When stealth was introduced into the gaming world, it was often the primary form of gameplay, with the game’s narrative, enemy placement, and environmental design all revolving around the core concept of stealth. But in the last decade or so, stealth has gradually become a more prominent part of the gaming landscape, with certain mechanics becoming a staple of modern big-budget games regardless of their genre. This is particularly prominent inUbisoft’s open-world games, withStar Wars Outlawsbeing the latest example.
An open-world action-RPG,Star Wars Outlawsis home to a myriad of different gameplay styles. Players can get into traditional third-person cover-based shootouts, race around on the back of a speeder bike, engage in dogfights in space, and partake in a handful of minigames that each offer their own sprinkling of unique gameplay. But all that said, stealth still plays a prominent role inStar Wars Outlaws' gameplay, and while not every player will enjoy it equally, it does have one upside.
Star Wars Outlaws' Stealth Forces Fans To Appreciate Their Surroundings
Star Wars Outlaws' Stealth Sequences Slow The Game’s Pace Right Down
Stealth has been one of the mostdivisive talking points surroundingStar Wars Outlawssince its release last week. As mentioned up top,Star Wars Outlawshas plenty of different forms of action gameplay, from space dogfights to shootouts to speeder chases, but these moments are often nestled between some extensive stealth sequences, many of which are mandatory.
Star Wars Outlaws' stealth sequencesaren’t the most engaging or complex in gaming history. Players will often be required to sneak past a small army of enemy soldiers, hiding behind pieces of cover, sneaking through vents, and using their adorable alien companion Nix to distract guards or open alternate routes through the stage. The player is initially quite limited in how they can avoid an instant mission failure upon being caught, though, after a few upgrades, it can feel a little more exciting.
But even with some late-game upgrades,Star Wars Outlaws' stealth still grinds the game’s pacing down to an often-abrupt halt. These sequences are lengthy as well, often taking around 10–20 minutes to complete if the whole mission revolves around stealth, with players needing to tread carefully, constantly check their corners, and wait for an opportune moment to progress. To many players, the slower pace ofStar Wars Outlaws' mandatory stealth sequences will quickly feel grating, but it does allow fans a moment to take in theauthenticStar Warsenvironmentthat developer Massive has created.
A Slower Pace Gives Players Time to Notice Star Wars Outlaws' Environmental Details
Developer Massive Entertainment has clearly put a great deal of time and effort into creatingthe most authenticStar Warslocationsit could. And while forcing the player to sneak through many of these locations doesn’t necessarily lead to the most engaging gameplay experience, it does give them time to soak in the atmosphere of each one.
From authentic light panels on Imperial space station walls, to the appearance of a MSE droid on a polished floor, to blaster marks on the wall of a crime syndicate’s conference room,Star Wars Outlawsis home to some impressive environmental detailing, a lot of which some players wouldn’t pay much attention to if they were allowed to just sprint straight through it all.
