I initially told myself I wouldn't buy anything in this year's Steam Summer Sale because my backlog is already out of control, but an open world for $17 Star Wars the game just changed me. That title is none other than Star Wars Outlawsa game that I actually fell in love with when it originally launched in 2024 but never finished for various reasons. When it finally made it to Steam just a few months later, I considered buying it again just to experience it on PC, but at $70 all of its problems were more noticeable – plus there were just way too many other games at the time that I wanted to play. Now, at $17, it's much easier to see Star Wars Outlaws for what it actually is: a flawed but genuinely compelling one Star Wars adventure that arguably deserved far less hate than it originally received.
While I understand why Star Wars Outlaws was so hated at launch, I've still always seen it as criminally underrated Star Wars game that deserved better. First, it had Ubisoft's name attached to it, which, no matter how hard it tries to break free from a long history of empty, bloated open-world games, is somehow always relentlessly bashed to death by the public as soon as its name is mentioned. I personally think it's unfairly disadvantaged, especially when it supports what I believe to be one of the more authentic versions of Star Wars universe as gaming has ever seen. But Ubisoft's name aside, I'll admit that Star Wars Outlaws had its fair share of bugs and performance issues at launch, and I understand why that might frustrate some players. Nevertheless, this is one of those Star Wars game that I think everyone should at least try, and for $17 in the Steam Summer Sale, it's basically a steal.
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Star Wars Outlaws was never the disaster that people wanted it to be
One thing I really struggle to understand about the modern gaming world is why people seem to go to such lengths to declare some games dead on arrival before they've even arrived. Despite Star Wars Outlaws getting decent reviews (even 7/10 is a good rating for a game, regardless of what some may say), it felt like one of those games. Maybe it has something to do with a growing distrust of gaming journalists these days – assuming they get paid to say things they hardly ever do – or maybe gamers are just sufficiently jaded with big budget releases that they're ready to believe the worst before a game even gets a fair chance. Anyway, Star Wars Outlaws Very quickly became less of a good game with some obvious problems and more of a symbol for everything people already wanted to criticize.
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To be fair, some of that criticism made sense. Star Wars Outlaws was never perfect, and I'm not going to pretend that every complaint came from people who simply wanted to hate it. Its stealth could feel inconsistent, its mission design could be stiff, and its open world still had some familiar Ubisoft tropes baked into it, despite being a vast improvement in many ways. However, I find myself getting more and more tired of having to say “this game isn't perfect” to justify my stance to others, because there is no such thing as a perfect game – only games with strengths strong enough to make the weaknesses a little more forgivable. Star Wars Outlaws is one such game that is actually stronger than you, or the pessimists who influenced you, might think.
What seems so strange to me is how quickly so many people seemed to go from “this game has problems” to “this game is bad”, when Star Wars Outlaws always had so much more going for it than its problems. As far as Star Wars game goes, it has the atmosphere, the environments, the tone, the feel – everything, down to a tee. Not long after I played it, I was already telling people, “Star Wars Outlaws is the most Star Wars one Star Wars game ever felt to me,” and I stand by it to this day. Even some of the best Star Wars games out there—like Jedi: Fallen Order, Jedi: Survivorand Knights of the Old Republic—are incredible in their own right, but they focus on specific parts of the franchise. outlawson the other hand, makes you feel like you're playing one Star Wars movie by giving you the galaxy rather than a lightsaber and some Force powers.
Star Wars Outlaws is one such game that is actually stronger than you, or the pessimists who influenced you, might think.
The smartest Star Wars Outlaws did was to avoid making Kay Vess another Jedi, soldier, or galaxy-saver chosen one. She is a thief, a villain, and someone trying to survive in the corners of the galaxy where everyone is either using her, hunting her, or waiting to see if she can be useful. That alone gives the game a completely different flavor than most Star Wars stories, and it's a flavor I still wish the franchise explored more often. It may not always execute its vision perfectly, but I'd much rather play a messy one Star Wars game that actually feels like Star Wars than a safer one that follows power fantasy tropes too closely and ultimately abandons atmosphere and tone for the game.
I won't go so far as to say that Star Wars Outlaws is a masterpiece. Of course, I have a hard time making that claim about any game. I think, as cliche as it sounds, that it has been very misunderstood, unfairly perceived and poorly judged and therefore is very underrated. Maybe “failed” from a sales point of view, but how many really good games haven't reached their sales goals? Commercial performance is often a matter of timing, marketing, expectations and audience temperature at launch, but it's not always an indication of whether a game is actually worth playing. I'm saying right now: Star Wars Outlaws is and always has been worth playing, but at $17 in the Steam Summer Sale it's now that much easier to appreciate.
At $17, Star Wars Outlaws is easier to appreciate for what it does well
Whether we like it or not, the price changes everything with a game that Star Wars Outlaws. At $70, all the trouble starts to make the game feel more and more worth the cost. But for $17 the question is as simple as: “Does this open world Star Wars sense of adventure worth what I'd spend on a couple of Starbucks drinks?” For me, the answer is yes, yes, a thousand times, yes.
There is a lot in it Star Wars Outlaws which works extremely well, especially for anyone who just wants to exist in a bona fide iteration of Star Wars universe. Walking through crowded settlements, riding through dusty landscapes on a speeder, breaking into restricted areas, sending Nix to cause trouble, and jumping from plane to plane all contribute to a fantasy that still feels oddly rare in Star Wars game. outlaws may not be the deepest open-world game ever made, but it understands the joy of being a petty criminal in a galaxy much bigger than you.
For $17, the question is as simple as, “Has this open world Star Wars sense of adventure worth what I'd spend on a couple of Starbucks drinks?” For me, the answer is yes, yes, a thousand times, yes.
I also think Kay and Nix are better than they're often given credit for being. Kay is not exactly iconic Star Wars protagonist, but she fits into the context of the game well. She is crass, impulsive and constantly one bad decision away from making her life worse. At the same time, Nix gives the game a lot of his personality, both mechanically and emotionally.
More importantly, outlaws have that kind of Star Wars atmosphere I tend to value more over time. It has the weird cantinas, the dirty cities, the desert hideouts, the criminal factions, the Imperial presence, and those little environmental touches that make it feel like I'm legitimately living inside Star Wars. It's not always elegant, but it often feels like it Star Wars in the way that I actually want an open world Star Wars game to feel.
So yeah, the Steam Summer Sale got me. I broke my own rule, added another game to my backlog and bought Star Wars Outlaws again because $17 for an open world Star Wars the game is far too easy to justify. That might say more about me than the game, but after jumping back in I'm comfortable saying that the hate looks more ridiculous than ever. Star Wars Outlaws has problems, but it also has a version of Star Wars fantasy that still feels worth experiencing, especially for such a low price.
- Released
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30 August 2024
- ESRB
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T for Teens // Violence, simulated gambling, mild language
- Publisher
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Ubisoft, Lucasfilm Games
