Star Wars Outlaws

Massive bravely peels away the many layers of Ubisoft open world-isms in Star Wars Outlaws. It's a fatal error. Stripping away years of accumulated video game clutter admirably reveals an integral issue: Ubisoft open worlds are not only fun because of their formula; they are their formula. The Kessel Sabacc card game is infinitely moreish and the game's clear highlight. But beyond that, Outlaws suffers from a fundamental lack of depth across nearly every system. Exploration and platforming are...

Star Wars Outlaws shines in a few moments but fizzles out in too many others. The game's strength lies in the moments that give you a glimpse into what it's like to live in the Star Wars universe for those who aren't fighting a galactic civil war or training to become a space wizard. But they are so few and far between. You play as Kay Vess, an up-and-coming mercenary who must put together a crew to break into the vault of the man who wants her dead. Kay is just not that interesting -- a common...

Star Wars Outlaws is a fun intergalactic heist adventure with great exploration, but it's hindered by simple stealth, repetitive combat, and a few too many bugs at launch. This open-worlds action game features gunbattles and broken promises befitting the legend of Han Solo. However, it delivers a Han Solo-like experience in both good and bad ways: it has handsome looks and a strong sense of adventure, but it's also somewhat scruffy around the edges and is liable to let you down. You play as Ka...

Star Wars Outlaws is Ubisoft's most ambitious game in years, but it plays the basics way too safe. It's both sides of Ubisoft: conventional and safe in ways that get on your nerves, but also ambitious enough to be more than just a third-person shooter in a sandbox. Kay Vess is an instantly likable protagonist -- smart and arrogant in a Solo sort of way, but less impulsive. There's a distinct lack of self-importance to Outlaws. The game doesn't cover important backstory or juice up Kay's importa...