![Criticised Star Wars Outlaws PS5 Demo Merely an 'Amuse-Bouche' of the Full Experience 1](https://images.pushsquare.com/e3c0ebc80bbad/criticised-star-wars-outlaws-ps5-demo-merely-an-amuse-bouche-of-the-full-experience-1.900x.jpg)
Star Wars Outlaws, despite looking absolutely fantastic during Ubisoft’s livestream earlier this week, has been criticised for feeling a bit dated. One preview compared the release unfavourably to Uncharted: Golden Abyss, the PS Vita exclusive spin-off which launched all the way back in 2011. But the creative director has explained that the sampler is little more than an “amuse-bouche” of the full experience.
“I think coming into a show like this, while you’re closing a game in terms of production, you have to make a lot of choices, and our producer was like, you get one demo for all of the shows that we’re going to go to during the year, so Gamescom, Comic-Con, [and so on],” Julian Gerighty told VGC in an interview.
He continued: “[Those events] are consumer plus journalist focused, so we had to choose something that was 20 minutes, bite-sized, lots of variety, lots of representative systems, but not the open world experience, because we’re going to expose that during the studio tour, in the preview event over here. So we’ll spend a lot more time on those things, so this is an amuse-bouche, it’s a starter rather than the main course for the game.”
Gerighty concluded that he believes developer Massive Entertainment has built a “very compelling overall game” and that “just a part of that is represented here”.
To be fair, the comments make sense. We all know that building demos takes up a ton of the team’s attention, and if it intends to take the title to consumer conventions as well, it can’t be serving up a two- or three-hour slice of gameplay, as that’s just not going to cut it when attendees are waiting in line. It sounds like this is merely a bad demo, then – unfortunate, but perhaps nothing to be too concerned about after all.
[source videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 32
Honestly, they're better off just releasing free demos to the public rather than hiding behind closed doors which only influences and journalists have access to.
@breakneck Not so easy, though. They need to do a load of separate development, QA, bug testing, fixing, etc. Not ideal when you have a release date to hit.
I mean, he has to say that. Don't know if he's right or wrong. Don't know if the Eurogamer previewer is right or wrong either.
We'll see we're the prevailing opinion is when it releases. I hope it's as awesome as it looks.
It is likely unfair to base opinions on the full game via a 20 minute demo.
Stellar blade comes to mind. I wasn’t massively impressed after the demo but loved the full game.
Having said that I’d assume the dev team would want to show off the best of the game in a demo and that certainly doesn’t seemed to have happened with outlaws.
Let’s wait for the full reviews I guess.
''despite looking absolutely fantastic during Ubisoft’s livestream earlier this week''
Many games look absolutely fantastic but turn out to be absolute lemons. If problems have been noticed then I have no doubt that problems have been noticed. And this goes double for Ubisoft of which I have no faith whatsoever.
There’s always going to be exceptional hype and expectations around Star Wars, no matter it’s medium, and they’ve done a good job of hyping this up even more than it’s name alone.
I doubt it’ll meet those expectations, but if it can provide a fun 7/10 experience that’s all that matters to me, but I imagine it will be disappointing on launch to many (though I’d be happy to be wrong!)
I think it's perfectly fair to judge the devs on the basis of this demo.
Selecting, preparing, and releasing this small slice of gameplay out of everything this supposedly big and long game has available isn't some accidental overnight decision. It being a stinky poopy and claiming 'oh, but the rest might actually smell nice' despite coming from the same point of origin is such a fine display of mental gymnastics, people saying as much ought to be in Paris this summer.
Never mind that the gaming press by and large runs interference for big publishers on the regular, but couldn't bring themselves to be more positive about this particular game. Modern Star Wars is always an instant 'never touch' for me but now I'm looking forward to seeing whether it bombs.
this will be a big success even if the game is bad anyway. most sw fans will love it and will play it like most people loved Hogwarts Legacy whether it was perfect or not. Stop the hate and enjoy
Well I thought the gameplay demo looked good and I dont mind a game being safe aslong as its fun and the story is compelling.
And its about time we had a star wars game where its unknowns and not just jedi's
Looks great. Loads of weirdos making out they have issues but are really just put out a women is the lead role. So " it's woke".
They need be over at geeks and gamers. Physically crying in the comments
It can’t be any worse than the ‘new’ star wars movies produced in the last decade or so, or the flogged-to-death tv series that have been released.
