Minigames have been a staple of open-world RPGs for decades now, with franchises like Final Fantasy featuring them in almost every entry since its debut in the 1980s. But with many open-world RPGs containing multiple minigames each, there's often quite a big gap in terms of quality. While an RPG can feature one really in-depth minigame that offers hours of fun in its own right, it can also feature a handful that are forgotten about the second they're completed. Star Wars Outlaws has plenty of both.
The first open-world Star Wars game to focus on the life of a scoundrel, Star Wars Outlaws has players exploring seedy cantinas and underworld backstreets, conversing with criminals, and accepting a wealth of dangerous under-the-table jobs. But a scoundrel's life isn't all work, and Star Wars Outlaws has plenty of minigames that simulate a smuggler's favorite pastimes.
S-Tier Star Wars Outlaws Minigames
The Best Minigame in Star Wars Outlaws
- Kessel Sabacc
A card game that comes close to rivaling greats like The Witcher 3's Gwent and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Queen's Blood, Star Wars Outlaws' Kessel Sabacc is exactly what fans wanted from a scoundrel-focused minigame. A more accessible and streamlined version of the poker-like game seen in Solo and various other pieces of Star Wars media, Kessel Sabacc is easy to learn but hard to master, with there being plenty of depth found in its Shift Token system. As a game of wits, bluffing, and the occasional bit of cheating, Kessel Sabacc is the perfect minigame for a title like Star Wars Outlaws.
A-Tier Star Wars Outlaws Minigames
Some Fun And Varied Star Wars Outlaws Minigames
- Lockpicking
- Slicing
Though their reception has been a little divisive, Star Wars Outlaws' two hacking minigames do offer a nice bit of challenging fun that doesn't overstay its welcome. Star Wars Outlaws' lockpicking minigame sees players try to match a beat, while its Slicing minigame is essentially a Sci-Fi version of Wordle, requiring players to place four symbols in the correct order. Though they can get in the way of Star Wars Outlaws' action a bit too often, these minigames are still some of the game's best.
B-Tier Star Wars Outlaws Minigames
Star Wars Outlaws Minigames That Aren't Always Worth The Player's Time
- Raven 6
- Rider
- Galactic Street Food Challenge
- Shell Game
Pooled together in the same tier, these four Star Wars Outlaws minigames offer some fun, but will quickly grow tiresome for most players. Raven 6 and Rider are Star Wars Outlaws' two in-universe arcade games, with the former being a fine first-person space shooter and the latter being an equally fine racing game. The main appeal of these two games is that they might be references to the 1983 Star Wars Atari arcade machine and Knights of the Old Republic's Swoop race minigame, respectively.
Star Wars Outlaws' Galactic Street Food Challenge sees Kay Vess and Nix enjoying some local cuisine. While the animations used in this minigame do a great job of showing how close Nix and Kay are, and the upgrade Nix is given from the food is usually pretty useful, the gameplay is extremely dull, requiring players to occasionally tap buttons or move the sticks in a rhythm that vaguely matches the on-screen animations of the two eating.
The classic carnival shell game appears in Star Wars Outlaws' cantinas. This minigame is fun enough, and its payout is generous, but once players have completed it, there's little reason to return.
C-Tier Star Wars Outlaws Minigames
Star Wars Outlaws Minigames That Should Only Be Played Once or Twice
- Fathier Betting
Probably the most disappointing minigame in Star Wars Outlaws, players can bet on Fathier racing at various spots around the galaxy. Gameplay consists of players choosing a Fathier to bet on, and that's it. Players simply watch the race unfold slowly before them on a hologram table, and either earn a decent payout or walk away empty-handed.
Star Wars Outlaws
-
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
