It seems like every AAA title released these days is mired in controversy before they launch. Given that it is based in a universe that is much beloved and has not escaped its own divisiveness of late, the same applies to Star Wars Outlaws.

Many of the issues surrounding the game focus on the practices of publisher Ubisoft, and its seemingly anti-gamer position of not allowing those who have purchased a game to actually own it, along with a sizeable chunk of content landing on day one of Star Wars Outlaws’ release on 30th August, much of which requires an additional purchase or subscription to access.

It has taken what in early footage looks like a fairly solid Star Wars game, and tarred it with elements that will likely result in push back from the gaming community long-term.

This is a real pity too, as it not only impacts this review, but also distracts from what players should really be concentrating on, the game itself.

We are going to try to do so here, focusing solely on what Ubisoft has delivered for the PlayStation 5 version of Star Wars Outlaws, to find out if it is one of the rare pieces of recent Star Wars media that you should try out.

Setting the scene

If you have seen of the story related trailers for this game, you know that it is set during the original trilogy of the Star Wars franchise. More specifically immediately after Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, with the Death Star destroyed, the Rebel Alliance continuing its fight, and the Galactic Empire tightening its grip.

On this front there is solid enough world building, with players immediately thrust into the role of the protagonist – Kay Vess – who was born into a life of crime.

Joining her throughout most of the game are Nix, the adorable pet she has in-game that is also used in a number of interesting ways to either steal, distract, interact with, or attack other characters. The other companion for the “core trio” of the game is ND-5, a droid who is the heavy of the team.

It’s clear that the creators were trying to channel Han Solo vibes with Kay Vess and her team, but quite frankly, she simply is not as cool or charming. That said, only one other person is better than Han in that department, and that’s Lando Calrissian (not the Donald Glover version).

Speaking of charm, there are interesting elements that are built into the skill tree of Vess. For example, you can learn to be more charming, which is helpful when negotiating with different syndicates and fixers, as well as when you’re caught trespassing. Other aspects to the skill tree include your usual elements like hand-to-hand combat, proficiency with weapons, ability with different vehicles, and thief-based skills like picking digital locks.

As such, there is a decent amount to explore for those wanting to max out the abilities of Vess.

In a galaxy…

Sticking with the world building, you certainly feel like you’re in a Star Wars game. The different alien races are varied, each cantina feels unique, and there is a nice mix of different environments on each new planet you head to in the game.

As for exploration, it is not as massive as what Ubisoft have been claiming. Yes, there are certainly plenty of new planets to visit in a bid to pick up work as a thief, but each world is different in terms of how much you can actually explore. As such, those wanting Assassin’s Creed, but in space, levels of freedom, may be out of luck.

That said, once you get a speeder and move outside of the confines of a city or town, there is a good amount of real estate to check out.

On PS5 the worlds looked richly detailed and nuanced, and during our time playing the main campaign, there was not any glitchiness to speak of. The only issues we encountered was when we interacted with notable NPCs, whether they be team members we work with on missions or job vendors we were getting more information out of.

For whatever reason there was a slight lag before conversations would fire up. Whether that is simply the game engine getting ready to spin up some exposition, or simply wanting to gear up for a large section of gameplay, is unclear.

That said, we were not greeted by many pause screens, which is always welcome.

Shooting first

As for combat, things are mixed here. Vess is not a fighter by nature, choosing stealth over confrontation as a general rule of thumb (more on stealth later).

Both the hand-to-hand combat, gunfights, and space battles can feel a little janky at times, especially if you’re engaging with multiple enemies. The in-game camera seems to struggle a little, and depending on the environment can feel a little too tightly pinned to players, making it feel cramped every now and then.

It is perhaps the least strong element of the gameplay, but there are some aspects worth praising, such the pistol mechanic locking onto moving targets nicely. It reminds us of the kind of aiding system that Grand Theft Auto employs.

While some players may want an unassisted experience, ultimately this is not what Star Wars Outlaws is about.

Where it truly shines is stealth. Here the enemies are far more intelligent that we normally encounter in other open-world RPGs. To that end, if they notice something, they are quick to act, and move to your position in a prompt manner. We tried to use Nix to distract an enemy for example, with another in the area also being alerted and prompted to see what was happening, leading to us being caught and escorted out of a restricted area of the map.

If there is one complaint about the stealth missions, it is that they can feel a little repetitive after a while, and have a distinct lack of variety regardless of what environment you’re in. Much like a Far Cry game, it seems like you’ll be completing the same kind of missions, with the object you’re stealing and the NPCs just being different.

Final verdict

There is a lot to like about Star Wars Outlaws.

The gameplay is solid overall, the worlds are richly detailed, and you can pet all manner of alien beast. Added to this is a storyline that leans of existing lore, even going so far as to reference specific events from the original trilogy.

Throw in a great companion in Nix, as well as some game mechanics that we have seen int he likes of Red Dead Redemption, Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect, and more, and Star Wars Outlaws is a game you are happy to dive into.

Whether you want to continue swimming, or take another dip in it, however, is a little more difficult to determine, as Vess and her world need more to make want to keep coming back.

There is also the fact that this game costs a mammoth R1 429 on PS5, which is more than most exclusives to the platform cost. We also need to highlight the controversy that surrounded this game prior to its release, and while it is a solid option to pick up, might be better leaving for a few weeks to see what happens post-launch in terms of DLC and other elements.

Had Ubisoft done things a little differently, Star Wars Outlaws is a game we would be more willing to recommend. Right now though, it is a solid Star Wars game that does not fully suck you into that world.

FINAL SCORE: 7 OUT OF 10.

FULL DISCLAIMER: THIS REVIEW WAS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO A PS5 CODE SHARED BY THE PUBLISHER OF THIS GAME.