I've spent 4 hours in Star Wars Outlaws' open world and it feels like Red Dead Redemption in a galaxy far, far away

GamesOpen WorldStar Wars OutlawsI’ve spent 4 hours in Star Wars Outlaws' open world and it feels like Red Dead Redemption in a galaxy far, far awayWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesOpen WorldStar Wars OutlawsI’ve spent 4 hours in Star Wars Outlaws' open world and it feels like Red Dead Redemption in a galaxy far, far awayWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Ubisoft) There’s no better display of the magic in space westerns than those moments where Star Wars focuses on its underworld. Perhaps then I shouldn’t have been surprised when, after spending four hours wandering the open world ofStar Wars Outlaws, I found myself feeling like I’d returned to the Wild West deserts of the original Red Dead Redemption. In practical terms, Outlaws builds an open world that feels less like the collectathon checklist you’ve maybe come to expect fromUbisoft, and instead like an open-ended canvas for more interesting stories and missions to take place on. Like in Rockstar’s old west, there are things to discover out in the distant expanses, but youwon’t be climbing towersto uncover map markers with all sorts of boilerplate activities to complete. Syndicate wars (Image credit: Ubisoft) “The high level intention was never to force you to do something from a checklist.“Julian Gerighty, creative director “The high level intention was never to force you to do something from a checklist.” My demo opened with protagonist Kay Vess making a rough landingon Tosharaand escaping waves of marauding bandits in a big speeder bike chase. This serves as the introduction to the adrenaline meter, which charges up in combat and, when full, lets you briefly pause the action to mark enemies and instantly take them down with an impressive display of gunslinging – perhaps the game’s most obvious nod to Red Dead. This sort of double-dealing is exactly the sort of stuff a good story about a lovable outlaw is built around, and Star Wars Outlaws is filled with it. Eventually, the intel at Gorak’s base confirms that one of his lieutenants is plotting a betrayal - you can either go along with their scheme, or report the info back to Gorak himself. I chose the latter, which gave me enough influence with the Pykes in the game’s faction system to get free reign of their base. That’s just the introductory story mission, but it’s the loop you’ll see throughout Star Wars Outlaws. You’ll find a mission to be done, a number of ways to accomplish it, a few factions who’ll take note - positively or negatively - of your accomplishments, and a reward for seeing it through. Every mission - both from side quests and the main story - I played through neatly tied into both the faction system andthe story of Kay’s journeys through the underworldto make it feel like part of a bigger, more cohesive whole. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Ditching the checklist (Image credit: Ubisoft) “The high level intention was never to force you to do something from a checklist,” creative director Julian Gerighty tells me. “It was always ‘Go out there, try and track down this intel that you’ve heard about this one expert who can maybe help you with your speeder.’ On the way, you see a ship crash land, and then you go and check it out. And things happen one after the other and it feels completely natural, because it’s you deciding to do those things in the order that you want to do them. So it feels very natural, and it feels very ingrained within not only the world that we built, but also the fantasy of the outlaw.” Just like Gerighty says, Outlaws does a magnificent job of making sure its activities don’t feel like a checklist. Maybe that’ll change deep into the game, once you’ve found a ton of intel and have all kinds of potential missions dotted on your map, but the objectives I found were varied and rewarding enough that I kept wanting more. It helps that it all meaningfully ties back into some of your central rewards, too. Remember how I got free access to the Pyke base after warning Gorak of that betrayal? An hour later, I was sneaking through a Pyke outpost trying to steal an equipment upgrade, but I got caught and had to shoot my way out. Suddenly, my reputation with the syndicate was shot and I was no longer welcome in their territory, which would inevitably make future dealings with the Pykes even trickier. Open worlds of every scale (Image credit: Ubisoft) Turtling across the galaxy(Image credit: Ubisoft)The Trailblazer ship in Star Wars Outlaws drew inspiration from an unlikely place: turtles Turtling across the galaxy (Image credit: Ubisoft)The Trailblazer ship in Star Wars Outlaws drew inspiration from an unlikely place: turtles (Image credit: Ubisoft) The Trailblazer ship in Star Wars Outlaws drew inspiration from an unlikely place: turtles “Kijimi, the frozen wasteland - that’s a city, but it’s the city of thieves,” Gerighty explains. “It’s a large city, it’s incredibly detailed, [and it] feels completely different to play. Akiva: lush jungle with rivers [and] lakes. You’ll find an upgrade for your speeder that’ll allow you to drive on water. So that opens up the world in a completely different way as well. Every planet has a different size, a different approach, and a different gameplay kick to it.” These opportunities for exploration also extend to the space above each planet, which have their own optional objectives to complete. The space above Kijimi, for example, takes you through the tunnels of a stellar storm cloud, with winding paths and roving bandits to deal with as you search for valuables among derelict ships and space stations. The story has you visiting each of these planets in order to recruit various specialists to help you pull off a big heist at the end of the game, and past a certain point in the story, you’re free to complete these planets in any order you want. Each planet has a “self-contained story,” Gerighty says, but you can choose to “press pause” on that plotline and go pursue another planet’s story whenever you want. “The story will track that and you’ll still have your own story with the different syndicates running in the background as well.” Becoming an outlaw (Image credit: Ubisoft) “Every planet has a different size, a different approach, and a different gameplay kick to it.“Julian Gerighty, creative director “Every planet has a different size, a different approach, and a different gameplay kick to it.” “Red Dead Redemption is phenomenal, [because it treats] the world as a world - not as a checklist of activities that are repeated often. But I think that Ghost of Tsushima, what I loved about it was this purity of having a player fantasy and really leaning into it. This is the story, the world, the character, everything fits together with the gameplay guiding everything. That’s the fantasy of ‘you are a samurai ninja in Japan.’ That was one of the guiding lights for this.” Of course, the fantasy in this case is that you’re a galactic outlaw, and that’s how the open world design works here – you’re learning about opportunities for scores both big and small, and taking advantage of them when your moment comes along. It filters down into the moment-to-moment action, too, where your attempts at stealth might suddenly break into open combat, and you can make improvisational use of enemy weapons or your buddy Nix to even the odds. Recent updatesOur fullStar Wars Outlaws reviewis now live, so go see whether the promise of this preview build matched our final impression of the full release. Recent updatesOur fullStar Wars Outlaws reviewis now live, so go see whether the promise of this preview build matched our final impression of the full release. Recent updates Our fullStar Wars Outlaws reviewis now live, so go see whether the promise of this preview build matched our final impression of the full release. 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but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”