Star Wars Outlaws Continues My Favorite 2024 Gaming Trend

screenrant.com:

isn't much like my favorite games of 2024 in most regards, but there's one element of the experience that I immediately fell in love with, and it continues a trend that I can't get enough of. Although 2024 hasn't quite given me a game that's a personal 10/10, I've loved a lot of what I've played, especially when it comes to some indie titles like and. I'm not deep enough into 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 and other 2024 hits, even if they don't amount to games that feel the same overall. borrows some standards of Ubisoft-style open-world design, for example, breaking up the world into distinct zones that still feature towers to activate and checklists to complete. The best parts of don't lie in those overarching elements, however, and some of the most fun can be had when Kay Vess sits down at a Sabacc table to gamble.

Star Wars Outlaws focuses on a grimier, seedier side of the universe with a rich, detailed open world that features both new and legacy characters.

It makes sense for an open-world title to squeeze in Sabacc, a card game that got a big spotlight in the film, but it's not the first game to put an emphasis on cards this year. is the most obvious analogue, with a minigame called Queen's Blood that I had a blast mastering. Queen's Blood was preceded by the and classics Triple Triad and Tetra Master, but it's been a long time since cards have stolen the show in the series.

It's also hard to talk about 2024 games without a mention of , a 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's no better proof of the power in cards than in 's success. also included its own share of card-based diversions, although that's to be expected from the series that consistently leads the industry in engaging side content (that I implore anyone