Summary
- Star Wars Outlaws' Metacritic score of 76 disappointed the game's creative director, Julian Gerighty, but he remains proud of the team's work.
- The game, set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, features Kay Vess and dynamic gameplay influenced by player choices.
- Despite backlash to various aspects of Star Wars Outlaws, the team is dedicated to improving the game with upcoming expansions and community engagement.
Star Wars Outlaws hit the gaming world on August 30 with high expectations, but its Metacritic score of 76 has left its creative director, Julian Gerighty, feeling somewhat disappointed. Even though Star Wars Outlaws was generally well-received, Gerighty admitted the score shows both what the game did well and where it could have been better.
Set in the Star Wars universe between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Outlaws offers players the chance to explore the galaxy as Kay Vess, a scoundrel seeking freedom. The game allows players to navigate both iconic and new Star Wars locations, participate in high-stakes missions, and engage in thrilling dogfights. The game features a dynamic reputation system, influenced by player choices and interactions with crime syndicates. Despite the excitement surrounding the game and its generally positive reception, the creative director addressed the unexpected review scores.
Star Wars Outlaws Review
Massive Entertainment’s Star Wars Outlaws open world scoundrel adventure shows a lot of promise, but it’s bogged down by a few too many issues.
In an interview with GamesRadar+, Julian Gerighty admitted he is "a little disappointed" with the 76 Metacritic score. However, he is still proud of what the team has accomplished. He highlighted how many players have formed a deep connection with the world of Star Wars Outlaws. Gerighty also shared how much it means to him to see players capturing and sharing "incredible images," which, in his view, shows how the game uniquely immerses fans in the Star Wars universe like never before.
Star Wars Outlaws Development Team Committed to Continual Improvement of the Game
Gerighty also hinted at exciting things ahead for Star Wars Outlaws, emphasizing that the team is committed to keeping the game fresh and improving it over time. This can be seen in the already announced Star Wars Outlaws post-launch content. The first big expansion, called Wild Card, is coming in Fall 2024 and will have Kay Vess sneaking into a high-stakes Sabacc tournament, where she'll run into the legendary Lando Calrissian. Then, in Spring 2025, there's A Pirate's Fortune, where Kay will team up with a pirate to settle some old scores.
Despite the exciting content and ambitious design of Star Wars Outlaws, the game hasn’t escaped controversy. Some gamers have criticized the design of Kay Vess because she doesn’t fit the typical feminine look often seen in video games. Gerighty responded to the Star Wars Outlaws’ Kay Vess backlash by defending the creative decisions, emphasizing that Kay is a well-crafted character and engaging with hate speech is not worthwhile.
Despite some player criticism and unexpected review scores, the Star Wars Outlaws team is committed to making the game better and keeping it engaging. Whether the team can fulfill its promises remains to be seen.
Star Wars Outlaws
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 68%
- Released
- August 30, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence, Simulated Gambling, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Massive Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft, Lucasfilm Games
- Engine
- Snowdrop
- Franchise
- Star Wars
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure
