Star Wars Outlaws continues my favorite 2024 gaming trend

Star Wars Outlaws Is not much like my favorite games of 2024 in most respects, but there is one element of the experience that I immediately fell in love with, and it continues a trend that I can not get enough of. While 2024 didn’t quite give me a game that’s a personal 10/10, I’ve enjoyed a lot of what I’ve played, especially when it comes to some indie titles like Lorelei and the Laser Eyes And Crow country. I’m not deep enough Star Wars Outlaws Not to have any kind of finalized opinion on it, but I’m having fun so far.

There are certainly some major game design correlations between Star Wars Outlaws And other 2024 hits, even if they don’t amount to games that feel the same overall. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Borrows some standards of Ubisoft-style open-world design, for example, breaking the world into different zones that still have towers to activate and checklists to complete. The best parts of Star Wars Outlaws Not located in the overarching elements, however, and Some of the most fun can be had when Kay Wess sits down at a table to gamble.

Star Wars Outlaws continues the year of card games

Sabacc is one of the best parts of Star Wars Outlaws

It makes sense for an open world Star Wars Title to squeeze in Sabacc, a card game that was a big spotlight in the film Solo: A Star Wars StoryHowever This isn’t the first game to put an emphasis on cards this year. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Is the most obvious analogue, with a minigame called Queen’s blood that I had a blast mastering. Queen’s blood is preceded by the FF8 And FF9 Classics Triple Triad and Tetra Lord, but it’s been a long time since cards stole the show in the Game Final Fantasy Series.

It’s also hard to talk about 2024 games without mentioning them BalatroA huge breakout hit that masterfully combines the addictive hooks of poker and roguelike gameplay. In a market dominated by huge AAA ventures with cutting-edge graphics, There is no better proof of the power in cards than in Balatros success. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Also included is its own share of card-based diversions, though that’s to be expected from the series that consistently leads the industry in engaging side content (that I urge anyone still unfamiliar to check out at the earliest opportunity).

Sabacc is simple but engaging in Star Wars Outlaws

Taking risks at the game table is always thrilling

I won’t make the claim that Sabacc is fully competitive with Queen’s Blood either BalatroBut the game still managed to hook me pretty immediately. A rules screen with a long list of tabs is a front for a game that is actually quite simple to play, asking players to gamble their way into pairs of matching cards of low value. The core concept does not involve any particularly complex strategy, however Everything hinges on a risk-reward component where the odds of improving Kay’s hand must be weighed against several key factors.

Although playing a game like Sabacc in real life would benefit from getting to analyze the poker faces of opponents, Star Wars Outlaws Offers a consolation prize by letting Kay cheat. There’s more than one way to do this, but the one available at the beginning relies on sending Kay’s precious companion Nix to spy on opponents’ hands. I also love the cute little animation of Kay showing Nix her cards while playing Sabacc, the kind of touch that makes sitting at the game table feel so much more alive.

There is also a minor collectible element to Sabacc, with shift tokens that Kay can acquire over Star Wars Outlaws. These deploy special abilities that can turn around the trajectory of a round, from restoring Kay’s supply of chips to modifying impostor cards that opponents might otherwise use to luck into pairs. Acquiring more shift tokens is nowhere near as interesting as getting new cards FF7 RebirthFeeling more than part of the simple duty to stroll wide collectibles over Star Wars Outlaws Like anything else, but the tokens can be fun in game.

Sabacc is the perfect Star Wars Outlaws feature

This is not a Jedi story

I’m sure some Star Wars Fans used to another version of Sabacc may not like this one Star Wars Outlaws Iteration, as previous official iterations have followed different rules and keep the same overall concept. The in-game version strikes a fine balance between simplicity and strategyAlthough, and it is easy to justify that these Star Wars Universe is home to many Sabback variants. Solos subback was noted to be a fork known as “Corellian Spike,” so there’s definitely room for what Ubisoft’s name is.

Seeing a card game in any video game tends to make me happy, but Sabacc really adds a lot to it Star Wars Outlaws. The game may not have appeared in the Mos Eisley Cantina A new hopeHowever Sitting down at corner tables in dingy rooms to bran captures that atmosphere of slime and villainy so well. In a game where gangster life can be a bit restricted – I’m quite frustrated by Kay’s inability to hot wire speeds – cheating at cards is the perfect way to spice things up.

I’m excited to see what all Star Wars Outlaws Has in store that I have not experienced yet, but I have already developed my share of complaints, so I also have a little fear that some elements may let me down. When it comes to Sbac, however, I feel comfortable in the knowledge that I will enjoy it until the end. Star Wars Outlaws 2024 isn’t the first major game to offer an enticing card game experience, and I hope it won’t be the last.