Star Wars Outlaws’ space travel mechanics offer an occasionally enjoyable distraction when you tire of stealthily infiltrating an Imperial compound on Toshara. But weirdly, the game appears utterly uninterested in explaining its mechanics, purposes and techniques, instead leaving us to tumble about in confusion, or—worse—missing out on the fun it has to offer.
So here is how to get the most out of space travel in Star Wars Outlaws!
Most of us will wind up traversing space in Star Wars Outlaws only to reach the next planet, where the real meat of the game lies. The flights through the darkness only existing as a very involved load screen. But there’s fun to be had out there! It’s a good idea to spend some time in the captain’s seat of the Trailblazer.
Once you’re in orbit, you’ll note several points of interest on your map, most of which you can interact with in some way. There’s loot to uncover, opponents to dogfight, and space stations to infiltrate. If you’re struggling to spot them, hit R3 to have more details highlighted.
Space is a dangerous place. As you’re minding your own business, exploring the stars, and looting leftovers from the various wrecks, you’ll find roaming pirates, faction starfighters, and Imperial cruisers constantly vying for sector control. You can’t avoid a dogfight. But you can end it early by learning to become an ace pilot.
You’ll primarily take the offensive with your Laser Cannons, which have a significantly shorter cooldown than your backup Missile Launcher. Thankfully, Laser Cannons automatically lock on to nearby enemies, giving you a clear target that tells you how far to lead your shots to land a hit. But Laser Cannons take time to cut down targets.
Your Missile Launcher makes quick work of nimble starfighters, but only if you land your shot. You can designate a target by hitting ‘A’ (Xbox) or ‘Y’ (PlayStation) on your controller to prep the missile, then the same button again to launch the ordinance. So long as you’ve locked on, the rocket will pursue your foe until it either explodes or fails to strike the target.
Don’t let up, though! Immediately after firing a rocket, continue pushing your advantage with your Laser Cannons or, ideally, the Laser Turret to take down enemies while your rockets refresh!
Star Wars Outlaws features four expansive planets for you to explore, along with a fifth reserved solely for confined story experiences, and you can travel to each of them with your spaceship, the Trailblazer. But you won’t unlock your hyperdrive until you progress deeper into the game’s main story. For that, you must finish “The Wreck,” the seventh story mission.
Once you unlock the hyperdrive and it’s installed in the Trailblazer, take off from Toshara. Once in orbit, press right on your controller’s D-Pad to activate the hyperdrive. You’ll receive a list of the in-game planets available to jump to, and you can select any of them to visit next. Once chosen, press both analog sticks up to initiate the jump and soar through space and time to the next system! Why don’t you hit stuff at this speed? Don’t ask that.
While not completely necessary while exploring orbit around Toshara, you’ll want to eventually upgrade the Trailblazer with additional weapons, stronger armor, and a better hull and engine. You can still run into trouble around the game’s first planet, and more so down the line as you use the hyperdrive to explore the likes of Kijimi and Tatooine.
Thankfully, every major settlement in the game features one spaceship mechanic that will sell you upgrades. Like with the speeder bike upgrades, you must first accumulate credits and the necessary crafting components stemming from merchants or quest rewards.
Once you meet the requirements for an upgrade, we recommend focusing on Engines, Armor, Shield, and Laser Cannons. They’ll be the most worthwhile improvements and provide a noticeable boost to your power and survivability while flying the Trailblazer.
Space travel in Star Wars Outlaws is more than just a way to get from planet A to planet B; it’s a useful distraction that rewards exploration and can help you find the materials you need for your next upgrade. It’s also an excellent way to kill some time while you wait for everything new coming to Space Marine 2 in the future!
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