Support NeoGAF

[RPCGamer]

It just looks like every game by ubi but with a star wars aesthetic. Same as Avatar.

 

[Diseased Yak]

No, I used Ubisoft+ to play it and I just lost interest very quickly. I'm typically one who enjoys Ubisoft games, but this one didn't do much for me.

This sums up my experience with it as well. I also didn't like the stealth at all. I see what they were going for but man did they fail in the execution.

I will prob pick it up during a Steam Sale at some point in the future, if they fix some of the more glaring issues. I did like the idea of working for the cartels, raising and lowering reputation.

 

[Kacho]

It was a combination of things.

It’s another tired force is female Star Wars product

The open world is mostly window dressing

No real player agency

 

[U n i o n 0015]

It's not woke, it's uninspired.

The trailer for that cancelled SW game, 1333 or something? That had more personality than Outlaws.

 

[Bloobs]

 

[M.W.]

I played and liked it at launch.

 

[Radical_3d]

I disagree to that.

And it shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what woke is to be honest.

Is using "cancel" and triggers in dustborn which is entirely gameplay also aesthetical?

I don’t know what a dustborn is. Much less how it’s mechanics work. I only see it in the thread titles here. But the case here is aesthetic vs design wise.

 

[StereoVsn]

No because it was mediocre and Ubisoft games go on sale within months for 50% off

Yep, mediocre game seemingly worse than your average Farcry / AC that will be in a lot better state in 6 months to a year for 1/3 the price.

 

[Kokoloko85]

People loved the announcement. It looked like usual Ubisoft to me, didnt get the hype

Then the Face changed, after that Forums and social media went for the throat. Its hated more because its woke, despite the people who do the mental gymnastics that its not because of woke.

Its up for video game studios if they want to keep going this route

 

[Pejo]

Ugly "it's just a dude but female" main character, awful gameplay, Ubislop systems, modern Star Wars IP.

There was just nothing about it that made me give it the benefit of the doubt to try it. If Star Wars was still a strong IP or the character was cute, I'd have maybe tried it for ~$30.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Honestly I passed on it because it's Star Wars, The IP died for me after episode 8 The Last Jedi.
Mandalorian got me back for 1 season. But I'm done.

 

[MiguelItUp]

Wild that people would automatically knee jerk to woke, lmao.

I've never been a fan of Ubisoft, so that alone made me resistant, even though I've always loved Star Wars.

I figured I'd play it at some point, but most certainly not rushing to do so.

 

[Kacho]

Wild that people would automatically knee jerk to woke, lmao.

I've never been a fan of Ubisoft, so that alone made me resistant, even though I've always loved Star Wars.

I figured I'd play it at some point, but most certainly not rushing to do so.

You didn’t want to drop $120 on an Ubisoft game?

Fucking gamers!

 

[StueyDuck]

I don’t know what a dustborn is. Much less how it’s mechanics work. I only see it in the thread titles here. But the case here is aesthetic vs design wise.

But it still doesn't invalidate the idea that wokeness and bad game design arent two mutually exclusive things.

The game is shit and it just so happens to Have modern uglification of a woman. They both will play a role in whether a game is appealing or not.

A great game can overlook some sad developer inserts but a bad game can't be saved by wokeness.

But trying to pretend that the two issues can't play a role is just a way of gaslighting people into believing wrong thought.

Everything in the game looked shit to me, both the main character, story and the gameplay. But I'm not gonna pretend one doesn't exist.

 

[Topher]

This sums up my experience with it as well. I also didn't like the stealth at all. I see what they were going for but man did they fail in the execution.

I will prob pick it up during a Steam Sale at some point in the future, if they fix some of the more glaring issues. I did like the idea of working for the cartels, raising and lowering reputation.

I'd like the cartel reputation system to not be so inconsequential. I can screw over a cartel and then do a couple of courier jobs for them to get back into their good graces. Pretty easy to max out cartel reputation across the board. I like the idea in theory, but it falls short in implementation, imo.

