Star Wars Outlaws: The Art of the Heist, A Thrilling Mechanic

Daniel Soresco
3 min readNov 22, 2024

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One of the best characteristics to be found in Star Wars Outlaws is its reputation system and crime syndicate. This isn’t a simple feature, it’s an integral part of your interaction in the real world. Every choice you make comes with real consequences, regardless of whether you’re choosing to align with a specific party or abandoning them in exchange for greater rewards. This makes every task appear a little tense since you’re constantly considering the dangers and benefits of your choices. It’s an exciting element of the game giving layers of strategic thought to an otherwise simple task.

Kay Vess stands at the steering wheel of her spaceship, the immense space of space stretching ahead of her.

The Combat Experience: A Mixed Bag

We’ll now talk about combat. It’s acceptable, however, there are times when it shines. Kay’s adrenaline skills as an example, is the major highlight. It’s incredibly enjoyable being able to track enemies in slow motion as they fall with pinpoint accuracy. It’s an homage towards Red Dead Redemption’s Dead Eye mechanic from Red Dead Redemption While it’s not exactly new, it’s definitely fun.

But not everything is hitting the target. Hand-to-hand combat is acceptable but isn’t quite able to deliver the effect I was hoping to see. Every strike is delivered in a pleasing thud however, the experience overall may be lagging, especially when you’re trying to maneuver quickly between objectives or move through a space undetected. Grappling hooks are yet another feature that isn’t used enough. It’s wonderful when it performs in a way that lets you navigate some areas effortlessly however its limited usage and slow animations may make you lose focus of the situation.

Stars sparkle across the sky, and a planet far away appears at the horizon, hinting to the exciting adventures in store.

The Thrill of Stealth and Subtlety

To me, the true excitement in Star Wars Outlaws lies in the game’s stealthy techniques. It’s thrilling to imagine being able to sneak through the mission making sure to disable alarms in a controlled manner or triggering distractions while dissenting from guards. That’s the area where the game really shines in delivering intense moments of cat-and-mouse gameplay which made my heart race. It’s been a long time since I’ve been meticulously making my plan, ensuring that each step is planned and that every move is carefully planned. It’s the type of game that demands perseverance and a strategy. And this is where I got my greatest pleasure.

A Universe Worth Exploring

However, despite its faults, Star Wars Outlaws is an action game that’s fascinated me. It’s a place that is a paradise for Star Wars fans, an area where you’re able to immerse your mind in the small minutiae of the game’s mechanics, and even the narrative. While it’s not perfect, there aren’t many games that are. But it’s a game that will stay with you for a long time when you’ve let go of the controller. It doesn’t matter if you’re there because of the thrill of theft, the thrill of exploring, or the mystery of being a stealthy criminal, Outlaws offers something hard to come by in the current game world: an authentic feeling of adventure.

The control panel of the ship is lit by a faint blue glow that casts shadows on Kay’s stern face.

Final Thoughts — A New Star Wars for Fans, Should I Say More?

If you’re an avid Star Wars fan, Outlaws is a game you should not skip if you buy PS5 games. This game allows you to get completely in the world of Star Wars as you get lost in the excitement of being an outlaw in a world that is as deadly as it is stunning. It’s an opportunity to remember the reason we play games: to escape, explore the world, and live our fantasies about the adventures we’ve always thought of.

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Daniel Soresco
Daniel Soresco

Written by Daniel Soresco

I have fun playing video games and occasionally I write reviews.

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