Considering the advertising and marketing behind it, the Star Wars license, and being an open-world recreation with triple-A manufacturing values, it’s considerably stunning that Star Wars Outlaws underperformed because it did. Then once more, with all the opposite components at play, like greater upcoming releases, the property being chilly, and lack of polish in lots of areas, it most likely isn’t. Regardless, even probably the most ardent followers can’t deny that Outlaws fell brief in a number of gameplay avenues at launch.
Developer Huge Leisure has been working extensively to enhance it. Its previous couple of title updates don’t simply tout enhancements to the enemy AI, Speeder, and motion – in addition they revamp fight and stealth. Weak factors, improved loss of life animations for enemies, carrying round scavenged weapons for longer durations, no extra stealth insta-fails (for many quests), smoother cowl utilization – the listing goes on. Whereas all these adjustments carry Outlaws to a considerably extra interesting baseline, it wants some compelling content material. Sadly, Wild Card isn’t precisely it.
” It’s additionally a disgrace that the playing cards dealt and palms performed stay the identical on reloading for the reason that lack of Shift Tokens and utilization of latest talents like double-drawing and planting playing cards on opponents to border them as cheaters added some pressure.”
The DLC is marketed as Kay coming into a high-stakes Sabacc event and operating into Lando Calrissian, however different issues are afoot. Nonetheless, it’s Thorden, Toshara’s governor (for all these exclaiming, “Who?”), that blackmails her into coming into as payback for liberating his bookkeeper. The prize for profitable the event is a map to Okala 5, a moon of unknown worth. Kay’s aim is to seek out the Merinia the place it’s held and use the Imperial Credit fronted by Thorden to win. As for Lando, he’s working to retrieve the map for the Insurgent Alliance, leveraging his underworld contacts to enter the event and ultimately crew up with Vess.
As acceptable because the setup sounds, there are some pacing issues. Whereas finding the Merinia entails an admittedly annoying shuttle chase and typical area battle in opposition to some grunts, the subsequent few steps to satisfy Lando and win again his particular chip drag the pacing down with all of the planet-hopping. The dialogue isn’t horrible all through, although there are some stinkers, like a participant telling Kay that Lando is all the time welcome when he desires to lose his – pause for emphasis – cape. Kay’s flat response? “You’ll be able to inform him that your self.”
Kay’s general demeanor in some elements, particularly when attempting to speak her approach by way of conditions, additionally feels much less like a swash-buckling scoundrel and extra like a nervous excessive schooler attempting to persuade somebody of their pretend license. Lando, by comparability, comes throughout higher, skirting a advantageous line between charismatic and sleazy whereas nonetheless having his coronary heart in the proper place. I may have finished with out the fixed, “Lando tells Kay to do the heavy lifting, Kay whines and does it anyway” dynamic that happens a number of occasions, if solely it rapidly felt performed out. There’s additionally a sudden “twist” that feels flat, thrown in for the sake of upping the stakes.
There are some respectable exchanges available, comparable to when Kay does her personal little blackmail to enter the event or a dialog between Lando and Thorden that comes throughout as pure. Nonetheless, if the bottom recreation’s story didn’t impress, Wild Card doesn’t aspire to way more.
The mission design isn’t too shabby in some areas just like the immersive sim-lite duties to acquire the participant listing onboard the Merinia after which to seek out an invite that fits Kay. The method lacks talent checks or the like, relying extra on listening in, gathering clues, speaking to people, and compiling proof, however it works for probably the most half.
Then there’s the precise event, which feels much less like a correct bracket and extra like skipping straight to the grand finals. It’s additionally a disgrace that the playing cards dealt and palms performed stay the identical on reloading for the reason that lack of Shift Tokens and utilization of latest talents like double-drawing and planting playing cards on opponents to border them as cheaters added some pressure.
“I didn’t expertise any efficiency points, there are nonetheless many notable bugs like floating animations when climbing from one bar to the opposite, Kay’s hair sometimes jittering on load-in, and at the least one cutscene the place the lighting and colours appeared washed out.”
Other than these features, the DLC is way of what you’d anticipate from Outlaws – plenty of operating, gunning, and sneaking (with at the least two harrowing escape sequences). Some platforming sections, particularly when infiltrating an Imperial base for the ultimate mission, additionally stream seamlessly sufficient. Activating two elevators concurrently, crossing over to the opposite to keep away from highly effective wind generators and thoroughly platforming felt strong. The identical goes for rigorously sneaking previous a number of droids to activate a crane that passes by way of a barrier, creating an opportunity to slide by way of to your goal. Sadly, all of it culminates in a somewhat tepid boss combat (and calling it as such is being very beneficiant).
The shortage of fail situations on stealth and improved fight is felt instantly, particularly once you dispatch some Stormtrooper jabronie after they elevate the alarm, seize their weapon and begin blasting. Aiming feels higher, with all of the two-handed rifles feeling way more highly effective. Although I didn’t discover myself leveraging weak factors all that a lot (at the least, not that I observed), Kay’s Blaster Modules felt like they packed a greater punch. Although the duvet system isn’t probably the most intuitive in comparison with, say, The Division, manually sliding in and coming out for just a few pictures feels seamless sufficient.
Sadly, the AI nonetheless wants some work. When sneaking round, enemies typically have tunnel imaginative and prescient, failing to see Kay out of their periphery. Different occasions, she could be proper in entrance and provoke no response. Considered one of my favourite moments noticed the AI seemingly bugging out as I casually walked as much as a Stormtrooper and cleaned his clock with out a lot as a “What was that noise?”
The general polish additionally leaves one thing to be desired. Although I didn’t expertise any efficiency points, there are nonetheless many notable bugs like floating animations when climbing from one bar to the opposite, Kay’s hair sometimes jittering on load-in, and at the least one cutscene the place the lighting and colours appeared washed out.
One open-world occasion concerned tackling a Pirate Camp began with invisible lookouts who saved saying they noticed one thing. Even after taking out the opposite enemies and stealing the loot, the others by no means materialized and continued questioning about suspicious noises whilst I left.
“At about three and a half hours, it supplies a concise expertise, but I felt just like the final hour may have gone additional, maybe additional exploring the fallout of the search.”
Additionally, whereas the title replace touted improved facial expressions and animations in dialogue scenes, the general outcomes didn’t impress. Whether or not an indictment on the bottom recreation or it’s merely not sizable of a leap is one other query totally. The visuals and environmental design are in any other case fairly good – the Imperial Fortress, with its obscene scale, provides some beautiful sights, particularly within the lighting division.
Whereas I respect all of the adjustments and enhancements, Star Wars Outlaws has its work minimize out. It’s reached some extent the place the fight and motion are acceptable, even satisfying – now it wants to strengthen the stealth with higher AI and proceed squashing bugs. If you happen to loved the bottom recreation, the most recent title replace undeniably makes it higher, however this could have been the launch expertise.
As for the DLC, it isn’t a horrible journey to embark on, however it’s additionally nothing exceptional, a lot much less memorable past the Sabacc event. At about three and a half hours, it supplies a concise expertise, but I felt just like the final hour may have gone additional, maybe additional exploring the fallout of the search. I’d have additionally appreciated extra distinctive mechanics and sections alongside extra Sabacc.
Wild Card is an above-average aspect story for present gamers and regardless of just a few noteworthy spots, it received’t garner many new gamers for Outlaws. These on the fence may need to wait even longer for different enhancements and new options. Huge Leisure is placing within the work, however there’s nonetheless a protracted approach to go.
This recreation was reviewed on PC.