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Star Wars Outlaws puts Kay Vess and her companion Nix in the role of a scoundrel, not a Jedi. In GamesBeat’s July 2024 hands-on, Mike Minotti found the preview build more stealth-forward than shooter: he spent much of his time avoiding enemies, using Nix to create openings, and turning to a blaster when plans went wrong. The slice also offered speeder travel, space combat, faction choices and Sabacc—an ambitious range of activities that left him wondering whether each would have enough depth in the finished game.
What kind of game did the hands-on preview suggest?
Ubisoft describes Star Wars Outlaws as an open-world adventure set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, starring Kay Vess and Nix. The hands-on account is more specific about how the preview played: Minotti said he would call it a stealth game before a third-person shooter. That is his impression of a limited preview session, not a definitive classification of the finished release. Ubisoft’s official game page gives the premise and current product information.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Star Wars Outlaws - Limited Edition (Amazon Exclusive), PlayStation 5 | $35.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Star Wars Outlaws /PS5 | $21.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition (PS5) | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Star Wars Outlaws Limited Edition (Exclusive to Amazon.co.uk) (PS5) | $43.48 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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The Art of Star Wars Outlaws | $30.47 | Buy on Amazon |
Minotti reported playing almost five hours at a preview event. His central impression was that sneaking and deciding when to act mattered more than charging into a firefight. As he put it, “But from my impressions, I’d call Outlaws a stealth game way sooner than I’d call it a third-person shooter.”
How stealth, blaster combat and Nix work together
In the missions Minotti played, stealth meant watching enemy routes, timing movement and using distractions to make a path through guarded areas. Nix was more than a companion on screen: Minotti used the creature to distract enemies, retrieve items and manipulate switches. These interactions gave Kay ways to affect a situation before entering direct combat.
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#1 Best Overall
- Only at Amazon Limited Edition Content - The Rogue Infiltrator Character Pack includes cosmetics for Kay and Nix.
- Discover a galaxy of opportunity. Explore distinct locations with bustling cities and cantinas. Race across sprawling outdoor landscapes on your speeder. Each location brings new adventures, unique challenges, and enticing rewards if you’re willing to take the risk.
- Experience an original scoundrel story. Live the high-stakes lifestyle of an outlaw. Turn any situation to your advantage with Nix by your side: fight with your blaster, overcome enemies with stealth and gadgets, or find the right moments to distract enemies and gain the upper hand.
- Embark on high-stakes missions. Take on high-risk, high-reward missions from the galaxy’s crime syndicates. Steal valuable goods, infiltrate secret locations, and outwit enemies as one of the galaxy’s most wanted. Every choice you make influences your ever-changing reputation.
- Jump into the pilot seat. Pilot your ship, the Trailblazer, as you engage in thrilling dogfights with the Empire and other foes. Find the right opportunities to chase, evade, and attack to get the upper hand.
Stealth did not make the blaster irrelevant. Being spotted could lead to a firefight, and some escape sequences called for shooting. The preview therefore suggested a flexible loop—avoid confrontation when useful, fight when caught or when an encounter demands it—rather than a stealth-only game. Minotti found the stealth functional in his slice, while judging it less deep than a dedicated stealth game such as Hitman. That comparison reflects his experience with the preview build, not a full-game evaluation.
What else was in the preview?
Exploration on Toshara
Most of Minotti’s preview time took place on Toshara, which he described as a new location with open plains and a populated hub. The hub included shops, cantinas and story missions, giving the slice both open traversal and more concentrated places to meet characters or pursue activities.
Rank #2
- LIMITED EDITION CONTENT* The Rogue Infiltrator Character Pack includes cosmetics for Kay and Nix.
- Explore distinct locations with bustling cities and cantinas. Race across sprawling outdoor landscapes on your speeder. Each location brings new adventures, unique challenges, and enticing rewards if you’re willing to take the risk.
- Live the high-stakes lifestyle of an outlaw. Turn any situation to your advantage with Nix by your side: fight with your blaster, overcome enemies with stealth and gadgets, or find the right moments to distract enemies and gain the upper hand.
- Take on high-risk, high-reward missions from the galaxy’s crime syndicates. Steal valuable goods, infiltrate secret locations, and outwit enemies as one of the galaxy’s most wanted. Every choice you make influences your ever-changing reputation.
