The ambition of Ubisoft’s “Star Wars Outlaws” constantly battles with its own execution in a game that’s equal parts exhilarating and frustrating. It’s a title that feels like it has limitless potential, but also traps you in the same repetitive mechanics. It also suffers from an all-too-common problem with AAA games: it’s unacceptably broken at launch, with game-ending glitches and general performance issues. These will likely be fixed, but probably not soon enough for the fans who were excited enough to pre-order the game.

I spent the first 3-4 hours of this game infuriating myself with everything that was wrong with it, and that first impression could be really damaging in a gaming world full of instant hot takes on social media. I would advise anyone interested in Outlaws to give it some time. It never quite lives up to the lofty expectations that come with the term “open-world Star Wars game,” but there’s more to love once you get past the first few chapters. Once you do, Outlaws offers more authorship and more variety in settings.

“Outlaws” is a very different kind of “Star Wars” game than other recent AAA efforts (like “Fallen Order” or “Survivor”), in that it’s not focused on the Jedi. It’s more Han Solo than Luke Skywalker – think blasters and stealth mechanics instead of lightsabers and the power of the Force. Set in the increasingly messy timeline of this universe, “Outlaws” is set between “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” shifting the story away from Vader and the Rebels and into the various criminal syndicates that populate this universe. You play as Kay Vess, a novice thief whose only friend in the world is her alien ally Nix, who you’ll use to help you steal, fight, and distract enemies. For gamers familiar with the franchise, Nix is ​​to Kay what Clank is to Ratchet.

The game opens on a planet called Toshara, one of those gaming environments that feels enormous but remarkably empty at the same time, especially early on. You’ll drive your speedrunner across miles of empty land, past buildings with nothing to do, just to get from a conversation in one city to an objective in another. These opening hours are largely dictated by Toshara’s criminal syndicates and how they feel about Kay. You can complete contracts to earn a better reputation with one, but that might anger another. Completing quests will often present you with choices that directly affect how organizations like the Hutt Syndicate (as in Jabba) feel about you. Moving up for a syndicate makes the part of the planet they control easier to navigate; moving down does the opposite. Make one angry enough and its members will literally hunt you down.

The syndicate structure of Outlaws is ambitious but clumsy in execution. For one thing, it means that in order to complete missions in areas run by criminals who don’t like you, stealth becomes the goal, and the checkpoint mechanics are downright brutal. Even if you sneak around a syndicate stronghold for a few minutes, you’re instantly thrown back to the beginning if you’re spotted. Relentless stealth isn’t exactly what the Star Wars universe is known for, and it dominates far too much of this game’s opening hours.

Fortunately, the creators of “Outlaws” have more ideas. It doesn’t take long before you’re on your ship, the Pioneerspeeding across the universe to other planets. You won’t experience “Starfield” or “No Man’s Sky” levels of universal exploration, but there’s something undeniably cool about being able to shoot down a fleet of TIE fighters on their way to Tatooine. There are really only four planets in “Outlaws”—Tatooine, Toshara, Akiva, and Kijimi—and that initial sense of the title’s open world being limited changes when it’s opened up universeWhile the varying settings – the desert world of Tatooine compared to the lush greenery of Akiva, for example – there’s a nagging feeling that you’re doing much of the same thing on each planet, mostly raiding enemy bases to acquire coveted intel.

But the design elements become an engaging aspect of this game. Even the landing city in a place like Akiva feels alive, with stormtroopers walking through the alleys and residents living their own lives. It’s in moments like these that “Outlaws” truly feels like the open-world Lucasfilm experience it promises, where you can stumble upon something unexpected instead of being shuffled across a vast landscape from one quest point to the next.

The middle section of “Star Wars Outlaws” becomes a notable tug-of-war between what works about the game and the elements that hold it back. The aforementioned stealth mechanics can be frustrating, not only because of the lengthy checkpoints, but also because of the inconsistency of the enemy AI. You can walk past an enemy you don’t see, but another one sees you from the other side of the map. You bring a disturbed amount of time hiding behind inconsistent cover or attempting platforming maneuvers that are, politely, unrefined. The number of times I opened doors to enemies that seemed to be waiting for me, only to be checkpointed back several minutes was frustrating. The game is fun when it’s open and playful; less so when it’s annoyingly restrictive in its stealth mechanics. The game also has some seriously annoying controller mapping, such as having to press R3 to pick up the many items scattered throughout this universe that you use to upgrade your junk, or the fact that O is both drop down and crouch, leading to some confusion if you try either maneuver near a ledge.

On the other hand, combat becomes increasingly exciting as Kay gains more tools in her belt. Your blaster naturally upgrades with different functions, you gain grenades, and you can even pick up weapons in the environment. Switching between weapons can be fiddly, but there’s an inherent thrill to cutting through stormtroopers who stand in your way. And using Nix in combat adds a nice dynamic, since your buddy can distract or even attack enemies just as you do.

Like a young Jedi torn by his destiny, “Star Wars Outlaws” left me clearly conflicted between the light and dark sides. I’ll admit that I found the first few hours bland and annoying in a way that gave me “Gollum” flashbacks, but it’s a game that rewards patience. It starts to bury what it does wrong in what it does right. Maybe there’s hope for this outlaw after all.

The publisher provided a review copy of this title and it was reviewed on PS5. It will be available from August 30th.^and.