 

[Valt7786]

It's just not that good a game. Far too basic game design with terrible stealth mechanics. It's called Outlaws and yet you can't do anything remotely Outlaw-like in the open world.
I don't mind an ugly main character if the game calls for it, but when they've been intentionally uglified thats when it becomes a problem. Don't hire a gorgeous actress to model for the character, then give her a busted nose and a shit haircut and weird dead eyes. The reasoning is obvious, just stop it.
Just so many weird design choices, like not being able to carry any weapons other than your shit looking potato gun blaster. And if you do pick one up, you can't even climb a ledge while holding it? Fuck off.
Kay Vess herself as a character is just too..."nice"? To be an outlaw/thief type of character in this universe. Terribly written and unlikable.
Girlboss's and lesbians everywhere. I've not finished it, but played a fair amount and every romantic couple that was mentioned was a lesbian couple and EVERY "Typically manly" role was played by a female character. Speeder mechanic? Woman. Heavy Weapons Specialist? Woman. Local Sheriff in shitty tatooine town? Woman. Stormtrooper? Woman. Officer in charge of a Death Trooper squad? Woman.

 

[tommib]

I never bought a Ubisoft game and don’t give a shit about Star Wars.

 

[Fbh]

They could have made it a proper Han Solo game with Harrison Ford giving his voice and likeness and I'd still have waited for a deep sale.
Ubicrap is Ubicrap regardless of the main character.

 

[Ribi]

It just screamed generic and I really had no fucking clue what the game was even going for. Reviews barely even mentioned how the open world looked they just showed driving and said the open world was big yet mostly showed combat in interiors. Like all you gotta do is make an open world solar system in Star wars

 

[Sanepar]

I pass at launch because it is a ubisoft game, it needs 6 months to fix bugs and I can buy with 50% off in 1 year.

 

[Radical_3d]

But it still doesn't invalidate the idea that wokeness and bad game design arent two mutually exclusive things.

The game is shit and it just so happens to Have modern uglification of a woman. They both will play a role in whether a game is appealing or not.

A great game can overlook some sad developer inserts but a bad game can't be saved by wokeness.

But trying to pretend that the two issues can't play a role is just a way of gaslighting people into believing wrong thought.

Everything in the game looked shit to me, both the main character, story and the gameplay. But I'm not gonna pretend one doesn't exist.

And I’m not asking that. I’m asking what has more weight.

 

[MiguelItUp]

You didn’t want to drop $120 on an Ubisoft game?

Fucking gamers!

Yeah, no shit. Lmao.

I was planning on doing the Ubisoft+ thing just to play it and then canceling as soon as I was done, much like I did with Lost Crown. But the reception and what I saw of the game looked incredibly average if not undercooked, so I just didn't bother.

 

[Luipadre]

Im just waiting for them to patch it up, go on sale and to get my Pro to play it

 

[Skifi28]

I passed because it was weak and with technical issues.

 

[rm082e]

I don't like Star Wars as an IP and never have. However, I was convinced to play KOTOR back in the day and enjoyed it because it was so good. If this game had been of that quality, I might have been convinced. But I was certainly prejudiced against it just because Star Wars.

I have enjoyed some of the Far Cry (3, 4, 5, and 6) and AC games (Origin and Odyssey), but I am generally very cautious on Ubisoft games due to the well earned "Ubicrap" reputation.

For me, "wokeness" in any media is something that pushes me away, but it's not an ideological stance. I'm center-left politically and center-libertarian socially. I'm all for the rainbow crew doing their thing and have no problem with their representation in media. I don't agree with the idea that a piece of media is woke just because it's got a gay or trans character. I think of "wokeness" as starting with the agenda of representation first, then filling in the rest of the creative process around that agenda, rather than starting with great writing, acting, art, etc. and incorporating diverse characters. The result is usually drab stories with drab dialogue, paper thin character motivations and it feels like someone is trying to manipulate me into agreeing with their viewpoint. It feels gross, and ultimately the game/TV/movie is just boring. I've seen enough of it now that pattern recognition has been established and wokeness has a very strong correlation with low quality. It's like a "tip of the iceberg" situation. I avoid wokeness because I know I'm usually going to feel like I've wasted my time with that media.

