Star Wars Outlaws

Star Wars Outlaws is among the titles that arrived on Nintendo Switch 2 later than on other platforms, serving as proof that the console can handle even the sprawling open worlds of the current generation. You play as Kay Vess, a small-time thief from the galaxy's fringes trying to clear a debt to criminal syndicates while carving out her own place in the universe between the events of the fifth and sixth films. She's accompanied by her animal companion Nix, who isn't just for show: you send him to distract guards, steal items, or press distant switches, making him a full-fledged part of every plan.

The gameplay blends several genres. On planets you sneak through bases, bypass locks via simple minigames, and fight with a blaster; in cities you negotiate with factions and play the card game sabacc; and between worlds you fly your own ship, engaging in space combat. The key system is reputation with individual syndicates: helping one group automatically damages your standing with another, which changes prices, access to areas, and how characters on the street react to you. The game constantly forces you to choose whom it's worth being useful to, and no choice comes without consequences.

On Switch 2, the title benefits from modern image upscaling techniques, which help maintain detailed environments even in handheld mode. The visual style deliberately embraces the aesthetic of the original film trilogy — worn-out jumpsuits, analog instruments, and grimy hangars — and the orchestral score sticks to the series' familiar sound. Reception at original launch was more mixed; a frequent complaint targeted the stealth sections, which were initially too strict, and developers later adjusted them. Today Outlaws is interesting mainly because it finally offers Star Wars from the perspective of an insignificant smuggler on the galaxy's edge — a perspective fans had been asking for for decades, instead of yet another story about chosen knights. On Switch 2 it's also one of the technically most ambitious games you'll find here at all.