By Daniel Leal

Copyright smashjump

The Star Wars franchise has experienced its share of ups and downs in recent years. The movie trilogy that started with The Force Awakens understandably gets criticism due to plot twists that don’t make sense. Yet, some of the streaming shows, such as The Mandalorian and Andor, are popular series that are keeping the flame of Star Wars alive. In terms of gaming, there have been some brilliant Star Wars games over the years, including Knights of the Old Republic for the original Xbox and Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader for the Nintendo GameCube.

Star Wars Outlaws originally released on PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and Windows on August 30, 2024. The game is a unique Star Wars story, similar to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, however, Outlaws is a true next-gen title, with cutting-edge graphics and movie-level production values. So how will such a modern title fare on the Switch 2?

Visuals and sound

To start off, it must be said that Star Wars Outlaws looks great for a Switch 2 title. The protagonist Kay’s hair and clothes move and fold as she moves. The graphics truly look next-gen and would obviously be impossible on Switch 1. It has the best graphics that I have seen on a Switch 2 game. Although I have only played a few Switch 2 titles. The game runs well with only slight frame rate dips when the action is at its most intense. The game seems to run around 30 frames per second.

In terms of sound design, Star Wars Outlaws uses a grand, sweeping soundtrack as you’d expect from a AAA Star Wars game. It doesn’t just use old music, from what I can tell, new music makes up the bulk of the soundtrack. Sound effects are also appropriate and impressive. Kay’s blaster sounds like how you’d imagine, and her footsteps change depending on the type of surface. I’ve been playing Star Wars Outlaws mainly in tabletop mode and haven’t noticed any glaring problems with graphics or frame rate. The rumble effect seems to vary in its intensity which adds to the immersion of the experience.

Gameplay and story

As a Switch 2 experience, Star Wars Outlaws represents the most “next-gen” game that I’ve played so far. The cutscenes are cinematic and have the production value of a Star Wars streaming TV series. Every objective holds the secrets of what happens next in the story, and this drives the player on. It makes it hard to put the game down. The story is emotive. I actually felt for Kay and Bram at multiple points in the story. Again, the high production values of the cutscenes make for an endearing and realistic world.

Ubisoft has done well in refining the different gameplay styles. The climbing and stealth are reminiscent of a good Assassin’s Creed game. I’m surprised that the third-person shooting works so well. It is satisfying when you make a hit and enemies react realistically. However, the controls aren’t as intuitive as they could be, and I found myself sometimes missing jumps and falling to my doom. Also, Kay isn’t as nimble as some other open-world game protagonists. She’s a bit clunky to control. However, this is a minor annoyance, and only a few deaths felt cheap. The majority don’t. Furthermore, the game starts off quite easy but gets a lot harder the further that you progress.

As you progress further into the game, new systems open up, including a system that tracks your reputation among the three crime syndicates of the star system. Some old faces from the series’ past appear, and doing a favor for one syndicate can anger the others, lowering your reputation with them. This system adds to the depth of this great third-person adventure.

Star Wars Outlaws mixes a variety of gameplay genres to create the action adventure that it is. Not only is their third third-person shooting, climbing, and stealth, but you also ride a speeder on land and a ship in space. The speeder sections feel open world, and the sense of speed is awesome, while the ship sections give a real sense that you are in control of a huge vehicle and have the horsepower to almost reach the speed of light. The game is set in a star system around a cluster of planets and moons. You won’t be able to travel the whole galaxy, but then who needs infinite space with a narrative-based game?

Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2 epitomizes what a modern video game should be. It is accessible, addictive, and visually stunning. Despite all the criticism that Ubisoft gets, it’s nailed making a licensed game through incorporating mechanics from some of their most critically acclaimed games and franchises. It has also made new mechanics while refining the old. New systems open up as you make progress, and each core type of gameplay is executed with flare and with high production values. The only real criticism I have is that Kay can, at times, be clunky to control.

I think I have to add is that the game and story are best enjoyed by someone who is a Star Wars fan. You’ll still have fun with the gameplay if you aren’t a fan, but maybe knock a point or two off the score if you hate Star Wars. Above all, I feel Star Wars Outlaws is a game that can make almost any type of gamer feel like they are playing as Kay in the Star Wars universe. The Switch 2 version of this game runs incredibly well, and while the frame rate isn’t as high as with its bigger brothers, it is still more than serviceable and allows Switch 2 fans to experience this great third-person Star Wars adventure.

Daniel Leal Contributor
Daniel’s an avid Zelda fan who also likes the odd game of Smash. When not playing or writing about games he’s usually reading or writing about human evolution, hoping to one day gain a doctorate on the origins of language. His interests in gaming are broad but he loves a good Metroidvania or action RPG.