Star Wars: Outlaws (Ubisoft, multi-format)
OVER 40 years and 100 Star Wars games after the very first landed on the Atari 2600 in 1982, the latest - Ubisoft’s maiden voyage into a galaxy far, far away – sees the French mega-publisher blend space opera with its tried and tested open-world formula. I have a bad feeling about this...
Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Outlaws takes a breather from space monks and the Force, pitting scruffy criminal Kay Vess against the Empire and various criminal factions. When a heist heads south, Kay finds herself with a death mark on her head, lightspeeding into a sprawling galaxy with her pet Nix in tow.
An intergalactic caper that plays out in swashbuckling Uncharted style, Outlaws whisks players to some of the most wretched hives of scum and villainy in the universe, most of which make Mos Eisley look like Cherry Valley.
With four underworld groups in operation, Kay wants a piece of the faction, though Reputation and Imperial Wanted systems affect how each interacts with our scoundrel. A Kay’s catalogue of upgrades lets our heroine tinker with inventory slots, and with nary a lightsaber in sight, combat is purely gun-based – after all, hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.
Not that her enemies will put up much of a fight, though: with their cack-handed aim and armour that’s useless against even an Ewok-chucked rock, stormtroopers have never been famed for their smarts.
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The Ubisoft checklist formula can work if properly concealed in a game’s design, but Outlaws fails to innovate, taking a formulaic approach to its laundry list of chores and stealth mechanics. More bloated than Jabba at an all-you-can-eat, there are too many repetitive pit-stops along the way, and its recipe wears thin long before the credits roll.
Like Far Cry in space (Far, Far Away Cry?), Outlaws is draped over your typical open world, with a universe of tasks to rinse and microtransactional bloat. The Ultimate Edition will hurt you to the tune of £120, with its first story pack, seeing Kay cross paths with Lando Calrissian, arriving in the autumn. It’s a deal worthy of Vader.
At least it all looks incredible - Massive Entertainment developed its own digital camera lens to mimic the original trilogy’s look, including an option to add cinema bars and 1970s film grain for a retro celluloid vibe.
If you’re burned out on Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry or any of Ubi-Wan’s offerings over the past decade, this is essentially a do-over in Star Wars cosplay. But if you fancy some Outer Rim fun, Outlaws provides enough exploration, eye candy and derring-do to keep die-hard fans happy - and reaching into their wallets.
