Star Wars Outlaws is a departure from the typical open-world game, with the absence of map towers, skill trees, and XP. Expert missions stand out as they offer tangible rewards rather than incremental stat increases.
Despite being a lifelong fan of Star Wars, the author approached the preview with skepticism, having grown weary of open-world RPG fatigue over the past two console generations. The concept of endless skill trees, XP, and map towers in the genre has left the author feeling exhausted.
The ubiquity of these features in games, particularly from Ubisoft, had dampened the author’s enthusiasm for the first open-world Star Wars game. However, in Star Wars Outlaws, there are no levels or XP to worry about, and Kay’s progression is dictated by optional missions given by “Experts”.
The Expert missions, akin to proper side quests, provide meaningful rewards and unlock new skills tied to specific characters. Notably, the author found the Expert missions to be more engaging and involved than expected, similar to the side quests seen in renowned games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Witcher 3.
One specific mission involving hacking, despite being just a small part of the overall questline, offered a more meaningful reward and provided a much-needed refresh for the open-world RPG genre. The author’s experience with the mission left a positive impression, leading them to consider Expert missions as one of the most exciting aspects of Star Wars Outlaws.
