introduced Kay Vess, a scoundrel looking to score big on a heist. Alongside her is companion Nix, ostensibly the game's mascot and a useful mechanic in his own right.

Much has been made about the existence of the Ubisoft formula of game design, but 2024 feels like a year where the publisher is truly challenging that notion. Between Assassin's Creed Shadows, which returns to stealth-based gameplay while fusing in some of its action-RPG elements, and Outlaws, which eschews the familiar of a Jedi hero and embraces the crime syndicates that grew under the shadow of the Empire, it feels like ambition is the theme for the studio.

At Summer Game Fest 2024, in a crowded theatre room transformed into a cantina, amidst some security that looked suspiciously like Storm Troopers, I sat down to experience an hour of what Outlaws has in store for players. I played three missions, each offering a different look at mechanics that will help diversify and define experience as Kay Vess. Going in, I was cautiously - very cautiously, in fact - optimistic. Exiting, I remain the same, while noting that there are some dated designs looming in the peripheral vision of a title that's trying to look toward the future of Star Wars video game experiences.

The First Level - Stealing An Important Relic

Stealth And Hacking Are The Stars Of The Show

The first mission I played sees Kay Vess tasked with stealing a relic for one of the many crime syndicates she'll be associating with over the course of Star Wars Outlaws. Her first task was finding a way in after being turned away at the front door, and it was also the first somewhat comical instance of what felt like a cheesy but likable tone - she just needs to stroll a few feet to the right of the entrance and there's a side path that leads into the building. It's not exactly an instance of immersive world design, but there's something to be said for not wasting the player's time on a trivial element of the slow crescendo to a more interesting narrative peak.

Once inside, Vess has many tools at her disposal to get the job done. She can traverse vents herself, and if they're closed, she can get Nix to open them for her. She has a data spike to hack doors, which starts a rhythm sub-game where I needed to match the blips of the door's system with a right trigger pull. Vess can also hide behind cover and stealth her way through heavily guarded areas. Nix can help, either directly assaulting an enemy or merely distracting them to sneak by.

Naturally, having just picked the game up, I bungled the stealth mission about halfway through and things quickly escalated into a blaster fight not too different from a spaghetti western's bar brawl. Vess has access to three different blaster settings - the standard plasma laser, which does a decent enough job dealing with goons; the ion setting, which helps disable enemy shields or decimate droids; and the stun, which is a one-hit KO for most normal enemies that requires a lengthy recharge.

The variety in blaster kept the level interesting even as it disintegrated into a "blast first, ask questions later" scenario, and once the dust settled, I sheepishly had Vess access a computer console I could have easily made it to without alerting a soul and then opening up the forcefield preventing access to the targeted relic. After acquiring the relic, Vess needs to navigate her way out and then play it cool, strolling through town before presenting it to the Ashiga Clan, attempting to win favor.

Star Wars Outlaws understands the assignment.

It's a simple enough mission with a premise that's fun and introduces a lot of the core mechanics that feel like they'll keep Star Wars Outlaws interesting. The actual level design was probably my favorite in the hands-on, with the dingy, seedy environment that housed the stolen relic contrasted by the bright snowy town that Vess needs to navigate through before and after the heist. I think this mission is enough reason to believe Star Wars Outlaws understands the assignment, and that it will deliver scoundrel-first thinking in its level designs.

The Second Level - Escape A Derelict Ship

Indiana Jones-Style Ruin Dodging

The second level sees Kay Vess exploring a planet's surface before locating a derelict ship she needs to explore. Here, it's Star Wars Outlaws' adventure and platforming gameplay that takes the lead. Vess needs to navigate through foliage on the surface and several jump puzzles in the ship before arriving at a generator she needs to turn on. It's an interesting blend of Tomb Raider-ish simplistic platforming and Assassin's Creed parkour; neither of those games are direct comparisons, but should help provide a sense of what's going on in Outlaws with its many, many systems and gameplay mechanics.

