Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune Review – Hondo’s Best Outing Yet

Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune arrives as the final story expansion for Ubisoft’s third-person action-adventure, shifting focus from Kay Vess’s scoundrel exploits into a swashbuckling treasure hunt. Stripped of her full arsenal, Kay teams with her astromech Nix (ND-5) when a hidden transmitter reveals a lead from legendary pirate Hondo Ohnaka.

Over three to five hours, players explore the Khepi system’s asteroid fields, a secret pirate base and the eerie Khepi Tomb. The DLC leans on Hondo’s sardonic humor—Jim Cummings’s voice work injects the narrative with charm—and benefits from patched-in refinements to combat and stealth.

A standout set-piece lets you pilot a Rokana Raider ship in two distinct flight modes, adding brisk variety to space skirmishes. This expansion asks whether the refined mechanics and Hondo’s antics make it a satisfying capstone to Outlaws’ evolution.

Treasure Hunt & Character Dynamics

From the moment ND-5’s alert beeps in the Trailblazer, Pirate’s Fortune pivots into its mystery core. Kay’s race to decode Hondo’s message establishes a tone shift from urbane infiltration to high-stakes swashbuckling. Early stealth sequences—escaping an Imperial brig and crawling through vents with only Nix’s help—underscore resourcefulness when Kay is nakedly vulnerable.

Kay’s grit shines as she improvises distractions and traps, while Nix offers both tactical support and a steady emotional undercurrent; their rapport deepens during moments of shared danger. Hondo steals each scene: his braggadocio masks survival instincts, and sharp quips keep tension light. He’s balanced against Stinger Tash and her Rokana Raiders, who drive the chase but never eclipse the pirate captain’s magnetism.

Plot threads weave through shifting environments: map fragments hidden across a cantina and a nebula-lit hideout reveal snippets of Khepi lore—an ancient civilization’s obsession with death. The descent into the tomb promises revelation, yet the payoff hinges on personal stakes rather than world-changing secrets. Loyalty and trust pulse at the heart of every exchange among Kay, Nix and Hondo, reaffirming that this adventure hinges on found family as much as buried gold.

Refined Systems & New Horizons

Combat in Pirate’s Fortune stands on post-launch improvements. Enemies now flank more aggressively, their suppressing fire demanding agile cover use—making firefights genuinely engaging. Weapon strikes feel weighty, and balanced damage encourages varied loadouts.

Stealth benefits from crisper movement animations and clearer detection meters; environmental traps scattered in corridors reward creative approaches to silent takedowns. Nix’s utility—grenade detonations, hack prompts—remains unchanged from the base game, but shines in extended infiltration sequences.

Exploration ranges from rocky outcrops in asteroid fields to torchlit corridors in the tomb. Foot traversal feels grounded, while speeder rides through swirling nebula clouds offer breathtaking vistas. Vertical shafts in the tomb hint at treasure troves above, inviting careful navigation.

Space combat gets its moment in the Rokana Raider ship. Switching between Recon Mode’s swept wings for speed and Assault Mode’s missile-laden armaments injects dynamic pacing into dogfights. Shield management, missile locks and strafing runs combine with sweeping scale—especially in a climactic battle around an Imperial station. Post-DLC, that ship unlocks bonus missions, letting players hone aerial tactics.

Technical polish shows: frame rates remain stable on both PC and consoles, load times sit reasonably short, and most animation quirks from launch have been patched away. Rare AI misreads persist, but they no longer jar the experience.

Atmosphere & Lasting Appeal

Visually, Pirate’s Fortune maintains Outlaws’ high bar. Dynamic lighting in the tomb casts haunting shadows on ancient hieroglyphs, while the nebula’s ethereal glow bathes the pirate lair in shifting hues. Character models—especially Hondo’s smug grin—pop with detail, and even minor NPCs convey personality through posture and attire. High-end PCs deliver crisp textures, while consoles hold their own with slight compromises in draw distance.

Audio elevates immersion. Cummings’s Hondo oozes swagger, ND-5’s bleeps and whirs provide sympathetic punctuation, and ambient effects—electrical hums, dripping water—anchor each locale. A rousing score underscores chase sequences, then falls into ominous tones during tomb dives.

Replay incentives include hidden data logs in new areas, side missions unlocked by piloting the Raider, and optional combat scenarios in the nebula. At its price point, the DLC feels like a fair value for fans hungry to see patched-in mechanics shine. Experimenting with stealth-focused builds against Raider skirmishes or diving headlong into gunfights offers fresh twists on familiar systems.

Writer’s Note: Highlight Hondo’s banter and the Raider ship’s thrill, while acknowledging the story’s occasional underdevelopment. Position Pirate’s Fortune as both a showcase for Outlaws’ refined toolkit and a final flourish in Kay Vess’s saga.