Available on: Switch, iOS, Android
Played on: Switch
Star Wars: Hunters is a competitive 4v4 hero shooter inspired by Overwatch, starring an original cast of Star Wars characters. We enjoyed its overly-familiar gameplay and iconic visuals and sounds, but it’s also in desperate need of more content.
Read on for our review of Star Wars: Hunters!
Star Wars: Unknowns
On the planet Vespaara, various combatants have arrived to test their mettle in The Arena, broadcasting their fame and failures across the galaxy. It’s a good enough premise for an online shooter, but it also means there’s little chance of any famous Star Wars characters showing up.
Hunters’ biggest weakness is its cast. Star Wars is known for its larger-than-life characters: Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Rey, Vader, Anakin, Ahsoka; their absence in a multi-character hero shooter — which is all about larger-than-life characters, is immediately felt.
Instead we’re left with new characters that utilize familiar Star Wars imagery. Sentinel is a stormtrooper with a minigun and a shield. Grozz is a wookie using ripped-off droid arms as clubs. Zaina is a rebel fighter armed with a laser pistol. Rieve is a classic Sith warrior with face tattoos and a red lightsaber.
Like older brother Overwatch, each character is either a damage, support, or tank class, and possesses their own weapon type, skills, and ultimate ability.
There are a few inventive ideas, such as Utooni, the pair of jawas stacked on top of one another (with two swappable weapons), and J-3DI, the Jedi-training droid with a fun saber-sweeping ultimate. And I enjoyed zipping around with Diago and Imara, auto-targeting heal-darts with Skora, and charging into enemies with Grozz.
At launch there are only 13 characters, a criminally low amount for a hero shooter (Overwatch launched with over 20 back in 2016). To make matters worse, characters must first be unlocked, either by advancing on the Hunter’s Path, or purchasing them with premium currency.
New players will only be able to choose between a handful of characters when they first start, and the first dozen games must be against bots before players open up proper matchmaking.
On the plus side, unlocking characters is relatively steady. Without spending money, players unlock characters in a set order called the Hunter’s Path. I’ve sunk about five hours into Star Wars: Hunters, and unlocked half the roster so far (one character, a Mandalorian named Aran Tal, is completely gated behind the premium battle pass, however). Overwatch 2 launched with some heroes locked behind battle passes, but recently reversed this decision earlier this year.
In An Arena Not So Far Away
As a hero shooter, Star Wars: Hunters doesn’t break any molds not already established by the genre juggernaut, Overwatch. Two teams of four face off in familiar game modes that include team deathmatch, control points, dynamic control points, and capture the flag.
Surprisingly, Hunters’ made-for-mobile gameplay doesn’t make it feel dumbed down or simplistic. On mobile platforms, players auto-fire their basic attacks when targeting enemies, an interesting change that allows longer range characters such as Imara and Diago a chance to snipe with the press of a button.
The biggest mobile influence are the smaller map sizes. On at least one map (the railyard), snipers can practically fire from one end to the other! But I enjoyed never getting lost and never having to run far to catch up to the action.
There’s a decent variety of maps inspired by famous Star Wars locales, such as the vertical Ewok Village (with lots of quick boost-jumps to get around), and the sandy alleys of Mos Espa. But as with the characters, the low amount of content quickly gets repetitive.
Star Wars: Hunters is also a free-to-play live-service game, with basic and premium tier Arena Pass, daily quests, and rotating events. There’s an overwhelming amount of quests, achievements, and tasks, allowing players to quickly ascend the Arena Pass. Though without paying for the premium version ($10), you’ll only receive a handful of minor rewards.
Most of the premium stuff isn’t that fancy either: minor weapon and outfit color swaps, emote stickers, and victory poses. Give us better unlockable goodies, please!
The Rating
Star Wars: Hunters if rated T for Teen. Combat includes laser blasts, electric mines, and lightsabers, but there’s no blood or gore, and bodies instantly disappear. Optional in-game purchases include a seasonal Arena Pass, skins, and quicker unlocks for characters.
The Takeaway
It’s not entirely fair to compare Star Wars: Hunters to the eight-year old Overwatch series. But Hunters still feels a little too light on content — namely characters, to avoid repetition. Though as a live service game, Hunters is in a good position to add more of everything, making the next several months and seasons critical.
The core gameplay has a solid foundation. Newcomers and veterans alike can appreciate the scaled-down smaller maps and team size for quicker matches. Plus, there aren’t many high-quality competitive shooters you can play on your phone — though we would recommend the Switch version first.
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