Early reviews are in, as critics were given four hours to play Star Wars Outlaws a few weeks before the release.
Massive Entertainment, developers of Ubisoft’s upcoming third-person shooter and Division, first announced Outlaws in January 2021. The game promises players Uncharted-as the adventure takes place in Lucasfilm’s iconic sci-fi universe.
The planet-hopping digital epic follows a Han Solo-esque galactic villain named Kay Vess as she makes a name for herself with interstellar criminal gangs. The game is set to arrive on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on Friday, August 30.
Early Star Wars Outlaws reviews are coming
Ahead of the August 30 release date, some select critics shared their early reviews of Ubisoft Star Wars Outlawswhich promises fans an exciting intergalactic adventure.
The biggest highlights of this four-hour playable preview seem to be the game’s move away from the collectible nature of many recent Ubisoft games and its authentic Star Wars feel.
GamesRadar’s Dustin Bailey raved about the game, comparing it to critical acclaim Red Dead Redemption:
“There is no better proof of the magic of space westerns than the moments where Star Wars focuses on its underworld. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised when, after spending four hours wandering the open world of Star Wars Outlaws, I found myself feeling like I was back in the Wild West deserts of the original ‘Red Dead Redemption’.”
He wrote that the game “feels less like the collecting checklist you might have come to expect from Ubisoft” but much more than “open to the canvas more interesting stories and tasks:”
“Effectively, ‘Outlaws’ builds an open world that doesn’t feel like the collectible event checklist you might have come to expect from Ubisoft, but an open ground for more interesting stories and missions. Rockstar’s Old West has things to find in far-off space, but you don’t have to climb towers to find map markers and all kinds of additional functions.
Previewed by IGN OutlawsRyan McCaffrey was equally positive saying that at the same time “Open world games are usually the top of the field, the champions” The first real dive into the open world formula of the Star Wars series “feels new, fresh and very welcome:”
“Ultimately, though, I had a fantastic time with ‘Star Wars Outlaws.’ Open-world games tend to be all-time greats, and while I’m not sure ‘Outlaws’ masters any of its gameplay components, not only does it do them very well, it does so with a convincing Star Wars aura And since there’s never been an open-world Star Wars game, it feels new, fresh, and very welcome Fall August 30 because I can’t wait to play it more.”
McCaffrey enjoyed his time with the game, but made it clear that he experienced a number of bugs in his preview, most of which he expects to be cleaned up during the first day’s patch:
“If there’s one thing that worries me during the hands-on, it’s bugs. ‘Outlaws’ went gold well before the preview event, which means if I didn’t play the certification version, it was something very close. And while yes, there will inevitably be a day one patch like most games have these days, it was still disappointing to see as many annoying – albeit mostly visual and harmless – bugs as I did. Hopefully that day one update will eliminate most of them.”
Gamespot’s Phil Hornshaw noted that he was underwhelmed by the game and wondered how it would combine its vast number of gameplay elements into one cohesive package.
However, Hornshaw presented it as well “There’s a lot of fun and potential in getting lost in (its) vast Star Wars underworld:”
“However, this was only a brief overview of the huge games, so the answer to the question is how well ‘Outlaws’ ties these things together for the player, as it teaches how to play with tutorial elements and better explain what’s going on. Things like character and weapon upgrades and new skills that you have to hunt and learn, also seem to change the balance, making combat feel more like a part of the game and making sneaking and navigating a bit more intuitive.More than anything else, “Star Wars Outlaws” felt huge to me, and it has a lot of fun and potential to get lost in the vast Star Wars – to the underworld.
Gene Park of The Washington Post spoke glowingly of his playing OutlawsIt’s even said that Massive’s Entertainment has fallen in love with both Ubisoft’s games and the Star Wars brand. “excited” again from the Lucasian canon:
“After the preview, I went about my day at work. When I got home, I was excited to play more ‘Star Wars Outlaws’ and find out what happens when I betray that crime lord I just helped, or maybe upgrade my speeders. Then I realized that I don’t actually have still a game – it was a nice feeling to once again be excited about Ubisoft’s open game and Star Wars.
Pure Xbox video producer Craig Reid described Star Wars Outlaws like “a solid experience with vibrant worlds, interesting characters and enjoyable stealth mechanics” although one somewhere slightly “inferior aspects:”
“Despite some extremes, Star Wars Outlaws offers a solid experience with vibrant worlds, interesting characters, and enjoyable mystery mechanics. While not always exceptional, it’s still a pretty good game that fans of the franchise will appreciate if they can justify hefty price tag. We’ll have to wait for the full game to settle our thoughts on ‘Star Wars Outlaws,’ but Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft promise an immersive and expansive Star Wars adventure, despite a few hiccups.”
Reid’s biggest drawback comes from the game’s combat. He called it “muddy and loose” as he was “playing Call of Duty without the ‘hitmarker’ sound:”
“As we hinted before, the thing that annoyed us the most in the gameplay was the combat. Blasting enemies in ‘Star Wars Outlaws’ feels muddy and bitter, like playing ‘Call of Duty’ without the ‘hitmarker’ sound. Kudos to Gears. -Inspired active reload system – we love tapping to reload on the right time to deal more damage.
Tim Gettys of Kinda Funny said he was excited about the game, but “no foaming at the mouth,“and coming out he is in “exact same place:”
“When I went to play ‘Star Wars Outlaws,’ I was excited, but I wasn’t foaming at the mouth. And after playing it, I’m in the exact same place. I’m still excited about it. I’m just as excited about it. I think it lived up to my expectations, but there was nothing, which surprised me and made me go. But knowing that it’s so soon, I’m like, “Oh, this is going to be awful.”
What to expect from Star Wars Outlaws
Based on these early reviews, fans are in for an intergalactic treat Star Wars Outlaws.
While the game seems to have some flaws (its lackluster combat and various bugs to name a few), it looks like a true Star Wars fantasy that allows fans to live out their dreams by working in the dark, grimy underbelly of their favorites. a galaxy far, far away.
One of the biggest takeaways fans can take away from these impressions is the game’s ability to break away from Ubisoft’s typical open-world formula.
While it was exciting from the start, some fans were apprehensive when Ubisoft announced they were making an open-world Star Wars title.
Over the past decade and change, the publisher has become known for its checklist-style open-world games (see Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Far Cryand Assassin’s Creed).
Outlaws appears to be a less structured open-world game with emergent storytelling and a more natural universe. This can be an exciting prospect that allows players to not just play Star Wars but really exist in it.
Again, this is based on a four-hour preview of the game, so fans will have to see where the game is when the full product is released.
Early return Outlaws are promising, however, and will almost certainly have Star Wars gamers clutching their blasters eagerly as the countdown continues towards the game’s final release.
Star Wars Outlaws coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on Friday, August 30.
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