Star Wars Outlaws review: a perfectly ok bit of star war

Don’t make a fuss. I’m just plain Yogurt

Image credit:Ubisoft

• Developer: Massive Entertainment
• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Release: August 30th 2024
• On: Windows
• From: Ubisoft / Epic
• Price: £60/€70/$70
• Reviewed on: Intel Core i5-12600K, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 2070, Windows 10

When we talk about a game having a sense of place, it’s often about how adroitly it covers up the necessary falsehoods of a world contrived to accommodate the player character. It’s the good kind of lie. One with purpose, like Lucas smearing vaseline over the camera lens to cover up the landspeeder’s wheels. Star Wars Outlaws , then, is a strange case. Because while its planets and cities do feel ersatz as living places, they’re kind of incredible as film sets. That’s your job here. This is where the game is. You don’t play it so much as you perform your role in a series of loving, enthusiastic callbacks. That’s a star war. This is a star war. Oh, hey, I know that! That’s one of my favourite star warses.

“For the burglar, every building is infinite, endlessly weaving back into itself,” writes Geoff Manaugh in A Burglar’s Guide To The City. For Outlaw’s half-inching hero Kay Vess, the streets and crime dens of Mirogana unfold more linearly; less weaves, more straight shots through living blueprints with heist plans factored in from conception. Its pet doors and vents don’t require a seasoned burglar’s ingenuity to shine out like beacons above dune-dusted market canopies - Kay’s felony gremlin Nix can sniff them out. “Cities get the crimes their design calls for”, says Manaugh. Virtual cities like Mirogana get the type of crime their two, sometimes three, alternative routes to a big score dictate.

But Kay will have to enter the city first, having fled her own planet after a job goes (inciting incidentally) wrong. Approaching a stormtrooper checkpoint, Vess grabs the hems of her jacket and stoops slightly, making her look about a thousand times more suspicious than before. The Empire’s finest scan her ID. She walks through, and as soon as she’s two feet past the checkpoint, she bellows “Glad I got that fake identicard!”

She’s lucky the city’s built for her, honestly.

Image credit:Ubisoft

In brief: What you’re getting here is a conceptually stale though still reasonably pleasant potpourri of The Witcher 3 (Vess takes on gun-for-hire quests with choices at the end, and also plays cards), Watch Dogs (she’s sneaky, Nix is effectively a remote hacking gizmo), and Uncharted (she climbs yellow things. You can make them not yellow if you want.) There’s a bit of Far Cry 3 (enemy camps, binocular tagging), and a bit of Red Dead Redemption 2 (wanted levels, gambling minigames, the spaghetti western sauce stains on Lucas’s lenses.) Ghost Of Tsushima was also namechecked as a focal reference by creative director Julian Gerighty. Cinematically? Sure, but none of that game’s notables (diegetic map guidance, novel checklist items, flowing stealth) are present here.

Outlaws is at its best when it smelts its hodgepodge of duct-taped systems into shiny coins for you to pop in the jukebox of Star Wars wish-fulfilment hits, and lets you clumsily copy the choreography. It’s hard to find the rhythm in combat that’s only ever tense because most scraps feature at least one variety of dude that can one or two-shot Kay, in which she can safely blind fire from cover with perfect accuracy. But there’s familiar joy in the panto participation of holding off waves of stormtroopers while your crew get the loading bay to your ship working; in hearing that elastic blaster pew echo about the docking bay.

It’s hard to get lost in the scoundrel fantasy of stealth that lets you knock out an imperial officer in the middle of conversation with a subordinate to no suspicion; that lets you drop loudly from a walkway a few feet away from an oblivious stormtrooper, only to take him down with one of several ponderous, bubble-wrapped canned animations. But there’s still fun in the performance of outsmarting science fiction’s most famously maladroit mooks, even if all you’re doing is keeping crouching pace with the reverse side of a floating baggage carrier.

You’ll notice letterboxing on some of these screenshots. It’s fixed for cutscenes, but you can switch it off for gameplay. |Image credit:Ubisoft

And a performance it all remains, because there’s no real sense of the planets you visit being much more than themed tour destinations, though striking and quite lively ones. The constant contextual scenery interactions give the sense of an intermediary between you and the world, like you have to keep checking with the gaffer it’s safe to climb up some barrels in case you knock over a light. Even climbing a ladder feels like asking permission from it. Kay doesn’t jump to or clamber up ledges, she zips to them like a magnet, as if the acting force is coming from the rock face rather than her.