Lots of other previews have suggested it looks really good, GTA in Space is one of the quotes I've read.
Eurogamer come across often as elitist to me, similar to EDGE, quite happy to turn their noses up at something popular but then champion the smallest of new indie games to death. Although there's nothing wrong with small new indie games, just a lack of journalistic balance sometimes, probably to keep the clicks up and maintain the self indulgent impression that they are one of the go to sites for news and opinion (we all know that title belongs to PushSquare
@Mustoe agreed. Very much like wukong, phantom blade zero et al. All look similar in design and gameplay. Probably the the big reason a lot of people are becoming disenchanted by the current gen of games.
Having said that I am looking forward to phantom blade zero. Will see reviews upon release.
You could call ANY game criticised, it only takes one critic. Maybe it's the gamers I personally follow but most seemed pretty positive. SkillUp for example, who has made no secret of his dislike of modern Star Wars, called his hands-on "surprisingly good". Mr Matty Plays liked it. ACG was a little more middling but seemed more excited after the preview finishing with "To me they're nailing that (narrative) part"
For me the jury's still out but I think it looks promising.
@Mustoe Absolutely agreed. The more most people play the more you usually become jaded by the same mechanics being repeated whether a journalist or not. Though there are also those that love the comfort blanket of repetition, neither it wrong, we just like different things.
Eurogamer also has several slightly older/more experiences journos, hence their most liked games are often the more unique titles or things pushing the boundaries over the standard blockbuster fare the average gamer laps up. See recent 5-stars like Hellblade 2, Animal Well (my current GOTY), Timemelters and Dragon's Dogma 2 or DoDonPachi Bliisful Death Re:Incarnation. (lol on the title) as prime examples.
Keep your expectations checked. This game tries to be too many things which usually don’t bode well although I don’t trust eurogamer.
@Bettyswollocks You are the only one who has brought up the gender of the protagonist so far. I kind of think that you are already excuse hunting for a possible bad performance tbh.
I would usually pre-order a game such as this, but the price is simply too expensive. We all know that Ubi games drop in price very quickly, and this is one game that I will be awaiting both the reviews and a sale. Priced more reasonably and I would have pre-ordered the game...
@LifeGirl I was unfortunately looking through the live comments while watching the Ubisoft conference. Absolute poison that comment section was.
SkillUp was pretty positive in his preview.
OK so after going through the comments section am I the only person who wants to know what amuse-bouche means 🤔
@Drago201 nope me too. Also that thing on her shoulder looks like a tarantula.
It’s a shame that Disney, EA, and now Ubisoft have made Star Wars so BORING.
It looked great to me, can't wait to play it.
While I distrust Ubisoft, I strongly distrust Eurogamer especially after their completely nonsensical review of FF16. So, I'll wait and see for the actual reviews
@Drago201
From a very quick Google search
"In French, "amuse bouche" means literally "it amuses the mouth." The French were using "amuse-bouche" as a word for appetizers when English speakers embraced the culinary term almost a quarter of a century ago."
@MikeOrator kool thanks for the info and it kinda fits for a demo
Its ubisoft. So this is exactly what youre getting
Ay ay ay... this is the only game i care about... i shall defend it against all attackers!!!
@Futureshark Agreed. I’ve said several times they now seem to be on a crusade to laud extremely bizarre indie games and put down anything from a big publisher.
@Futureshark gta in space if gta was pg and about cops going after criminals with nerf guns.
If this game was made in the early 2000's you'd be able to do jobs for the empire and blow up planets, 100% this game is gonna be deliver packages and shoot the same stormtrooper model because the Devs are too scared to make a game where you can be a villain which is pretty much what real gta is, you play as the scum of society.
"but not the open world experience"
Personally I'd almost be happier if the game wasn't open world, and was more of a refined largely-linear adventure, if it meant that the reportedly lacklustre elements (and visibly, as far as the gunplay in the gameplay trailer goes) in the missions could be given the extra care and focus that would really sell the space scoundrel fantasy.
But given that they're not doing that, if they're going to keep leading with the tagline and gameplay focus (of debatable accuracy, if you include MMOs) of this being the "first ever open world Star Wars game", choosing to forego the open world side in favour of some decidedly average linear gameplay in the first showing was definitely a bit of an own goal.
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