Published 9 minutes ago
Jakejames Lugo is a writer that has been covering video games and other entertainment for many years. He has written and published reviews, guides, listicles, and other content that anyone interested in gaming would follow. A lot of his work can be found in places like IGN, Dot Esports, Red Bull Gaming, The Outerhaven, Playboy Gaming, and many other outlets.
Jakejames continues to be part of the big conversations surrounding video games and entertainment. You can always find him sharing his undying passion for games online.
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The Star Wars franchise has been in a weird place for a number of years following the release of the sequel trilogy of films. That same awkwardness has affected video games that are based on the Star Wars…
Published 9 minutes ago
Jakejames Lugo is a writer that has been covering video games and other entertainment for many years. He has written and published reviews, guides, listicles, and other content that anyone interested in gaming would follow. A lot of his work can be found in places like IGN, Dot Esports, Red Bull Gaming, The Outerhaven, Playboy Gaming, and many other outlets.
Jakejames continues to be part of the big conversations surrounding video games and entertainment. You can always find him sharing his undying passion for games online.
Sign in to your XDA account
The Star Wars franchise has been in a weird place for a number of years following the release of the sequel trilogy of films. That same awkwardness has affected video games that are based on the Star Wars galaxy, even with a few big hits standing out. For many fans, Star Wars Outlaws was one of those games that was emblematic of everything going on for the franchise at the time. And despite its ambitiousness for doing things previous Star Wars games had yet to accomplish, it stumbled hard into a negative reception from everyone.
However, a lot of things have changed for the game since its initial release. Multiple updates and patches to gameplay elements, tweaks to the visuals and stability, as well as new DLC content have enabled Star Wars Outlaws to feel like a different game from how it first launched. With the Steam Winter Sale going on now, Star Wars Outlaws is being offered to players on PC for a hefty 70% discount. Here’s why everyone should give Star Wars Outlaws a second chance now that it’s discounted for the Steam Winter Sale.
Systems
Released August 30, 2024
ESRB T For Teen // Violence, Simulated Gambling, Mild Language
Developer(s) Massive Entertainment
Publisher(s) Ubisoft, Lucasfilm Games
Engine Snowdrop
Franchise Star Wars
Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date September 4, 2025
Genre(s) Open-World, Action-Adventure
Rocky first steps
A new adventure stumbling at the start
The most intriguing aspect of Star Wars Outlaws is how it’s a game that brings the open-world design to the franchise in ways that previous Star Wars games had not successfully attempted. The fantasy of roaming areas and traveling to planets within the galaxy is something that all Star Wars fans have wanted to see fully realized. Although Ubisoft and the team at Massive Entertainment managed to put together something that accomplished this, it wasn’t without its hiccups and myriad of problems that got in the way. No matter how easily fans of the franchise support anything Star Wars related, there was no ignoring how many problems the game initially had.
Everything from basic quality-of-life problems to practical issues plagued Star Wars Outlaws at the start. While many fans were quick to criticize the story and new playable hero, Kay Vess, for valid reasons, the problems with the game were more technical than anything else. It was enough to get in the way of the game’s brighter spots, which were interesting for the franchise, but were overshadowed by everything else. Once patches for the game were released, such as new updates to stealth mechanics and overall combat and exploration, fans finally were able to see the vision that the developers were aiming for.
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Galaxy of opportunities
A new story in a familiar time
For Star Wars fans that were disappointed with Star Wars Outlaws initially, the one saving grace it had was the story taking place during a key point in the franchise’s timeline. The game follows a woman named Kay Vess and her companion Nix as they take on various jobs as outlaws in a galaxy that is in the middle of a galactic civil war, where the distraction provides many opportunities for the underworld. Between building alliances with different factions, and making just as many enemies for it, Kay Vess and Nix navigate their way through the underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy, where things are more grim than ever.
However, it’s not the story of Kay Vess that grabbed Star Wars fans, it’s the timeframe in which it takes place. The plot is set some time after the events of The Empire Strikes Back and before Return of the Jedi, two of the most important movies in the history of the saga. It’s partially because of this that a lot of expectations from fans led to a bit of disappointment for them when the game released, mostly due to certain characters not making an appearance. But luckily for fans, a few key players from the original Star Wars trilogy still manage to show up without compromising anything within the official canon of the series.
Credit: Ubisoft
In the grand scheme of things, Kay Vess and her exploits affect very little of what goes on in the Star Wars galaxy. But the placement of her story allows fans to explore key locations that are related to her story, and connected to the franchise as a whole. Exploring new planets like Akiva is great, but being able to go to Tatooine and see many of the iconic locations from the Star Wars films is even more tantalizing.
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Roaming the underworld
Exploring and making credits
It may not be the level of open-world game compared to something like the Grand Theft Auto series, but Star Wars Outlaws has a very solid foundation for exploring a galaxy far, far away. Completing missions related to Kay Vess’ story is important, but so is finishing jobs for the various factions of the underworld that take you to multiple planets. Of course, Kay Vess will need to have a blaster on hand to deal with anything crazy that happens, because nothing is ever truly simple for a scoundrel. Following the updates, the blaster fire and overall gun combat in Star Wars Outlaws is much better and easier to engage with when things go awry.
Although things were too restrictive at first, Star Wars Outlaws gives a lot of freedom for how players approach missions. Blasting your way through is one way to get into trouble, but using stealth and staying quiet is a smart way to avoid any Imperial attention. Even using Nix for a variety of actions can be a helpful tool in any situation. Taking either path can lead to big scores in credits and other discoveries during missions. Part of this is influenced by the relationships that Kay Vess has with different factions, which can open up new areas or make some things a bit more difficult for her. Having a good standing with one group could open up discounts and other goodies, while conflict with another will have Kay constantly hunted by bounty hunters and other enemies. And if the Empire wants her found, it adds another layer of trouble that she can get caught up in.
Credit: Ubisoft
All of it is worth the trouble when being able to pilot a starship or speeder to explore your surroundings. The planets in Star Wars Outlaws are very large and filled with all sorts of places to travel to, and many characters to interact with. It can take hours combing over every part of a planet like Tatooine, with even more to see when going into planetary orbit with Kay’s starship. For the diehard Star Wars fan, the attention to detail and thoroughness of recreating iconic locations from the series will be very much appreciated.
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Redeeming a new Star Wars adventure
Anyone that decided to avoid Star Wars Outlaws because of its problems around launch may now want to give it a chance. The multiple updates and post-release content are enough to warrant a second look from everyone, but the discount for the Steam Winter Sale makes things even better. As the first open-world Star Wars game that opens up the galaxy for fans to explore and get lost in, Star Wars Outlaws is something that deserves another chance to be experienced. Before more new Star Wars games are finally released in 2026 and beyond, fans of the franchise will want to take advantage of the opportunity to explore this galaxy of opportunities while its on a big sale for the season.
Systems
Released August 30, 2024
ESRB T For Teen // Violence, Simulated Gambling, Mild Language
Developer(s) Massive Entertainment
Publisher(s) Ubisoft, Lucasfilm Games
Engine Snowdrop
Franchise Star Wars
Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date September 4, 2025
Genre(s) Open-World, Action-Adventure