I originally started this page in 2016 as a place for gaming chatter. I felt I wanted to write about something other than football.
Back then, I was a huge gamer, and if I recall correctly, the first article I did was actually a film review (go figure). That was for one of the Star Wars remakes, and since then, I’ve written about the Star Wars Battlefront as well. I’m not one of those Star Wars fanboys who goes to conventions and knows all the lore, but as a kid, I loved the films. They were synonymous with Christmas, along with Superman, but with Star Wars, we got all the toys as well. I had an X-Wing and loads of figures, and every so often, we got broken toys such as the big AT-AT walker passed down from cousins or friends.
That’s probably why I love all the media now. I love Storm Troopers and all the characters I played with as a kid. I’ve found it harder to get into the new guys as I’m not a science fiction fan, but there’s nostalgia around the whole world. It’s why I struggled a bit with the recent Jedi games; they’re new stories. Star Wars Outlaws promised to be different: an open-world Star Wars adventure with some characters I recognised – Jabba the Hut, Gamorrean Guards and Lando. Exciting.
Now, I wasn’t paying £70 for the privilege of playing. I’ve been off gaming for months, struggling to find anything entertaining. £70 was a big risk to take on something that I might like and might not. Besides, those early reviews were awful, so I waited. It didn’t take long – prices plummeted amid bad reviews, and I ended up paying £40 for a second hand copy.
I was apprehensive. Criticism was quite common – the stealth mechanics, a significant part of the gameplay, are noted to be somewhat basic and repetitive. The combat, while satisfying for some, received criticism from others who found it “muddy and disconnected,” particularly as the game’s shooting mechanics lack impactful feedback and variety. Some players also felt that the game’s progression and upgrades, though intriguing, didn’t evolve much after initial play, with many missions involving similar patterns of sneaking, distracting guards, and repetitive combat encounters. It all sounded a bit crappy.
Why is it then that three weeks later, 40 hours in, I’m hooked? I’m not doing a review here because I think video games are subjective these days, like art. I couldn’t get on with Death Stranding, but people said it was a masterpiece. I like the playability of Sniper Elite over the juggernaut Call of Duty, and yet the reviewers think differently. In a change to writing about football, I just wanted to say why I liked Star Wars Outlaws.
Firstly, stealth is hit-and-miss. The game is buggy, from textures and lighting zoning in and out to having to manoeuvre around some computers to get into the position to activate them. Some maps are good, others frustratingly muddled, and there’s no variety in weapons or transport – you have your blaster and your speeder. While you can pick up imperial weapons, you drop them as soon as you interact with anything else.
Sounds awful, doesn’t it? Well, it isn’t. The reason for that is simple – it’s fun to play. I think big developers lose sight of what is important in a video game these days. It’s all fancy graphics, licenses, downloadable content, music score and much more, but games must be fun to play at their core. I haven’t had as much fun in an adventure game since the last Sniper Elite came out. In the past few weeks, I’ve stunned Storm Troopers, battled Death Troopers, met Jabba, fought a Rancor and played Sabaac (Ubisoft does minigames so well) with Lando Calrissian. I’ve cheated at the Sabaac tables, upgraded my ship using parts bought from Jawas and even entered a Sarlacc pit. I’ve not seen a Jedi, nor had to control or fight one. This is Star Wars, away from the headline acts. It’s the world we don’t see in the films, and it’s a fun place.
I think this game should appeal to Star Wars fans. Kay Vess is the protagonist, a thief who pinches a ship and buggers off around the galaxy. She’s no Lara Croft, but the relationship between her and her little friend, Nix, who helps with stealth and the like, is relatable. There’s a droid, ND5, who helps out a bit, and a range of other characters that give you certain skills. Don’t get me wrong, Star Wars Outlaws doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but why should it? Why does every game have to be an improvement on the last, why do we strive for something different every time?
The boundaries of open-world games don’t have to be pushed. Sometimes, it’s the subject matter that works, rather than the innovation. Not everything can be Hideo Kojima levels of different. It actually pains me a little to see Star Wars Outlaws being panned by critics when I’m taking so much pleasure from it. Some of the missions are repetitive, and often, you visit the same place twice, but if it’s enjoyable, what does it matter? Sure, it’s not perfect, but it is fun to play, and for me, that’s enough.
At least it’s got me back on the controller. For a moment there, I thought I might have to take up a new hobby.
Such as writing.