Speeder travel and spaceflight
Kay could ride a speeder bike across the planet. One mission moved from a moon into space, where the Trailblazer’s space combat became part of the action. Minotti did not find the ship combat especially deep in the preview, but felt that it made spaceflight a meaningful component of the experience rather than a disconnected feature.
Faction reputation and Sabacc
Choices could affect Kay’s standing with syndicates. According to Minotti, earning favor with one group could bring store discounts or other perks while risking worse relations with another. He described reputation as something that could change over time, rather than simply a meter to fill.
Rank #3
- PRE-ORDER BONUS* Pre-order to get the Kessel Runner Bonus Pack including a Trailblazer spaceship cosmetic and a speeder cosmetic.
- GOLD EDITION CONTENT* Play up to three days early with the Gold Edition, which includes the base game and the season pass.**
- Explore distinct locations with bustling cities and cantinas. Race across sprawling outdoor landscapes on your speeder. Each location brings new adventures, unique challenges, and enticing rewards if you’re willing to take the risk.
- Live the high-stakes lifestyle of an outlaw. Turn any situation to your advantage with Nix by your side: fight with your blaster, overcome enemies with stealth and gadgets, or find the right moments to distract enemies and gain the upper hand.
- Take on high-risk, high-reward missions from the galaxy’s crime syndicates. Steal valuable goods, infiltrate secret locations, and outwit enemies as one of the galaxy’s most wanted. Every choice you make influences your ever-changing reputation.
The slice also included Sabacc, a playable card game with opportunities to cheat using Nix, as well as race betting. These activities helped create the impression of a scoundrel’s life beyond the main missions, though the preview alone could not establish how much variety or lasting depth they would have across the full game.
Progression through experts
Rather than relying only on a conventional skill tree, the preview tied new abilities to meeting experts and completing their tasks. This is how progression worked in the build Minotti played; it should not be treated as a complete account of the final game’s systems.
Rank #4
- PRE-ORDER BONUS* Pre-order to get the Kessel Runner Bonus Pack including a Trailblazer spaceship cosmetic and a speeder cosmetic.
- LIMITED EDITION CONTENT* The Rogue Infiltrator Character Pack includes cosmetics for Kay and Nix.
- Explore distinct locations with bustling cities and cantinas. Race across sprawling outdoor landscapes on your speeder. Each location brings new adventures, unique challenges, and enticing rewards if you’re willing to take the risk.
- Live the high-stakes lifestyle of an outlaw. Turn any situation to your advantage with Nix by your side: fight with your blaster, overcome enemies with stealth and gadgets, or find the right moments to distract enemies and gain the upper hand.
- Take on high-risk, high-reward missions from the galaxy’s crime syndicates. Steal valuable goods, infiltrate secret locations, and outwit enemies as one of the galaxy’s most wanted. Every choice you make influences your ever-changing reputation.
The preview’s open question: breadth versus depth
The hands-on offered a broad mix of stealth, shooting, traversal, space combat, faction relationships and side activities. That variety was also Minotti’s main reservation: he wondered whether the finished game could make all those systems satisfying, or whether it risked being “jack of all trades, master of none.” His concern was about the preview’s range of mechanics and the depth he had seen in that limited slice—not a verdict on the final release.
Release platforms and current demo information
The original launch was August 30, 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC, according to Ubisoft’s FAQ. The Ubisoft Store listing names Ubisoft as publisher and Massive Entertainment as developer. Those launch platforms are not the full current list: Ubisoft’s official game page now lists PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2, and advertises a three-hour free gameplay demo. Availability can vary by region and may change, so check the live Ubisoft page for the platforms and demo offered where you are.
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Ubisoft’s page also describes Gold and Ultimate editions as including the Season Pass and cosmetics. The Ubisoft Store Deluxe Edition listing describes the game, Ultimate pack and a digital art book. Edition contents can differ by region and change over time; consult the relevant store listing before buying.
Who might be drawn to this version of Star Wars?
The preview’s appeal is its focus on a less powerful kind of hero: Kay relies on timing, improvisation, Nix and a blaster rather than Jedi abilities. Players interested in sneaking, open-world travel and a mix of side activities may find that premise compelling. Those looking for deep stealth systems or extensive space combat should treat Minotti’s early impressions as a reason to investigate those elements further, not as evidence that the finished game delivers them at a particular level.
Minotti’s first-hand account carries a relevant disclosure: “Disclaimer: Ubisoft covered my travel and lodging for the preview.”
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