Why was Star Wars Outlaws' reception so bad?

(Note: This review is based on about 20 hours of playtime, roughly halfway through the main story, mostly wandering around and side questing.)

The game has been in my backlog for a while. My expectations were underwater after seeing how it was received initially. But I've been craving a good open-world RPG lately, so I finally decided to dive into my Star Wars backlog. I finished the Jedi: Fallen Order games first and thought they were just okay. Nothing to write home about. Then I started Outlaws, fully expecting to dislike it, but 20 hours in and I'm really liking it. It’s exactly the kind of Star Wars game I’ve always wanted, just exploring the galaxy as a regular person.

The map design shows a ton of love for the lore. I love the fact that you aren't a superhero saving the world. Playing as a relatively normal person dealing with syndicates makes for a nice, laid-back explorer/stealth gameplay.

While the story isn't an epic saga like Mass Effect or hardcore like Kingdom Come: Deliverance, it is still decent enough to keep you engaged. I really don't understand the hate this game received. Maybe people just wanted an epic adventure.

Overall, it feels like Horizon Zero Dawn and Cyberpunk 2077 had a Star Wars baby.

Pros:

* Great environments and setting.

* Good exploration and stealth gameplay.

* Great, immersive atmosphere.

* Delves into the Star Wars underworld lore pretty well.

Cons:

* Gunplay and combat aren't anything to shout about.
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* The story is okay at best.
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However, it makes sense from the character's point of view that combat wouldn't be the focus of the game, and a small-time outlaw story fits the setting well.

Who should play it:

* Star Wars fans who would like to explore the world outside the typical Jedi/Sith stories

* Space and sci-fi fans.

* Anyone looking for a laid-back, atmospheric, and immersive game.

Who should skip it:

* Players looking for high-intensity, high-adrenaline, edge-of-your-seat games.

* Anyone who needs in-depth, hardcore RPG mechanics like Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

* Anyone who can't do without lightsabers and typical Star Wars clichés.

* Anyone who wants epic story RPGs like ME, BG3, The Witcher etc..

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

I wish it hadn't been received so badly by the fans; the game could've become great with further sequels and development. I'm not saying it's amazing or the best thing since indoor plumbing, but I don't think it deserved so much negativity. Feels like people were hating not because it's terrible, but because it's not exactly the type of game they wanted it to be.

Bold prediction: I think this is one of those games that will age well, and people will come to like it with time.