Everything Gone Wrong? Eurogamer Journalist Plays Star Wars Outlaws and Shares Concerns

Last year's presentation of Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws was one of the most anticipated events, promising to deliver a true Han Solo-like experience in the Star Wars universe. The game seemed poised to transport players into a world of galactic adventures. However, a recent playtest by a Eurogamer journalist has cast doubt on these high expectations.

After spending an hour with Star Wars Outlaws before the Ubisoft Forward showcase, the journalist's initial optimism has turned to disappointment. The demo left an impression of being outdated both in terms of mechanics and execution. The journalist even likened the gameplay to that of Uncharted: Golden Abyss, a game released back in 2011 on the PS Vita.

Outdated Mechanics and Execution

The demo's first mission involved a routine and poorly designed platformer with elements of environmental exploration. This lack of innovation continued into the second mission, where players took on the role of a stealthy thief sneaking past vigilant guards. However, the stealth mechanics appeared to be severely lacking. Guards failed to notice bodies of their comrades nearby, and triggering alarms led to minimal consequences. A few guards would rush at the player, easily taken down with a couple of blaster shots.

The third mission shifted to a space battle, escaping from an Imperial Star Destroyer. Here, the combat relied heavily on an auto-targeting system, reducing the challenge to simply holding the left trigger to lock onto targets and pressing the right trigger to fire. After a few rounds of this repetitive combat, the player would direct their ship to a waypoint and hold the boost button until prompted to land on a planet, triggering a brief landing cutscene.

Key Issues Highlighted

The journalist identified several critical issues:

Outdated Mechanics: The gameplay felt basic and primitive, offering nothing new or engaging.
Template Design: The levels were unmemorable, and the tasks were monotonous and boring.

A Glimmer of Hope

Despite these shortcomings, there's still hope for the full version of the game. The demo, while not short, inevitably had limited context and scope. Ubisoft Massive, known for their experience in creating open-world games, might address the issues identified in the demo. There is potential for the final product to exceed these early impressions and deliver a more polished and engaging experience.

In conclusion, while the initial playtest of Star Wars Outlaws has raised concerns about outdated mechanics and uninspired design, there remains a possibility that the final version will overcome these hurdles. Fans of the Star Wars franchise and open-world games will be watching closely to see if Ubisoft can turn things around and deliver the epic space adventure that was promised.

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