Is Star Wars Outlaws the next evolution of the Uncharted series?

We recently had a hands-off preview of Star Wars Outlaws, and the first vibe I got from it was “Uncharted”. It’s been a few years since fans of the action-adventure franchise have seen a new game, other than remakes and collections. The last game was Uncharted: The Lost Legacy back in 2017, which was an expansion to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. While spending about a half hour watching a few different portions of the upcoming Star Wars game, the more I saw, the more it felt like this was the future of “Uncharted”, and that’s a good thing.

Sure, I’d love to see a return to the classic franchise as much as anyone, perhaps with some of the familiar names that made it famous. That doesn’t mean that gameplay style has to go away, though. At first, I thought Star Wars Outlaws was more of an Assassin’s Creed-style game, with sneaky, stealthy gameplay. However, the more I think about it, the creativity and character work feel more like Uncharted.

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Star Wars Outlaws takes the Uncharted formula to the next level

It definitely feels like the exploration and problem-solving are similar, but improved (Image via Ubisoft)

Ahead of Ubisoft Forward, we previewed Star Wars Outlaws, seeing three separate scenarios for the upcoming game. Each showed a different aspect of the upcoming open-world game in the Star Wars universe. In fact, it’s the first-ever open-world Star Wars game. Set between the events of Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back and Episode 6 - Return of the Jedi, players control the scoundrel Kay Vess.

Part of the reason I see this more as an Uncharted game is the characters themselves. They aren’t connected to a massive assortment of assassins who have but one singular goal. Instead, she is a scoundrel, a solo smuggler, someone who can take on any job. She’ll work alongside several criminal organizations, and her actions may have far-reaching consequences with other groups.

The Uncharted games always felt like you were playing a cool, slick thief, finding creative ways to get around enemies, and playing enemies against each other. In the stealth portion of Star Wars Outlaws that we saw, Kay Vess did just that. She could set traps, use her friend Nix to distract enemies and do a variety of very clever things to get out of trouble.

While combat is intense and important, it's not always the way in Star Wars Outlaws (Image via Ubisoft)

Whether using stealth kills, hacking, or simply setting up a noisy distraction, Kay Vess has all the tools to be a successful scoundrel, the likes of Star Wars’ Han Solo, or Uncharted’s Nathan Drake. She’s very much a wanted person, struggling to find freedom in one of the most chaotic times in the Star Wars universe’s history, and has to deal with some of the most deadly groups to do it.

The combat looked sharp and intense, with Kay Vess able to blow up objects around her with her blaster pistol, pick up other guns, and deal with the various criminals and Stormtroopers that came her way. Whether sneaking in and out of an imperial base, or outwitting a group of gangsters, it had the slick, cool feel of a Star Wars game, but also definitely reminded me of Uncharted.

From the movement to the way she deals with enemies, it felt like what the Naughty Dog series could be on the PlayStation 5 if another one ever came out. It’s a very exciting time to be a Star Wars fan, that’s for sure. For gamers that are on the fence, and not sure if the game is for them, it’s essentially an open-world Uncharted, set in a galaxy far, far away.

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Star Wars Outlaws releases on August 30, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. You can find more information about the game in our hands-off preview of the game.