“Star Wars Outlaws,” published by Ubisoft, is the latest game from the “Star Wars” universe, featuring an original story set between episodes V and VI. 

We play as Kay Vess, a small-time thief plunged headfirst into the galaxy’s criminal underworld after a job gone wrong. What follows is a pretty basic heist plot: A ragtag crew comes together for “one last job” full of twists and turns to make sure nothing goes as planned. Heist stories are fun, and there’s plenty of room to explore just about every genre in the “Star Wars” universe, but the narrative felt short and unsatisfying, and took far too long to really connect to the rest of the world. For the most part, this game would’ve been exactly the same if you replaced all the “Star Wars” elements with generic sci-fi stuff. That shouldn’t be the case. 

When it comes to gameplay, “Outlaws” feels like it’s scratching the surface of what’s possible. The familiar stealth and shooter mechanics are made unique by Kay’s alien companion, Nix, who can do small tasks like distracting enemies. There are weapon upgrades and new abilities to unlock, but nothing feels substantial. I waited the whole game to be able to use Nix to distract multiple enemies at a time, which seemed like a natural progression, but it never happened. 

“Outlaws” feels unfinished. I was particularly distracted by characters in cutscenes who always look like muppets flapping their jaws and not moving their eyes. There are also a few writing issues—we’re supposed to like Kay, but she has zero chemistry with any of the characters around her. Except for Nix, but he can’t talk, so that’s cheating. 

Credit where credit is due: “Outlaws” has a very lived-in world, with hubs areas that actually feel alive with NPCs (non-player characters). It’s like a current-gen open world in a last-gen game. At the same time, beyond the visuals, there’s not enough “Star Wars” going on. I know this game is about the underworld, but there aren’t any jedi. Seriously, not even one lightsaber. That’s, like, the whole thing. 

“Star Wars Outlaws” could’ve been great. There’s a lot of potential here, but maybe that’s the problem, seeing as so much of the experience is being saved for paid DLC.