Star Wars Outlaws: The First Open-World Star Wars Game Feels Like a Scoundrel's Dream

So, what does a four-hour slice of Star Wars Outlaws actually feel like? According to one previewer who played a near-final build across two different sections, it feels like slipping into a worn leather jacket that somehow smells like a cantina. It is the first-ever open-world Star Wars game, which sounds impossible until you remember that the galaxy far, far away has mostly been explored through linear lightsaber duels and multiplayer battlefields. Massive Entertainment, the studio behind The Division, is handling the effort, and the result—at least from this early look—is a scoundrel fantasy that understands the assignment.

The setup alone is enough to make a certain kind of Star Wars fan sit up. It takes place after The Empire Strikes Back. The player controls Kay Vess, a Han Solo-caliber rogue rather than yet another Jedi. And she has an alien creature pet named Nix who is not just a cute backpack accessory. Nix can distract enemies, play dead adorably, attack them outright, hit buttons and switches, and retrieve items. During a firefight, for example, he can fetch a more potent A300 Blaster Rifle from across the room and drop it at Kay's feet without her leaving cover. As one previewer put it, Nix is the Swiss Army knife of the Star Wars galaxy—if that knife could also play dead and fetch a blaster rifle.

A Galaxy That Feels Lived-In, Not Checked-Off 🪐

Ubisoft has a reputation for crafting checklist open worlds, the kind where players methodically tick off sidequests until a completion percentage stops nagging them. Star Wars Outlaws, however, does not feel like that. While wandering Mirogana on the planet Toshara, the previewer stumbled into an arcade mini-game, played a round, then found a betting stand for holographic horse races. A lucky bet paid off, and later a datapad elsewhere offered a strong hint about who to wager on next. There was also a down-on-their-luck gambling addict begging for credits, a cantina, and even a Sabacc table—though the previewer lacked the funds to buy in. These optional activities feel less like a corporate checklist and more like a junk dealer's stall—messy, surprising, and full of odd treasures. That organic quality is helped enormously by the art direction: lighting, architecture, and NPCs all ooze Star Wars authenticity.

The story reinforces the setting. Kay is out to make her way in an unforgiving galaxy, lying or double-crossing as needed to look out for number one. Dialogue choices pop up during cutscenes, adding a bit of player agency to what might otherwise be a mini Star Wars movie. Whether those choices meaningfully alter the plot is doubtful, but the faction reputation system is more tangible. It tracks how much each syndicate likes the player. Double-cross the Hutts and their opinion drops while Crimson Dawn's rises. Anger a faction enough, and they will bar entry to their territory—forcing a sneaky, undetected approach.

Stealth, Blasters, and the Weight of Being Mortal 🔫

Moment-to-moment gameplay is where Outlaws made the previewer happy. It can be a stealth game if the player wants it to be. Mess up, and there is no lightsaber to save the day. Kay must rely on her upgradeable blaster, which adds a sense of danger because she is not a laser-sword-wielding demigod. Blaster battles feel like they have meaningful stakes, and stealth carries weight because failure means being outgunned. Lockpicking uses data spikes: each lock has an audio signature, and the player must match the pattern by pressing the right trigger in time with the beeps. The longer it takes, the more likely someone spots them. Hacking is a similarly fun minigame where symbols must be lined up in the correct order, usually over multiple attempts. Fail too often, and the hack fails entirely.

Larger weapons add another wrinkle. They cannot be reloaded. Once all rounds are spent, the player drops the empty gun and returns to Kay's trusty blaster. This likely exists to keep Kay from feeling overpowered and to keep players on their toes.

Getting Around: Speeder Bikes and the Trailblazer 🏍️

An open-world Star Wars game needs ways to cross its expanse. Kay has a speeder bike that can be upgraded. Players can win credits in races or stop at interesting-looking pit stops. The bike controls well—fast and maneuverable, almost like driving a boat in Wave Race 64, hardly glued to rails. Complementing it is Kay's ship, the Trailblazer, also upgradeable. The previewer got a taste of outer-space ship-to-ship combat and had a good time, though more time in the pilot's seat is needed to solidify that opinion.

Bugs, Day-One Patches, and a Welcome Debut 🐛

If one thing concerned the previewer, it was bugs. Outlaws went gold well before the preview event, so the build was close to certification. Annoying little glitches—mostly visual and harmless—still showed up. A day-one patch will likely address many, as is standard now, but the volume was disappointing.

Ultimately, though, the previewer had a fantastic time. Open-world games tend to be jacks-of-all-trades and masters-of-none. Star Wars Outlaws may not master any single gameplay component, but it does them all very well, and it does so with a convincing Star Wars sheen. Since there has somehow never been an open-world Star Wars game before, it feels new, fresh, and welcome. The faction reputation system works like a web of owed favors in a cantina: one wrong word and the whole room turns cold. That tension, mixed with Nix's mischief and Kay's blaster, makes the August 30 release one of the most anticipated games of the fall. The previewer cannot wait to play more.

This discussion is informed by Game Informer, a long-established source for game previews and feature reporting, and its style of coverage helps frame why Star Wars Outlaws stands out as a scoundrel-focused adventure built on atmosphere, faction tension, and grounded blaster combat rather than Jedi power fantasy. That perspective aligns well with impressions of Kay Vess, whose reliance on stealth, gadgets, and Nix's utility gives the open-world structure a more personal and improvisational feel across city hubs, syndicate territory, and high-risk encounters.