 

[ComputerBlue]

I’m going to get this game eventually when it’s cheaper and in working order, more complete etc. I don’t know if it’s woke other than the main protagonist being fuck ugly, but I don’t really care too much about that as long as I’m not being lectured while I play.

 

[Tajaz2426]

Never had any of my Marines in the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, Argentina, or anywhere else for that matter spend 70 dollars and ask for an ugly prostitute.

I spend money to look at nice things and be things I could never be and do. Not be a someone I can be by eating at McDonald’s for a month straight.

 

[xanaum]

For me, it's a mix of two things: I'm fed up with the Star Wars franchise, it's been so ruined by movies, shows, and other games that it killed my interest. And on the other side, there's Ubisoft, which is in a similar spot — everything they've done in recent years feels rotten and disposable.

 

[Holammer]

I passed on it because it was Ubisoft.
I violently reject additional store installs and accounts.

 

[poodaddy]

I passed on it because it looks like the same generic Ubisoft copy and paste bullshit I've played ten times already, and 7 of those times I wish I could take back. Ya played one Ubi shit, you've played all Ubi shit.

 

[keefged4]

Ubislop*

 

[Shake Your Rump]

None of the above. I just have to many other games to play. I actually wanted to play it.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

I passed cause I wanted a rare mighty incel victory!!!

Spoiler

in reality the gameplay sounded kinda lame and frustrating. Don't need that in my life. And I was looking forward to 3rd person star wars with space combat

 

[Doggyred]

Seems like if you don't mindlessly consume any slop the mainstream media throws at you that you somehow become part of the right wing.
I swear, if JFK or FDR were running for president today they would also be considered right wing.

 

[StueyDuck]

And I’m not asking that. I’m asking what has more weight.

Both have weight, there is no quantifiable number here.

Let's be honest you have two outcomes in your head and it's either

A) woke bad - gaf is loonies you all crazy

Or

B) gameplay bad - see you bad people on gaf, woke doesn't exist.

The fact is that both played a role and we shouldn't be trying to weight one side vs the other, if Fred feels it's too woke then that's good for him, if Steve feels it's shit then that's good for him too.

There's no reason to divide people on here into groups for what was arguably a shit game that was also woke (I don't even think the game is woke, I just don't like the way people on gaf are trying to erase it as a criticism)

V exhibit A

 

[DrDryRub]

If you pass on a game because you're scared of "strong female leads" "woke" "the characters aren't pretty enough" or not "manly enough" for you then you're the problem and not the game/story. There's nothing wrong with calling out a game or anything really if it's just bad but the "woke" cry baby BS from gamers is ridiculous. Steller blade was hella fun and if the characters were all pixelated smurfs it would still have been hella fun. The T&A did nothing to make that a good game. Also, most games have a "wokeness" to them, it just comes down to how you quantify what "wokeness" is to you

 

[SJRB]

Only braindead low-t pansies use this as a get-out-of-jail free card to "rationalize" the abysmal sales numbers so they can ignore the game's actual obvious and massive flaws.

You know, the game's performance, gameplay, bugs, graphical state, mission design, poor mechanics. Or the overall pathetic state Star Wars is in, a franchise so fucking ran through the wringer it hasn't had an actual win in any form of media in more than a decade.

People are sick of Star Wars, people are sick of buggy shitty games sold for 70+ euros. You combine the two and wow look at that, you get a game that nobody wants and doesn't sell for shit. Who could've seen this coming?

But yeah, blame it on the chuds so you can blame someone else instead of having to take some responsibility for this catastrophic failure yourself.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Wild that people would automatically knee jerk to woke, lmao.