After a run-in with a bounty hunter looking to take Vess quietly, a careless press of a few buttons cause the ship to become active - and promptly begin to fall apart. What follows is an exhilarating escape from a mess of wires, sparks, and crumbling metal. It's reminiscent of an Indiana Jones temple escape, and it's probably the most the game feels like a scoundrel story in the demo - that combination of exploration, athleticism, and consequences that makes Vess a compelling lead and Nix the cute foil.

I'd say this was the weakest level of the three I played, but not without its bright spots.

During the exploration elements, climbing, running, and jumping felt fairly intuitive, though a little clunky. It felt like Vess doesn't quite move exactly the way I wanted her to, though it's by no means a janky feature; it's just a strange mid-tempo, such that it needs a bit of an adjustment period before really understanding what button presses will take Vess in certain directions, and how far.

I'd say this was the weakest level of the three I played, but not without its bright spots, namely some fun electricity puzzles involving the ion blaster and the involvement of Nix as the galaxy's best wingman.

The Third Level - Get To The Ship (And Pilot It To Escape)

A Blaster Duel Turns Into Space Dogfighting

Finally, the third mission I saw involved Kay Vess infiltrating a base and then piloting her ship to escape. The former part of the mission involved a bit more of the stealth gameplay I saw earlier, with Vess able to hide behind different elements of the environment while gradually eliminating one hapless guard after another. There's definitely a good flow and sense of progression to the way Vess moves through these hallways and rooms, with each presenting a slightly different arrangement or challenge.

On the way back to the ship following the infiltration, I had no choice but to engage in another Star Wars Outlaws pistol fight after being caught. Here, Vess could use cover, switch between blaster settings for maximum effect, and use Nix as a repeated offensive weapon while holding down the fort until her ship was ready for takeoff. I made it aboard and as Vess settled into the captain's seat I was ready to see the screen fade to black for the third and final time, I was suddenly surprised by a whole other section of space dogfighting.

The first takeaway from Star Wars Outlaws ship combat is that it feels so good. There is a tangible sense of weightlessness and floating that's counteracted by the more meaningful directions input into the controller. I would've been disappointed if the ship handled perfectly, and this is the right call, with a responsive but difficult to manage vessel that feels rewarding to pilot correctly.

I was sold on the way the game approaches the feeling of space in Star Wars.

Combat is a little simple, but that's okay - it's still fun and there's a decent amount of satisfaction to successfully predicting an enemy's route to precisely aim at when they've briefly stopped to turn or reposition. The ship had access to a standard gun, a mounted turret, and homing missiles, as well as a booster to help get out of tight spots.

Following that fight, which only involved a few enemies before securing a satellite beacon that wiped Vess' wanted status in that particular area, it was time to push through some debris and arrive on a new planet, thus ending my hour-long sojourn into the world of Star Wars Outlaws with a bang. The planetscape that came into view through the debris field was rendered absolutely gorgeously, and I was sold on the way the game approaches the feeling of space in Star Wars.

Star Wars Outlaws Seems Every Bit The Rogue Fantasy It Promises

Our Final Thoughts On A Well-Paced Introduction

I walked into Star Wars Outlaws with the hopes it would simply be as good as Jedi: Survivor. I walked out with the hopes it will be good enough to spawn its own series of rogueish, charming games starring Kay Vess. There's just something about the way Star Wars tells the story of a well-meaning scoundrel that makes it feel like the perfect home for that narrative, and Massive & Ubisoft have a great sense of how to deliver that experience with style.

My one hang-up, though, is in the longevity of the many Star Wars Outlaws game mechanics. Shooting is fun but not particularly deep beyond the ammo switches and cover; fighting in space was too brief to ascertain how much depth is there; and the stealth mechanics certainly aren't enough to warrant a label as a game that involves a heavy amount of sneaking.

This is all based on the small, hour-long appointment I attended, however. If more levels deliver similarly well-crafted environments that continue to build upon what I view as a wonderful but simplistic foundation, then it will be a wonderful Star Wars video game that opens the door for even more ambitious adaptations to follow.