It has been a year since the release of Star Wars: Outlaws and much to my surprise, we are seeing it again with the release of the Switch 2 port. When I initially saw the game and considered its transition to Nintendo’s portable successor, I was a bit skeptical. But what I found here is much more interesting than what I imagined. So today in a unique tech-focused review, we are taking a look at Star Wars: Outlaws, how it runs on the Switch 2, and if it is worth your time. Did Ubisoft deliver? Let’s find out.
Just as a heads up I won’t be covering the basic systems, plot, or anything like that here. Instead, please read our review here and check out what Alex thought of the overall experience. Here, we are going to be going over some more of the technical aspects of Outlaws.
Somehow, Outlaws Returned
I was genuinely intrigued when Ubisoft announced it was bringing Outlaws to the Switch 2. After all, I saw how it performed on PlayStation 5 and my PC; I didn’t think I needed to see it one more time. Because I ultimately found the PlayStation 5 version to be the best way for me to play. But now that other games have unlocked the true potential of Nintendo’s hardware, I am pleased to say that Star Wars: Outlaws is one impressive feat.
Starting fresh, I traversed through the opening storyline that I have witnessed multiple times over. This really set the groundwork in an unexpected way. A lot of the continuing technical elements would make themselves present here, echoing throughout the rest of the game. From the lighting to the fine details in Kay’s model, the first moments of Outlaws does a great job of giving you a bit of flavor ahead. Snippets of technical prowess that tells you that not everything is possible, but the attempts to deliver are there. It is a slow crescendo, climaxing at the one part I was really excited for: the open world.
Devil is in the Details
Linear elements such as the opening tutorial area are developed in a way that immerses the plate right away. Minimal chances to veer off onto the path less traveled. In these controlled environments, the details really pop with flavor. The lighting in the halls leading to the bar area of Kay’s shelter pulls you into the world, making it believable. But, the open world is where my interests really lie. Linear pathways tell a story but an open world is an improvisational showcase, allowing you to explore and put the game through it’s technical paces.
What I expected was a limited and fragmented open world that was more akin to titles of the past. Games of the olden days were hard capped with performance that limited the full capabilities of each release. While the concept of limited capabilities is also present on modern hardware like the Switch 2, the console does a great job resetting expectations. I personally went from expecting the game to look downgraded so far that it would be barely recognizable, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Upon starting, the first thing I noticed was the changes in Kay’s details along with the slight alteration to the quality of the environment. While she lacks any actual physical changes, it is the smaller elements that receive a slight downgrade without seeming overzealous. Her hair doesn’t look as fine but it is still detailed enough to not break immersion. Some of her select outfits lack the polish you would otherwise get on the higher-end consoles or PC. The staircasing of her silhouette can be seen every so often. Under heavy loads, the game can stutter a bit. These are all real issues that will pull some people right out of the moment but when we actually take context into account, this isn’t all that bad. If anything, I would say it manages to be impressive enough to make me excited for the future of the handheld. Cyberpunk 2077 solidified the Switch 2 as a true mobile competitor while games like Star Wars: Outlaws reinforced the idea.
Despite how distracting the lack of these details can become, I view it as a nod to the never ending battle between textualization and gameplay. Immersion be damned along with my need for the highest quality experience, I can say that I found this to be charming, dare I say nostalgic.
It feels like Ubisoft is pulling back the curtain. They are showing people like me exactly what must be done to deliver an experience of this level. Other details like lighting which utilizes an integrated ray-tracing engine, illuminates Kay’s surroundings in a way that doesn’t feel cheap. I still feel immersed in these hives of scum and villainy.
What I found the most interesting about the lighting is how it is toned down on reflective surfaces. It’s a necessary change that I am okay with. I’m not a big fan of accurately depicted strands of light blooming around me because it greatly bogs down my performance and most gamers won’t be able to see it for themselves. Sure, it’s a nice detail to have in the grand scheme, but I never felt tied to the technology. So I am glad that we are having a stronger focus here on gameplay elements rather than trying to make sure that every surface looks hyper realistic.
Draw!…Distance…
When it comes to draw distance and ground elements, you’ll see grass and plants slowly pop up once they are within a particular radius. I’m quite used to this growing up on games like Red Dead Redemption back on the Xbox 360, where these effects would be stifled by the lack of advanced technologies. Texture pop-in drew my eyes from the Kay to the artifact that would suddenly shape itself before my very eyes. But it is weird due to how inconsistent this occurs.
I’d expect it more in the open world where a small radius of plants and foliage would slowly become visually scant to a point where you could determine exactly when this event would occur. Yet this rarely happens in the open world. Is it due to me speeding past everything so fast that I don’t have a moment to truly clock the ground elements? Perhaps. Either way, it is downright impressive.
I feel the same way about particle effects. Blasts and smoke elements have been downscaled to match the rest of the performance profile of the game. Neon lights still shine through and blaster bolts still make the iconic glow as they fly across the screen. The essentials are all there to send the message that this game rests elegantly within the Star Wars universe. The identity of the game and world is retained. I can’t even comment on sound effects and vocals as they also seem to be as good as they were on other platforms. Ultimately, sound will be dependent on your audio setup.
Conclusion
Star Wars: Outlaws is a solid presentation through and through and while we scored the game rather high, I feel like many people won’t give it the credit it fully deserves. On a technical standpoint, while I wasn’t bothered by many of the issues I discussed, I still wonder what this game would look like if production started with the Switch 2 as the mainline console. It is clear that we have only cracked the surface of the technical capabilities of the system, but the promise of a bright future shines brighter than most screens these days. I’m incredibly excited for the future of his handheld.
