When it comes to Star Wars video games, fans are spoiled for choice, especially with titles like Star Wars Outlaws and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Both games offer expansive worlds to explore, but the way they handle their open worlds is quite different. So, which one offers a bigger playground? Let’s dive into the details and see how these two titans of the Star Wars universe compare.
The Galaxy Expands: Star Wars Outlaws Takes Center Stage
Ubisoft has marketed Star Wars Outlaws as the first truly open-world Star Wars game, and for good reason. Players step into the shoes of Kay Vess, an up-and-coming scoundrel navigating a dangerous galaxy. The game kicks off in the glamorous but perilous city of Canto Bight on the desert planet Cantonica. From there, the galaxy opens up, offering players four main planets to explore: Toshara, Kijimi, Akiva, and the iconic Tatooine.
How Big Is Star Wars Outlaws’ Open World?
In an interview with IGN, Star Wars Outlaws creative director Julian Gerighty gave us a peek into the game’s scale. He compared the size of the planets to two or three zones from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, a previous Ubisoft open-world title known for its sprawling maps. However, Star Wars Outlaws takes a different approach by focusing on the journey rather than just the sheer size of the world.
Toshara, one of the unique locations in Star Wars Outlaws, is comparable in size to Akiva and Tatooine. These planets are expansive, yet designed to be traversable in a reasonable time frame—about four to five minutes on a speeder bike, according to Gerighty. This means that while the planets are large enough to offer plenty of exploration, they aren’t overwhelming. Instead, the game encourages players to dive into its rich, varied environments, from the vast deserts of Tatooine to the more compact and urban Kijimi City.
Jedi Survivor’s World: A Different Kind of Exploration
On the other side of the galaxy, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor offers a slightly different experience. While it may not boast the same open-world structure as Star Wars Outlaws, it still provides plenty of exploration across six distinct locations: Coruscant, Koboh, Jedha, Tanalorr, an abandoned moon above Koboh, and Nova Garon. These locations are designed with a more linear approach, where the focus is on detailed environments that players can explore on foot or with the help of mounts and gadgets.
A Closer Look at Jedi: Survivor’s Hubs
Jedi: Survivor doesn’t offer vast open worlds but instead focuses on more confined yet dense areas. For instance, Koboh serves as the game’s main hub, where players can engage in a variety of activities, from side quests to collectible hunting. Similarly, the deserts of Jedha provide a sprawling, though somewhat linear, environment that feels immense when explored on foot.
The game’s design emphasizes verticality and tight spaces, where players can use parkour, Force abilities, and gadgets like a grapple to navigate the terrain. This creates a different kind of exploration experience—more intimate and hands-on compared to the wide-open expanses of Star Wars Outlaws.
Space Travel: Outlaws vs. Survivor
One of the major differences between Star Wars Outlaws and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor lies in how each game handles space travel. In Jedi: Survivor, space is more of a backdrop. Players can hop between planets using the Stinger Mantis, but the journey is limited to cutscenes showing Cal Kestis and his crew aboard the ship.
Star Wars Outlaws, on the other hand, takes space travel to the next level. Players can actively fly Kay’s ship, The Trailblazer, around each planet’s orbit. This adds a whole new layer to exploration, allowing players to engage in space combat, protect smugglers from pirates, or even scavenge materials from derelict ships. The ability to seamlessly transition from planetary exploration to spaceflight is a game-changer, making Star Wars Outlaws feel like a more connected and immersive world.
Fast Travel: A Comparison of Convenience
Another key difference between the two games is how they handle fast travel. In Jedi: Survivor, players can fast travel between meditation points on the same planet but not between different planets. This makes each location feel like a separate, self-contained environment.
In contrast, Star Wars Outlaws offers a more streamlined experience. Once players unlock fast travel points, they can jump between planets at any time, provided they’ve visited them before. This feature effectively stitches the game’s various locations into a single, interconnected world, making exploration feel more cohesive and expansive.
How Do They Stack Up?
So, which game offers the bigger map? The answer depends on what you’re looking for in a Star Wars experience. Star Wars Outlaws provides a vast, open-world experience with large, explorable planets and the freedom of space travel. It’s designed for players who want to feel like they’re part of a living, breathing galaxy, where each planet offers a different environment and set of challenges.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, on the other hand, focuses on more detailed, intricately designed hubs that encourage players to explore every nook and cranny. Its maps may be smaller in scale, but they’re packed with content, making every journey feel meaningful and rewarding.
The Verdict: Two Different Takes on a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Both Star Wars Outlaws and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor offer unique takes on the Star Warsm> universe, catering to different types of players. If you’re looking for a game that lets you explore vast planets and engage in space combat, Star Wars Outlaws might be more up your alley. On the other hand, if you prefer a more focused, narrative-driven experience with detailed environments to explore, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor offers that in spades.
Ultimately, the choice between the two comes down to personal preference. Whether you’re blazing a trail across the galaxy as Kay Vess or delving into the mysteries of the Jedi Order with Cal Kestis, both games promise unforgettable adventures in a galaxy far, far away.
Conclusion: A Galaxy of Possibilities
In the end, Star Wars Outlaws and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor are both stellar entries in the Star Wars gaming universe, each offering something different for fans. Whether you’re drawn to the open-world freedom of Outlaws or the tightly crafted narrative of Survivor, there’s no wrong choice. Both games showcase the rich, expansive universe of Star Wars, providing countless hours of exploration, combat, and storytelling. So, why not play both and experience everything this galaxy has to offer?
