Star Wars Outlaws (Switch 2) – Review

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… That’s how these stories usually start, right? At the risk of having our geek card revoked, we’re going to admit that our knowledge of the Star Wars franchise doesn’t really extend beyond the main film series. The arrival of Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2 seemed like a good opportunity to rectify some of that and explore some of the more obscure parts of the universe. One of our fellow reviewers already took a look at the PS5 version of the game, albeit with mixed feelings. Was the Force with us for the Switch 2 port, or did we end up having a bad feeling about this?

Story

Set shortly after the battle of Hoth, Outlaws opens with up-and-coming crime lord Sliro Barsha eliminating the top figures of four rival syndicates, in a bid to become the galaxy’s criminal top dog. His actions aren’t of any concern for our protagonist, thief-for-hire Kay Vess, and her pet companion Nix. That is, until Kay is hired to break into Barsha’s vault and the job goes sideways. She’s barely able to escape by stealing a ship, the Trailblazer, but then crash-lands on the planet Toshara. With Barsha’s death mark on her, Kay has little choice but to adapt to her new life as an outlaw. Fortunately for her, Barsha has many enemies, including those rival syndicates. As she takes on jobs from different syndicates, Kay eventually builds her own ragtag crew of misfits. Their ultimate goal? To steal Barsha’s fortune, rendering him powerless as a crime boss. Pulling off a heist like that is easier said than done, though, and there are plenty of dangers that stand between Kay’s crew and Barsha’s downfall. Compared to the films, Outlaws’ story feels much smaller in scope, and familiar faces from the greater franchise only appear sparingly. This keeps Outlaws firmly grounded in the Star Wars universe, while allowing the story to do its own thing and stand on its own legs.

Graphics

We’re not entirely sure if the issues we ran into with Outlaws are specific to the Switch 2 port or if they occur on other platforms as well, but the game’s visual performance is the epitome of a mixed bag. Outlaws’ art direction absolutely nails it: the game’s world and its inhabitants are instantly recognizable as being part of the Star Wars universe. When Outlaws looks good, it really looks good too: some of the environmental vistas are simply jaw-droppingly beautiful, and smaller locations are rich in detail. Contrasting with this is that certain textures, in particular things like hair and plants, are far less detailed, especially when viewed up close. There is no real rhyme or reason to this either. Sometimes Kay’s hair looks just fine, and at other times, it looks out of place, with jagged edges and lacking in texture.

Sound

The atmospheric soundtrack of Outlaws never quite reaches the same heights as John Williams’ compositions for the films, but that’s a difficult bar to clear, and what’s present here very much fits with the overall feeling of the series. Sound effects sound exactly as you’d expect, from the beeps and boops made by R2 units to the characteristic sounds of blasters being fired. The real star of Outlaws’ soundscape is the voice acting, however. The performances by the main cast are great, but even random bits of dialogue between NPCs or Stormtroopers muttering to themselves add to the world feeling alive.

Gameplay

The DNA of previous Ubisoft games like Assassin’s Creed and Immortals is very much present in Outlaws. The game is a narrative-driven open world adventure (or should that be an open galaxy adventure?). Kay’s home planet of Canto serves as the tutorial area, with Outlaws really opening up once she crashes on Toshara. Your main driving force is the overarching story, but most of the fun comes from exploring your surroundings and discovering all sorts of secrets. This is where different side quests come in: shady characters in cantinas and gambling parlors will hire Kay to take on a variety of jobs, and datapads will point to crashed ships and other points of interest in the middle of nowhere. Most jobs will affect your reputation with specific crime syndicates. Having a good reputation will give you easier access to restricted areas and open up your options when it comes to completing specific jobs. However, the syndicates aren’t just rivals with Barsha’s organisation, Zerek Besh, but with each other as well. Completing a job for Crimson Dawn may have a negative effect on your reputation with the Hutts and vice versa, for example.

Jobs are typically built around stealth rather than going in blasters blazing. You’ll be tasked with things like stealing intel or infiltrating bases. Kay’s pet companion, Nix, is often key to this, as he can be sent out to remotely activate switches, distract enemies or steal items. The game eschews a traditional leveling system for Kay, and instead new abilities are unlocked by performing specific tasks, like taking down three distracted enemies or talking to six vendors. The tasks are linked to the abilities, meaning you’ll shape Kay according to your playstyle, alleviating the need to grind for experience. The downside to this is that Outlaws doesn’t always explain how a specific task is performed, just that you need to do it x times. It’s an example of poor signposting, something that’s also applicable to the way Kay interacts with the world. While settlements are typically brimming with life, there is very little of that life that feels meaningful. Most NPCs cannot even be talked to. When you enter an area, you typically tap the L shoulder button to see who and what you can interact with, and ignore everything else. Outside of settlements, roads and open spaces are enormous -and best travelled with a speeder- but they also feel empty. When surroundings feel more alive in a decade-old game like Skyrim than they do here, it’s difficult not to call it a wasted opportunity.

There are far more highs than lows when it comes to Outlaws’ gameplay, however. Trying to sneak your way into an Imperial base or rival syndicate’s vault is a slow, tense process, in the best way possible. The game excels at cinematic storytelling and really does nail the feeling that you’re playing through a Star Wars show in the vein of Andor or The Mandalorian. The main story takes around 20 hours to completely play through, though taking on jobs and side quests extends that to roughly 35 hours. Add to this that the Switch 2 version of the game includes both DLC stories, Wild Card and A Pirate’s Fortune, which each add an additional storyline, and you’re looking at a very comprehensive package.

Conclusion

Even as a casual fan, or perhaps especially as one, we found that Outlaws offered an enjoyable Star Wars experience. The game strikes the right balance between delivering a standalone story and feeling like it firmly belongs in the universe, not in the least thanks to its top-notch presentation. Granted, visual issues are present, at least in the Switch 2 version, but being able to play the game on the go mitigates this. Gameplay in particular is a highlight, with an ability system that tailors itself around tasks rather than grinding, and tense stealth missions. We definitely would’ve liked more interactive elements in the world, but ultimately, the good outweighs the bad here.

SebastiaanRaats

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