Star Wars Outlaws update fixes biggest complaint since launch

Ubisoft has addressed and fixed a major complaint in a new Star Wars Outlaws update.

When Outlaws was first released earlier this year, players generally enjoyed stepping into the role of a scoundrel in the Star Wars universe.

However, some frustrations stemmed from the game’s mix of open-world mechanics and rigid systems. Even our own Sam Cawley reviewed it with the caveat it “had style but lacked the substance”.

Star Wars returns soon to our screens with the upcoming Skeleton Crew.

One strong complaint was lampooned against the game’s forced stealth sections, in which a large number of missions would fail the player if they got caught.

While some changes to stealth had already come in an earlier patch, Ubisoft has now detailed an overhaul of stealth changes coming to the game this week alongside its first piece of DLC.

“Our first step in expanding player choice is removing forced stealth from almost all quest objectives,” writes Creative Director Drew Rechner. “This doesn't mean that sneaking is no longer a viable or even preferable option in some cases. Rather, if you're caught while sneaking, the objective won't fail and reset you to the last checkpoint.”

It seems that now players who break stealth will be put into combat rather than met with a game over screen. With Ubisoft having also addressed the combat loop in a previous update, you’re now given many more options in how you want to tackle each mission given to you. Combat is also now enabled in syndicate districts, which were previously stealth-only.

Ultimately, giving you more choices in how to play an open-world RPG is obviously a good thing, as it allows you to do things that suit your playstyle while not necessarily breaking the narrative. It's all about having that player agency.

After all, nothing is more frustrating than spending 20 minutes on an objective, only to be sent back to your last checkpoint because a random Stormtrooper spotted you at the end.

Star Wars Outlaws update 1.4 is available today, 21st November. It coincides with the game’s release on Steam and the first DLC, Wild Card.