Star Wars Outlaws feels like Ubisoft’s own Red Dead Redemption

There was plenty to see and do during the four hours I spent with Star Wars Outlaws at a recent preview event. The universe was at my fingertips, but my adventure was at its best when I could simply vibe. My most memorable moment came when walking into a dingy bar on Kijimi from The Rise of Skywalker and playing several rounds of Sabacc, only to walk back to my ship and find some loot to smuggle. It’s such moments that sell the smuggler fantasy that Ubisoft is touting as the first open-world Star Wars video game.

Behind all of this, players have to balance their relationships with the five different Syndicates that rule the underworld of the Star Wars galaxy. While I still have questions about how this system will play out in the long term, as well as plenty of nitpicks, the relationship management adds to the sandbox feel of Ubisoft’s sci-fi adventure. At its highest points, it feels like Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment is usingStar Wars Outlaws to deliver a sci-fi answer to Red Dead Redemption.

Attention to detail

My lengthy Star Wars Outlaws preview began on Toshara, a new planet created by Ubisoft that was the first section of the game that opened up to players. It’s here where I met the Pyke, Crimson Dawn, and Hutt syndicates and began forming relationships with each as Kay Vess. For the most part, doing so came through missions that had me exploring Toshara’s open world on a speeder bike.

As an open world, Toshara does seem a little barren, though, with only the occasional building or outpost scattered across a mostly empty field. Things got much more lively once Kay reached Mirogana. While Ubisoft games can vary in quality, they consistently nail excellent world design thanks to fantastic attention to detail. Mirogana gives off the feeling I want from a dingy, crime-ridden city on a backwater planet.

While Stormtroopers are walking around and the Empire is feigning control, it quickly becomes clear that the Pykes are in charge. The city is full of vendors