It’s Like You’re Living Inside a Star Wars Game

Every action performed in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor showcases an immersive film-like experience. Essential movements like walking and running are complemented with impactful orchestral music, making everything feel synchronized in a dramatic big-budget movie – moments of the Skywalker saga are peppered throughout the experience. With Outlaws, however, things are very different. Instead of feeling like a Jedi at the center of an epic story, there is a shift in feeling toward someone who is just struggling to make a living in the Star Wars universe. And even though that way of thinking may seem strange, it's arguably even more magical.

Here, heroism is the least of your concerns; survival is what matters most. Surviving an underworld filled with Emperors who want to ensnare you is no easy task, and neither is making the most of a galaxy that wishes you ill. Star Wars Outlaws features a world that is large yet cozy, teeming with life and intricately crafted in a manner that makes it feel alive, rather than a mere backdrop to your existence. It is Ubisoft at its finest, following its open-world formula – everything is expansive, and there are countless secrets, and systems that blend seamlessly into the daily life of an outlaw as opposed to a checklist of actions needing to be completed.

A Star Wars Game For Those Who Aren’t Jedi Or Sith

For a long time, Star Wars games have primarily revolved around the Force. Games like Knights of the Old Republic, The Force Unleashed, and even the more recent Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor have all centered around lightsabers, hero’s journeys, and the ever-fighting good and evil. Outlaws is brave enough to pose the question: What if Star Wars was solely focused on human beings?

In the game, the main character Kay Vess has a life story that isn’t nearly as interesting as the likes of Cal Kestis or Luke Skywalker. She is no Chosen One hiding as a warrior waiting to save the galaxy. She is simply a woman trying to build a life in a society that only rewards the cruel. This makes Star Wars Outlaws feel distinctively Star Wars-like in, for lack of a better term, a way we haven’t experienced with games before. There has always been a galaxy filled with smugglers, bounty hunters, and galactic crime syndicates that lay in the shadows of bold wars.

Ubisoft’s Open-World Formula, But at its Best

Outlaws follows the traditional Ubisoft open-world design, but here, it seems more polished than cumbersome. The world is not just vast – it’s multi-dimensional. It has character. Unlike other enormous open-world titles that at times feel like they are suffocating under their own systems, Outlaws employs its mechanics to enhance immersion instead of simply fluffing content.

The satisfaction doesn’t stem from finishing checklists but rather from the spontaneous experiences that come forth. The unanticipated gunfight in a dusty cantina after a deal falls apart. The careful stealth sequence as you try to evade Imperial patrols on an occupied planet. The excitement of being pursued by a gaggle of bounty hunters in a worn-out starship, held together by little more than hope and duct tape. These are not merely secondary tasks, but instead, they feel like they are self-contained narratives that happen, not from external instructions, but from simply existing within the world. Not to forget, the details. The game’s unlockable cheats and hidden bonuses, the way it gives you new tricks and gifts hidden in the world. It’s a game that rewards inquisitiveness. A game that knows that Star Wars is not only about the action but is, after all, about the adventure.

Could Outlaws Have the Best Sound Design of All Star Wars Games? Outlaws sure does sound good. Of all the elements in a Star Wars game, they all have great music. Star Wars Outlaws manages to go above and beyond. Their sound design outdoes every other Star Wars game. The score is not the only feature, for there is also the atmosphere of the world. There is a multitude of details that make it sound complete, such as the endless blabber of bounty hunters around the corner, the far and quiet noise of a land speeder zooming past, and the echoing metallic sound of a blaster’s holster. All these make the atmosphere feel packed with Star Wars and not artificial. Not to say there is not more, there is also the radio, which plays non-diegetic music that fills the bars and spaceports unlike in many mainstream Star Wars games. It’s a reality that not only looks believable but sounds believable as well. Resourcefulness, waiting for the right moment, and cunning define it. The power fantasy is different in Outlaws. Unlike the other Jedi in different games that can simply use force, cut down enemies with a lightsaber, and change the battlefield. You’re dealing with a crime lord, and if you play your cards correctly, you’ll walk away with a hefty sum, however, on the contrary, if you make errors, you might not come out of this one alive. You’re in a galaxy that is indifferent to your existence – you can either let it demotivate you, or use it to your benefit.

The Verdict: Outlaws Offers A Star Wars Fantasy We Absolutely Deserve

Outlaws isn’t just another grand-scale game in the Star Wars franchise. The parts that everyone looks over, like the smugglers, the bounty hunters, and the outlaws. Outlaws is not a game where you control a character, but one where you embody a real person living in the Star Wars universe. Star Wars enthusiasts, particularly those who wish to feel heroic, have the Jedi games to indulge in. But, for those wanting to simply exist in the galaxy and reminisce about blasting the Empire while squeezing out every penny or credit, then buckle up, because Outlaws is what you have been waiting for.