4 hours in Star Wars Outlaws’ open-worlds was barely enough to scratch the galaxy’s surface

Testing the limits of what’s possible in a sprawling galaxy, immersing ourselves in the underbelly of Kijimi’s murkiest depths before launching across the stars and fending off pirates in orbit around Toshara. The moment-to-moment so brilliantly realized, in turn, gave us the realization that four hours in Star Wars Outlaws’ open world is far from enough.

Earlier this year, I played an hour of Star Wars Outlaws at Ubisoft Forward. Three 20-minute vertical slices gave an initial look at how the game’s more linear story missions unfold. Even with just that small glimpse, it was enough to convince me Ubisoft has been toiling away at the Star Wars game I’ve always hoped for.

Now, after another four hours with Outlaws, this time mixing it up between the main path and the open world, I can safely say my suspicions were accurate. Beyond the game’s fascinating narrative as protagonist Kay Vess gets embroiled in the galaxy’s underworld at the height of the Empire’s power, beyond the gorgeous presentation as art teams bring new and old locales to life with a fresh layer of interactivity, beyond all the bells and whistles, there’s a substantive game here.

Fears of this being a run-of-the-mill Ubisoft-style open-world offering with a Star Wars skin are misguided. Outlaws has heart and with every beat you can sense the unbridled passion behind the pixels.

More than just the world that’s open

Immediately thrust into the windswept plains of Toshara, a planet built from the ground up for Outlaws, our new session pulled back the curtain to showcase the game’s open-world elements for the first time. Soaring ahead to a point of interest in the distance, the sheer scope of this creation became abundantly clear.

Toshara is enormous. Look in any direction and you’ll see mountains to scale, locals to interact with, buildings housing all sorts of mysteries, not to mention wildlife strewn between it all. Veering off the intended path to engage with the lively planet, we learned just how densely packed environments truly are in Outlaws.

While there’s obviously plenty of ground to cover on foot or in your speeder, attention to detail across every square inch has been paramount. You won’t go more than a few seconds without something grabbing your eye.

On our way through to a local town we won a speeder race, stopped a gang of bandits harassing some poor locals, even spoke with Imperial officers trying to gouge additional taxes from a Tosharan merchant. How you interact with it all is entirely your choice. In our instance, we pushed back against the Empire. Who are they to ruin the life of a humble salesman trying to support their family?

We were soon reminded this is the Empire at the height of its power. Fearing no threat, let alone that from the yet-unkown Kay Vess, our lack of support for their cause landed us in the hot seat with a Wanted warning splashed across the screen. The chase was on as Stormtroopers fired in our general direction, not exactly nailing their shots, as expected. Taking out a smaller dispatch of troops, we then fled the scene, got to safety, and swiftly cleared our name, removing the Wanted status.

Curiously heading back towards the crime scene, the merchant was still there. Walking up to the wacky-looking creature, a small cutscene played out. For fending off the Empire and helping their business, this particular NPC hands us a permanent discount for all their wares. They’ll remember us for our good deeds and help Kay however they can.

All this in just the span of a few minutes, merely on the way to our actual objective. When we arrived in Toshara’s main city, the opportunities for similar, authentic Star Wars excitement only mounted.

Tucked away in the heart of the sun-soaked planet is a dank, claustrophobic hub for the underworld to thrive. This is where bounty hunters come to claim their next contract. It’s where gamblers head to get their next fix. It’s a place not exactly secret, but not somewhere you’d recommend for visitors of Toshara. There’s a sense of danger in the air at all times, as though one wrong hand of Sabacc could tip the scales and lead to all-out anarchy in its streets.

Venturing through this city we happened upon said gambling opportunities, mingled with some locals down on their luck, and bumped into all kinds of merchants offering a variety of goods. One had cosmetics up for grabs while another offered some materials we can later use for upgrades. A handful of merchants even stayed hidden away in alleys, illegally trading their goods on the black market.

Although under the thumb of the Empire, with Stormtroopers around every corner, so long as nothing impedes on their own dealings, local authorities are likely to turn a blind eye to any ‘illegal’ activities. In some cases, these off-the-record engagements even serve to benefit Imperial officers.