I've never been a fan of Ubisoft, so that alone made me resistant, even though I've always loved Star Wars.

I figured I'd play it at some point, but most certainly not rushing to do so.

Disney/Kathleen Kennedy spent the last decade cramming Star Wars with insufferable girl bosses and Mary Sues while emasculating and trashing Luke + Han. The most recent Star Wars entertainment product when Outlaws released was The Acolyte.

So yeah I don’t think it’s all that wild that some gamers were immediately suspicious when they saw some uglied-up 100 lb Strong Woman punching stormtroopers unconscious through their helmets.

That said, I still think most gamers would’ve quickly gotten over that if the game were excellent. But it proved to be the exact kind of tiresome Ubisoft open world slop that everyone is getting tired of.

 

[RoboFu]

Let's all be clear though .. the woke part isn't just the ugly female main character. It's everything.. to put it simply ... of course she's gay, all " good " men are feminine, cowardly, and weak, all the " bad " men are masculine, strong , and of course white, most of the main characters are girl bosses who are all the smartest, and/or strongest of all.

Even then it's not a big deal but add to the trash game loop and it's more trash than there needs to be.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Where’s the “It’s not $10” option?

 

[Radical_3d]

Let's be honest you have two outcomes in your head and it's either

A) woke bad - gaf is loonies you all crazy

Or

B) gameplay bad - see you bad people on gaf, woke doesn't exist.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t put thoughts in my mind. I mean I think you’re all loonies, but that was way before the culture wars. When you started defending the 360. I may be more moderate that the average fellow gaffer but I won’t judge them for passing on a game with a insufferable message that you have to swallow for solid 40 hours. The outcomes in my head where more like:

A) woke bad. Cultural aspects have more importance than game design, what a time to be alive.

B) gameplay bad. See, Yves? All you had to do is release the leash from your designers and let them actually make a good game. But you were too afraid of change and you should have been more afraid of not changing.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Run it back give me Outlaws 2!!

 

[nowhat]

The Star Wars brand no longer has the same weight.

I think this point gets way overlooked. Who is interested in the next Disney+ series? Or, $DEITY forbid, a new theatrical movie?

The Respawn Jedi games got a positive reception both critically and commercially because... they were good games (not great IMHO, but I digress). The fact that they were Star Wars most likely was a bonus to some, many even, but they were fine as just games, which kinda counts as well.

 

[Rivdoric]

Gaf plays it the Outlaw way.

 

[DeepEnigma]

It's UbiSoft and Disney has destroyed the Star Wars brand for me.

 

[StueyDuck]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t put thoughts in my mind. I mean I think you’re all loonies, but that was way before the culture wars. When you started defending the 360. I may be more moderate that the average fellow gaffer but I won’t judge them for passing on a game with a insufferable message that you have to swallow for solid 40 hours. The outcomes in my head where more like:

A) woke bad. Cultural aspects have more importance than game design, what a time to be alive.

B) gameplay bad. See, Yves? All you had to do is release the leash from your designers and let them actually make a good game. But you were too afraid of change and you should have been more afraid of not changing.

Wouldn't it be better if they fixed both

 

[Coolade]

I expected outlaws to be a splinter cell game with a Star Wars skin. Instead we got dollar tree red dead. No reason to purchase I’d rather just go replay red dead 2.

 

[Revolutionary]

I signed up for Ubi+ for the month, so I played it through that. It was ok.

Also tried out Skull & Bones but uninstalled it after an hour or two lol

 

[Astray]

Generally due to price and bugginess, I personally don't mind the Ubisoft formula in itself though, mainly because I don't buy any Ubisoft game without thoroughly checking it in the 1st place, so I don't really suffer from Ubi fatigue.

Don't give a shit about wokeness unless it's REALLY in your face in-game like Dustborn.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

It's modern Star Wars done by Ubisoft. Even hot space girl jailbait wouldn't have saved it bro not everything is about politics.