Summary
Regardless of any criticism it has faced, Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment’sStar Wars Outlawsis one of the most distinctiveStar Warstitles ever made, simply on account of its premise. Whereas mostStar Warsgamestend to gravitate toward featuring a Force-using protagonist,Star Wars Outlaws' willingness to have an everyday scoundrel lead its story is not only a bold design choice, but it’s also a sign of whatStar Warsgames are capable of if they are daring enough to venture into such territory. Unfortunately,Star Wars Outlawsis one of the more well-known downfall stories in recent memory, but that doesn’t mean it all needs to be thrown away.
Arguably, the whole idea behindStar Wars Outlawsis just too good to give up, so to simply let it slip away into the past would be a massive missed opportunity. It brought a fresh and worthwhile experience toStar Warsin the gaming space that deserves a second chance, but it would most certainly need to change its format if it hoped to succeed.
Star Wars Outlaws Deserves a Mulligan
A Change in Studio Could Benefit a Star Wars Outlaws Do-Over
It’s a bit painful to admit, but one of the most significant hurdlesStar Wars Outlawshad to overcome is the fact that Ubisoft is attached to its legacy. For some time now, Ubisoft has garnered significant criticism for releasing unfinished games, employing unsavory business practices, and, most recently, itsAssassin’s Creedseries, which thecontroversy surroundingAssassin’s Creed Shadowshas only served to exacerbate. WhileStar Wars Outlawswas developed by Massive Entertainment and only published by Ubisoft, the association of Ubisoft with the game may have been enough to taint its reputation from the beginning.
In light of that, perhaps a different developer would work for aStar Wars Outlawsdo-over, not necessarily because Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft didn’t do a great job with the game, but because Ubisoft’s reputation has been so tarnished as of late. For example, Rockstar Games could possibly do wonders with apremise likeStar Wars Outlaws', especially given its history with outlaw-centric franchises likeRed Dead RedemptionandGrand Theft Auto. BioWare, Naughty Dog, and CD Projekt Red might even be solid studios for heading up the development of anotherStar Wars Outlaws, as each of them has proven their expertise with similar worlds and gameplay.
Star Wars Outlaws Might Be Better Without Stealth
Development studios aside, one ofStar Wars Outlaws' biggest problems is its gameplay. The idea of aStar Warsgame featuring an outlaw on the run is a noble one, butStar Wars Outlawsironically requires a lot less running and a lot more sneaking. Even as soon as players depart from the first planet inStar Wars Outlaws, its gameplay loop may begin to feel a bit repetitive. This isn’t necessarily due to the content available on each of the planets or the way each area is executed, asStar Wars Outlawsdoes improve Ubisoft’s open-world formulato a degree by holding players' hands less and leaving discovery largely up to them. Instead,Star Wars Outlaws' repetitiveness is more so due to the core gameplay loop ofStar Wars Outlaws, which revolves around stealth almost every step of the way.
Rockstar Games could possibly do wonders with a premise likeStar Wars Outlaws', especially given its history with outlaw-centric franchises likeRed Dead RedemptionandGrand Theft Auto.
Star Wars Outlawsis one of those games that initially looks like it might occasionally employ stealth mechanics. However, it relies on them even more so than most classicAssassin’s Creedgames, which are actually intentionally designed to be stealth games. Of course, players aren’t technically required to approach every situation stealthily inStar Wars Outlaws, but since getting caught in a restricted area can quickly lead to players being swarmed by an overwhelming number of enemies, stealth is not only encouraged, it’s all but forced.
In light of that, perhapsStar Wars Outlawscould get away with a second chance if it focused less on stealth gameplay and more on the playstyle flexibility that the developers seemed to want players to have from the beginning. Gameplay more akin to theUnchartedandTomb Raiderseriesmight be better forStar Wars Outlaws, which generally incorporate a healthy mixture of stealth and open engagement into their gameplay mechanics. This, as well as possibly a different studio heading up the game’s development, might be enough to giveStar Wars Outlawsthe mulligan that its intriguing premise deserves.
