When Star Wars Outlaws was released last year, I didn’t hear much about the game. That’s usually not a great sign when a big video game developer releases the game, and then there isn’t much discussion online. The game either didn’t sell well or was not well-made. This didn’t stop me from buying a copy of the game for myself as I wanted to see if the game was good. Star Wars Outlaws is not a perfect game, but I’m enjoying it! I played for nine hours straight last weekend, which is not something I do often. I’m saving most of my thoughts on this game for the review I intend to write. For this post, I wanted to scour the internet and read critiques of Star Wars Outlaws. From there, I wanted to share whether I agree or disagree with them. This isn’t an all-encompassing list, but these critiques were said by multiple reviewers.

Too Much Stealth or The Stealth in Star Wars Outlaws Sucks

It’s funny, I hate being stealthy in video games. I would much rather go in guns blazing than hiding. Star Wars Outlaws is a stealth-heavy game, so you would think that I would hate this part of the game. I don’t mind the stealth in this game. For the most part, Kay can sneak her way through bases without getting caught. Have I gotten caught before? Sure, but then I either hide or Kay dies, and I figure out a better way to sneak around. It does make completing missions longer, but I don’t mind it as much as others who have played the game.

I can’t speak to the critique of whether the stealth in Star Wars Outlaws sucks. I don’t play many stealth video games, as I tend to avoid them. This critique can be broken down into two main points: Kay’s inability to fully hide behind cover and her lack of armor, which means that when she is caught, it will hurt. My thoughts on this are comparing Kay Vess to Han Solo. Would Han Solo be able to take on waves of Hutt enforcers or Stormtroopers? I’m sure he could, but eventually, he would be overwhelmed. The last thing I would add, I think, for those who want more of a Star Wars gun-blazing type of game, I’d recommend Star Wars Battlefront II. Iden Versio is equipped to run out in combat, and Kay Vess is not built for that type of gameplay.

Lockpicking is Tedious

I absolutely agree with this. The lockpicking mini-game in Star Wars Outlaws is one of my least favorite parts of the game. I’m saving most of this for my review because there is so much I want to say about this.

How can Kay Punch Stormtroopers’ helmets and not break her hand after?

This critique is hilarious to me. When Kay sneaks up behind enemies, or specifically Stormtroopers in this case, she punches them in the face and then drags their bodies behind cover. How can Kay not break her hand over and over again doing this? I would have liked to see more takedown options for Kay. Stealthy takedowns are crucial for Kay, but punching Stormtroopers in the helmet over and over again? That must get tiring.

It’s misleading to call Star Wars Outlaws an Open-World Game

I think this critique is valid. There is a point in the game where Kay has the chance to explore three planets in any order the player chooses. That’s not open world. Open world would give Kay access to the entire Outer Rim. I don’t want to reveal which planets Kay gets to explore, but I like the planets that were chosen for the game. I don’t mind that the game isn’t open-world. I mean, Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor weren’t open-world, and I didn’t mind them. I think fans are yearning for an open-world game, and when Star Wars Outlaws was described as that, and it isn’t, fans were left disappointed.

As I was reading reviews, some gamers described this game as trash or rotten. I think that’s harsh. Star Wars Outlaws isn’t perfect, but it’s fun. I wasn’t expecting to love this game as much as I have. There needs to be Nix merch soon because I would buy it in a heartbeat. Once I complete the game, I’m going to write my in-depth review where I will dive into everything I love and everything I didn’t about Star Wars Outlaws.