Star Wars Outlaws has a had a rough go of it -- and while there are some legimate complaints, there are some non-starter aguements coming from the usual susspects. The main character isn't hot enough. Its an Ubisoft game. Its an open world game. Blah, blah, blah.
While it has some rough edges, its still more millium Falcon than it is scruffy nerfherder. While comparisons to Uncharted and GTA has been shown before, the more apt comparison I would levy, it to is Watch Dogs 2. Outlaws has similar gunplay and stealth mechanics. However, the former has better weapon variety and options for stealth.
Protagonist Kay Vess is a smuggler, so this is a non Jedi affair. While I have no real issue with this, you will play most of the game with a signature blaster. While you can pick up other weapons, they typcially have very low ammo, and you can't carry them while climbing a ladder. If you are going to be placed in the shoes a blaster toting badass, then I want to feel one. Side missions will also allow you to unlock "Experts". Completing jobs will allow you to upgrade Kay's abilities, including new settings and attachments for your blaster. These include a stun functon to take out droids and cameras, a charged explosive bolt and more. While you will spend alot of time doing jobs for various crime sydnicates, you will also come across Imperial Forces.
The stealth really stands out when you are going up against The Empire. Slinking past Stormtroopers across Death Star inspired slick floors, hacking into consoles and unloading a barrage of Blaster Rifle fire is peak Star Wars gaming at its finest.
Like the aformentioned Watch Dogs 2, it has a strong empasis on stealth, leaning into the idea that Kay Vess is a thief. Your cutsey animal companion Nix can distract and attack enimies assisitng you in stealth takedowns. However Kay is only given two different animations for stealth, and can't do a takedown from a ledge or a corner.
Kay also has a deadeye style mechanic where she can mark enmies while she is driving on her speeder. However, because of the way the camera is positioned, you can't always tell that you hit your target. In addition this is the only combat option she has available to her while on her speeder.
Since it was announced, I had serious concerns about wheather or not Outlaws would follow a similar path as Jedi Survivor, which was plauged with inexcuable and exhausting patch updates. The PC performance is decent on PC, and I had no issue playing in over 60 FPS.
Even given all of my nitpicks, the story, especially the Star Wars of it all, brings it home for me. The music and sound design are doing alot of the heavy lifting, with spectacular results. The blaster fire, the light speed jumping and the way the music all hits plays in great service to the story. An early chunk of the gameplay will send Kay on a series of errends to find upgrades for your ship, the Trailblazer. One of the last of these missions invovles Kay searcing a downed Rebublic era cruiser for its nav computer, so your ship can use the Hyper Drive. Your ship, like your blaster, serves as a character in the story. For me, its pure Star Wars joy.
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