Joy to the world, Ubisoft is finally removing those really rather frustrating (read, incredibly frustrating) forced stealth sections from “almost all quest objectives” in Star Wars Outlaws.
The Outlaws team shared the news in its most recent developer blog, which accompanies the game’s latest update – Title Update 1.4.0 – as well as its Steam debut. However, while Ubisoft is finally nixing (unintentional pun, please just roll with it) a large chunk of those forced stealth sections, players who still want to go into situations with a more sneaky approach can.
For most people, though, this change means Kay and Nixx will now transition in to combat after getting caught while sneaking, rather than getting ported back to the last checkpoint and being made to start the section again. And thank goodness for that.
“We know many of you enjoy the stealth approach, so it was important to us to preserve that playstyle while also giving you the freedom to decide how to tackle each mission,” Star Wars Outlaws’ new creative director Drew Rechner wrote, explaining the change. “Ultimately, you’ll have the choice to sneak, go in combat-first, or – my personal favourite – sneak until you’re caught and then blast your way out.”
As someone who got so frustrated with one particular stealth quest section she gave up on the game altogether, this is great news. I will now actually head back to Kay’s world to finish what I started all those weeks ago.
In addition, players will now also be able to engage in combat within the once stealth-only syndicate districts. Again, I welcome this change, with Rechner stating “this is all to maximise your agency and choice” when playing Outlaws.
“We’re also expanding player choice in broader ways,” the developer continued, adding players will now be able to “pick up and keep weapons you find in the field for much longer, with more opportunities to use them in various scenarios”.
You can check out Star Wars Outlaws’ full update notes here.
We awarded Star Wars Outlaws two out of five stars on its initial release in August.
“It lacks the branching, open stealth of an Arkham game, the systemic options of a Dishonored or the incisive, relentlessly satisfying speed of picking enemies off in Assassin’s Creed,” reads Eurogamer’s Star Wars Outlaws review. “It lacks the linear polish and charisma of Uncharted. Lacks the animation flow to its yellow-ledge platforming next to a Horizon, or the sheer joy of taking platforming and making it into an actual game in itself, as in Star Wars Jedi.”