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This Star Wars Outlaws preview explores a longer section of Kay Vess’s adventure, including new gameplay details, criminal-faction choices, stealth missions, and space combat. Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the game follows Kay and her companion Nix as they navigate the criminal underworld and seek a way to secure their freedom.
Star Wars Outlaws Preview: Returning to the Underworld
Kay’s journey brings her into contact with several criminal organizations across familiar locations such as Tatooine and Kijimi, as well as the new moon of Mirogana. Her plans are complicated by a crime lord who has placed a hit on her, leaving Kay to make alliances, manage rivalries, and find the parts needed to repair her ship, the Trailblazer.
On Toshara, Kay and Nix encounter the mechanic Waka after bandits attack him. The opening section introduces the Adrenaline Meter: after Kay remains under pressure, the meter charges and can be activated to slow time. Players can then select nearby enemies before the action resumes and Kay takes them out. It offers a tactical option when a firefight becomes difficult.
Faction Choices and Reputation
Waka directs Kay toward Gorak of the Pyke Syndicate, setting off a chain of missions in Mirogana. Kay infiltrates Gorak’s suite, takes a job to steal data, and moves between Pyke territory and the Crimson Dawn organization. The parts she needs can be obtained through different faction routes, so existing relationships can affect how a mission unfolds.
The Reputation System tracks Kay’s standing with the criminal groups she encounters. Favor with one faction may make certain tasks easier, while choices that benefit another can damage that relationship. Consider the likely consequences before choosing a side, especially when a mission offers more than one way forward.
After gaining the Ion Blast ability for Kay’s blaster, the demo continues with the game’s open-world activities. Characters known as Experts offer tasks that unlock abilities. These challenges can include jumping the speeder a set distance or quietly taking down distracted enemies, with rewards such as a faster speeder or a way to talk out of capture.
Stealth, Imperial Pursuits, and Open-World Encounters
Exploration can lead to unscripted encounters. While travelling toward a small wind-fishing town, Kay comes across a battle involving pirates and Imperial forces. She can use the fighting to her advantage, stay behind cover, and act when the situation offers a safer opportunity.
Nix also helps Kay create distractions, including setting off a barrel to draw nearby Stormtroopers away. Attacking Imperial forces raises Kay’s Wanted level, increasing the pressure as the Empire responds. At its maximum, the Empire can send death troopers to hunt her down. When an Imperial pursuit becomes too risky, an officer on Kijimi offers to clear a Wanted level from the database for payment.
Flying the Trailblazer
Once Waka has the fuel injectors needed for repairs, Kay can leave Toshara aboard the Trailblazer. Space flight allows her to explore the orbits of planets and moons. The controls assign speed to the right analog stick and direction to the left, with additional options for boosts, blasters, and missiles.
A mission at an Imperial Fueling Station combines stealth with exploration. Kay moves behind carts, climbs through vents, and uses a grappling hook to cross gaps while Waka keeps Imperial personnel occupied. Nix can access spaces Kay cannot, helping open an alternate route when a heavily guarded room proves difficult to cross.
After the mission, TIE Fighters pursue the Trailblazer. Holding the left trigger activates Chase Mode, which zooms the camera toward a target and provides guidance on how far to lead a shot. This can help players adjust their aim during space combat.
Exploring Kijimi and the Ashiga Clan
The next portion of the preview takes place on Kijimi, the frigid world featured in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. Kay arrives looking for Ank, a safecracker needed for a heist, and soon enters the territory of the Ashiga Clan.
During an infiltration, Kay directs Nix to steal a keycard from a guard. She uses it to reach a restricted room and hacks a computer through a sequence-guessing minigame with a limited number of attempts. The search reveals information about a conflict between the Ashiga Clan and Crimson Dawn rather than the details Kay hoped to find about Ank.
The Ashiga Clan’s disputed relic is being held by Crimson Dawn at The Wellspring, a private club on Kijimi. With no established reputation in Crimson Dawn on this save file, Kay has to sneak inside. Nix helps obtain another keycard, and Kay lowers the barriers around the relic before the mission turns into a firefight.
Combining distractions, the Adrenaline Meter, and the Ion Blast’s effectiveness against droids helps Kay escape with the item. She returns it to Ashiga Clan territory and meets Queen Ashiga. The delivery improves Kay’s reputation with the clan but significantly harms her standing with Crimson Dawn.
What This Star Wars Outlaws Preview Shows
A few hours of play cannot reveal every part of a large open-world game, but this preview demonstrates how exploration, stealth, combat, and faction relationships fit together. The updated demo also features clearer waypoints and more streamlined sections than an earlier version, making objectives easier to follow.
For players interested in a mix of open-world exploration and Star Wars storytelling, the key systems to watch are the Reputation System, Nix’s utility, and the consequences of Imperial attention. Star Wars Outlaws is listed for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with an August 30 release date stated in the original preview.
