Star Wars Outlaws vs Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Star Wars Outlaws is an action-adventure open-world game (2024) while Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is an action game from Lucasfilm Games (1996).
Quick answer: Star Wars Outlaws rates higher, 6.1 to 5.9 on the GamingPickz Score, and Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is the cheaper at $5.99.
What each one is
Star Wars Outlaws is filed under Action-Adventure and Open-World. In contrast, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire under Action and Adventure.
Experience the first-ever open world Star Wars™ game and explore distinct locations across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as scoundrel Kay Vess, seeking freedom and the means to start a new life.
As Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance struggle to defeat Darth Vader and the Empire, a new threat arises. Dark Prince Xizor aspires to take Darth Vader's place at the Emperor's side. As Dash Rendar, it's up to you to protect Luke and help the Alliance. May the Force be with you!
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Shortly after the Battle of Hoth , the leader of the upstart criminal syndicate Zerek Besh, Sliro Barsha, murders the leaders of his rival syndicates in a bid to consolidate his power. Meanwhile, Kay Vess seeks a way to escape her homeworld of Cantonica and start a new life in the Core Worlds. Desperate, she takes up a job with a crew led by Dennion, who plan to break into Sliro's vault and steal his fortune. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception Star Wars Outlaws received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . The game is recommended by 66% of 175 critics, according to OpenCritic . In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 32 out of 40, with each critic awarding the game an 8 out of 10. (Wikipedia)
No Wikipedia detail on file.
At a glance
| Star Wars Outlaws | Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 6.1/10 | 5.9/10 |
| Steam rating | Mostly Positive (72%, 12,488) | Mostly Positive (74%, 871) |
| Critic aggregate | 77/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | $69.99 | $5.99 |
| Install size | 65 GB | 0.32 GB |
| Steam Deck | unsupported | playable |
| Released | 2024 | 1996 |
| Developer | — | Lucasfilm Games |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Star Wars Outlaws vs Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Star Wars OutlawsAction-adventure open-world gameStar Wars: Shadows of the EmpireAction gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Star Wars OutlawsOpen World, Action, AdventureStar Wars: Shadows of the EmpireAction, Adventure, SpaceThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Star Wars Outlaws ✓Score 6.1 · 72% on Steam · 77 criticStar Wars: Shadows of the EmpireScore 5.9 · 74% on SteamThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Star Wars Outlaws12,488 reviews · 9 add-ons · 65 GBStar Wars: Shadows of the Empire871 reviews · 0.32 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Star Wars Outlaws$69.99Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire ✓$5.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Star Wars OutlawsUnsupportedStar Wars: Shadows of the Empire ✓PlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire takes 2 of the marked rounds to 1. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueStar Wars Outlaws and Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Multi-platform
- Nintendo
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Star Wars Outlaws (GamingPickz Score 6.1)
- The cheaper right now: Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire ($5.99)
- Better on a Steam Deck: Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (playable)
- Lighter on storage: Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (0.32 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Star Wars Outlaws (12,488 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
SingleplayerActionAdventureShooterSci-fiThird-Person ShooterSpace
Where they differ
Open WorldThird PersonAction-AdventureStory RichExplorationFemale Protagonist
Classic1990'sGreat Soundtrack
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Star Wars Outlaws is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Star Wars Outlaws | Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | DirectX 9.0c Compatible Video Card w/ 256 MB RAM |
| Minimum CPU | — | 1.8 GHz Processor |
| Minimum RAM | — | 1 GB |
| Install size | 65 GB | 0.32 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Star Wars Outlaws · Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Star Wars Outlaws and 1 for Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Star Wars Outlaws and Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire in scope?
Star Wars Outlaws has drawn 12,488 Steam reviews, ships 9 add-ons and installs in 65 GB. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire has drawn 871 Steam reviews and installs in 0.32 GB.
Is Star Wars Outlaws or Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Star Wars Outlaws rates higher (6.1 to 5.9). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Star Wars Outlaws or Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire?
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is cheaper right now at $5.99, against $69.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get Star Wars Outlaws or Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire?
Star Wars Outlaws rates higher, 6.1 to 5.9 on the GamingPickz Score, and Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is the cheaper at $5.99. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.