Brushing shoulders with all walks of life in the galaxy, we made our way through to the town’s cantina. It’s here where the first proper mission came into focus, though how it played out was once again dependent on our actions.

Role-playing in a dangerous galaxy

Set with the first real task of our demo, our goal was to find a way into a certain character’s private space in the Cantina. Rather than simply plastering a waypoint on the map and guiding you right through the front door, Outlaws instead opts not to hold your hand.

“Find a way into Gorak’s suite” is all the intel you get to start this mission. The onus is on you to figure out how to make your way inside.

Before even starting the mission, when entering the Cantina, a stranger leaning against a wall caught our attention. By speaking with them, they suggested they could help us access a VIP’s private suite, for the right price. At this stage in the demo, we didn’t have anywhere near enough credits to our name to pursue this option. Should we have been so inclined, however, we could have gone back out into the open world, completed some optional content, and returned to this mysterious individual to get the mission underway.

Moving on through the Cantina, we stumbled upon a fault door. Perhaps this could be our golden ticket. Speaking with a technician on the job quickly revealed the opposite. While Kay offered to take a look herself, as this NPC wasn’t familiar with us, they refused to let us interfere. Another option came up to bribe them, but again, we were short on funds.

Stumped as to how to begin the mission, we turned back and began walking outside before a random collectible caught our eye. Picking up a datapad and reading through it, the rumor gave us some insight into a vent that leads directly to a ‘guarded room.’ Bingo.

Had we missed this entirely missable bit of info, there’s every chance we would miss the door and be left having to scrounge for credits to trigger the other options. Player agency is paramount in how you approach this mission, let alone how it all unfolds. There is no one-size-fits-all approach; you’re left to put the pieces together and figure out your own solutions. This applies throughout the entire preview.

In another mission a few hours later, we found ourselves in an Imperial base out in orbit. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Kay had to make her way back to her ship, though an entire army stood in her way.

Not exactly known as a one-woman-wrecking machine capable of singlehandedly taking down dozens of Stormtroopers at a time, the guns-blazing approach didn’t pan out in our multiple attempts. While it might be possible, if you’re skilled enough, we pivoted to a stealthier option, sneaking our way through as best we could. Again, how you want to play is entirely your call and Outlaws promotes intuition, enabling you to think on your feet, adapt on the fly, and control the situation at all times. You’re rarely ever shoehorned into a particular playstyle.

Adding to the importance of player agency is the ever-present Syndicate reputation system. Not all but most of Kay’s actions are tracked by this feature, swaying favor depending on your choices. Choose to help the Hutts and the Crimson Dawn might look at you a little differently. Opt to pick up a contract with the Ashiga Clan and the Pyke Syndicate might revoke your access to their exclusive traders.

It’s a delicate balancing act as every mission, big or small, seems to shift sentiment one way or another. It’s constantly on your mind as you try to make a name for yourself in the hostile underworld. And this was felt merely a few hours early on. We can’t imagine how the stakes must ramp up as the plot unfurls and Kay’s adventure blossoms.

Ubisoft’s ambition

The first Star Wars game under the Ubisoft banner since 2006’s Lethal Alliance, the first Star Wars game outside of Electronic Arts in well over a decade, there’s no doubt plenty of pressure to perform, not just in terms of quality, but in a financial sense too. We know Outlaws is “coming with the biggest marketing campaign ever for a Ubisoft game,” as CEO Yves Guillemot recently confirmed.

There’s been a great deal invested in Outlaws and while we’re obviously far from judging the full product, five hours with the game combined over two preview events paints a confident picture. It’s a big, bold production. Multiple gigantic planets, branching storylines, an abundance of refined, intertwining gameplay systems, and we haven’t even mentioned space yet. There’s all of that, too.

Going gold well ahead of time is always a great sign, and through our demos, we’ve enjoyed an extremely well-polished portion of the experience. Should all the pieces fall into place at launch, and should the game continue serving up quality like we’ve encountered, Outlaws is set to be a special adventure for Star Wars fans.