If you want me to have a strong opinion on yellow paint, you will have to come do a long, dehydrated wee in the pot of Dulux Brilliant White I’m currently painting my ceilings with. I can take it or - providing you highlight the way out for me in bright yellow - leave it, because games like Outlaws actually vex me more when they suddenly expect me to use my brain after lulling me into a pleasant numbness. It’s not an exciting way to design a game, but it is at least consistent in its concessions to a head zonked from whatever else life threw at you that day. There’s value in that, even if there’s not much aspiration beyond hewing close to a proven formula for a safe product.

So here’s something I have to praise on principle, even if I think it’s a little misguided given said lazy numbness. Most climbing bits in Outlaws break up ledges and nets with either giant fans that periodically blast Kay down a death pit if she jumps at the wrong time, or moving blocks that can knock her off. Environmental hazards?! In my blockbuster climbing section! I know, low bar. But you play enough gritty realist Playmobil sets, a wall made of Lego starts to look downright intricate.

Image credit:Ubisoft

Still, there’s some lovely detail in what might have otherwise been a fast travel menu between planets. Target points show you where to aim at hostile ships to account for laser drop-off. Your wing and boosters spread out like a mechanised bird when you increase thrusters. The space above Toshara is a gorgeous mess of junk particles and rusted debris flung across ochre nebulae, like clouds of disturbed sand at low tide, and further planets reward similarly beautiful atmospheres. Outlaws is not a breathtaking game to look at, but I’d bet you a lot of its concept art is.

If I had money to burn, I might even spend some on a special edition art book. And even if Kay’s fur-axolotl companion Nix chewed up the spine, I still don’t think I’d be able to take him out on the patio and punt him over a fence. This, folks, is how you endear your obligatory star war merchandise creature to the audience. Firstly, he’s just incredibly useful. One moment, he’s rolling about in front of a camera, play-acting a spleen explosion so Kay can sneak past. The next, he’s activating a switch on the other side of a laser barrier. As I said, it’s Watch Dogs. He can even activate explosive barrels in tiny increments, so you can time the last blip for an explosion when some stormtroopers walk past.

If you’re not the sort of fan with a Disney+ subscription, Ubisoft+ is undoubtedly the way to go here, as its regular price tag isn’t cheap. |Image credit:Ubisoft

This is where the game gets Star Wars the most; a universe as much about animatronic gribblies making squeaky noises as anything else. It’s not only Nix’s practical benefits - the relationship between him and Kay make for the game’s most authentic and touching story beats. She’s not especially convincing as a blasé Han Solo type, but I absolutely buy her as a hard working pet owner who just wants to provide the best life possible for her beloved crime gremlin.

Authentic, too, are the small moments. Tatooine’s cities feel like dioramas, but a tucked-away junk shop is all sparking wires, dust motes, and droid chatter. You can practically smell the soldering. Alien bands in cantina alcoves score brilliantly animated and reasonably fun Sabacc matches. For a game that will not allow Kay to enjoy a meal without first performing a quicktime event, Outlaws at least populates its dioramas with healthy smatterings of interactables, simple minigames, and wayward souls you can cheer up with a quick chat.

The game’s incredibly mouse and keyboard friendly, and the accessibility options are vast and varied. |Image credit:Ubisoft

It can be very endearing in these smaller moments, but it still all feels bit false, a bit watery. And it manages to draw out tedium at times that should be breezy. “The core goes here, I guess?” muses Kay as she ponderously slots a battery into a door, finally letting me through many seconds after I politely ask the game to let me progress. But escaping an imperial station on high alert, only to find my mate waiting with speeder bikes outside, then zipping through a chase across sand dunes evokes a certain dusky Star Wars thrill like little else before it. I don’t love Outlaws, but I’m not mad at it. The clipped hug this fish lady gave me was too nice for that:

Image credit:Ubisoft

Find out how we conduct our reviews by reading our review policy .

Star Wars Outlaws

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.

All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.