ComingSoon recently got to play four hours of Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft’s new action-adventure game taking place in a galaxy far, far away. During our hands-on time, we got to play through four missions across two different cities, fly a ship in outer space, and explore a vast open world. It’s all shaping up very well ahead of its release date of August 30, 2024.
Most of the missions I played revolved around stealth, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering many of Ubisoft’s main franchises revolve around being sneaky. While you can do up-close takedowns to get rid of foes from behind, this is more in the vein of Watch Dogs than Assassin’s Creed. Players can order around a small creature named Nix to interact with, distract, pickpocket, and even attack foes, not unlike the use of drones and other technology in Watch Dogs. You’ll also find yourself hacking doors and other locks via quick logic minigames, so making sure you’re not seen while engaging in less-than-reputable behavior is key.
The most interesting mission I did had my character sneaking around a Galactic Empire ship to change files in a database unnoticed. There were a lot of cool aspects, such as monitoring the Stormtrooper patrol routes, using computers to unlock doors and turn off cameras, and a great atmosphere with troopers complaining about their day-to-day routine as you unknowingly listen. Of course, it eventually ended with a big firefight — you primarily use a customized blaster that has multiple firing modes but can also pick up enemies’ weapons — that was as thrilling as scenes in the films.
However, the best moments of Star Wars Outlaws were had outside of the four missions and just roaming around the two cities I got to visit. The first was a gambling bed called Mirogana, which allowed me to bet on space horse racing and even play rounds of the card game Sabacc from the movies. The other was Kijimi City, which featured plenty of temples and a peaceful snowy vibe. I had a great time watching a food vendor robot prepare ramen for customers and there’s a lot of Star Wars charm in each area to just take in.
While I didn’t play long enough to see the ramifications of my choices, I did get to see some of the game’s reputation system at work. Some are pretty basic, such as siding with one organization over the other in a disagreement. However, a few more weren’t as simple. Choosing to frame one faction led to improving my relationship with a rival, for example, but if the opposing side finds out, that’ll lead to repercussions. It will definitely lead to players thinking twice before their actions, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out in the full game.
Star Wars Outlaws Preview: Final Thoughts
While it remains to be seen if the story will amount to something memorable, Star Wars Outlaws looks incredibly promising after spending four hours with it. With an interesting reputation system, polished gameplay, and a lot of small touches that give it a real Star Wars charm, it’s quickly become one of my most anticipated games this years. All the building blocks are there for this to be something really special.
Disclosure: Ubisoft invited ComingSoon to a digital event for our Star Wars Outlaws preview. Gameplay was streamed on PC.
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