to the other. Being associated with one of the four has it's advantages and disadvantages; you could also choose quests that maintain a light balance, but eventually, you will end up tipping the scales.
Outlaws also consist of many environmental puzzles similar to games like Uncharted, so you will end up hanging off ledges, jumping across things, and climbing a lot. It's not bad but sometimes it can be a lot.
The stealth element in Outlaws is also borrowed in part from Assassin's Creed. You can hide in tall grass and shrubbery, whistle to attract enemies, and perform swift takedowns while piling up the bodies of your enemies in the foliage. However, it seems a little less successful than its implementation in Assassin's Creed. I also wish there was some indication of whether you are in stealth mode. I often got caught even though I felt Kay was appropriately hidden.
Open World games are a dime a dozen these days, but it works for Outlaws with all the different planets to explore. While the collection of planets is less expansive than Bethesda's Starfield, each planet is a delight to be on and beautifully crafted. Riding your speeder bike around these environments is also a pleasure.
I am also happy that developer Massive Entertainment and publisher Ubisoft did not decide to make this another gaming-as-a-service title or, more appropriately, GaaS game, as they eventually fizzle out. Just hearing that a game will be a live service triggers me because many games are launched with lots of fanfare and then unceremoniously executed when the minimal viable number of players don't stick around. While Outlaws could be a fit for such a game, I am glad everyone involved showed some restraint.
I spent almost 30 minutes playing this game at Gamescom and I must confess I found it dull. After that experience, I was not looking forward to playing it again for the review. Thankfully, I was wrong. I played that game not from the start but somewhere in the middle at Gamescom. I did not start a new game and learn all the mechanics, which led to frustration.
That said, the game is not entirely in the green. While I love the concept of Outlaw, the beautiful open world, exploring around on my speeder bike, rescuing folks in need, and doing numerous well-thought-out side quests, some kinks need to be ironed out. For instance, I found the combat repetitive, with the usual hide-and-shoot explosives to kill a bunch of enemies. You are always outnumbered but never outgunned. The fighting sequences on the speeder bike could have also been more fun and intuitive.
I must also mention that the tutorial on using your data spike is not appropriately explained, and it took me a while to understand what I needed to do to break the lock. Once I understood how to do it, I enjoyed hacking into this locked door using the data spike. Its rhythmic puzzles were a pleasure every time.
It comes down to one question: Would I play Star Wars Outlaws again? The answer is yes. Despite its shortcomings, the game is very good; Ubisoft has done a good job of delivering a story-driven experience rather than relying on action. Subsequent fixes could eliminate some of the problems with the game, but as it stands, it is highly playable. I recommend fans jump in, though be warned that you won't be using the force or light sabres. It's more about adventuring, and that is okay.
