Star Wars Outlaws: A step-by-step guide to sneaking into the Pyke Syndicate District

Star Wars Outlaws is a very fun game (read our review here) set in a galaxy far, far away that uses the LucasFilms franchise better than most, but it's also the first open-world Star Wars game, so Massive Entertainment has tried to do a lot of things differently. Maybe too much?

Well, there will be those who have some issues with the shooting sections, the fights or even the lip-syncing, but one of the first issues that can get on your nerves and cut you off too early is actually the first stealth mission. Perhaps because the game forces you to make do without weapons and without unlocking any additional resources, perhaps because, while intended as a tutorial to sneak in unseen in silence, it actually turns out to be the worst welcome card for this style of gameplay.

There are many reasons. That enemies see you where they didn't see you before or go further than usual, that this very stealthy character gets caught, that I don't know how to use Nix.... and, as we all know, Kay is more of a shoot first kind of girl.

We admit it: it took us more than five tries too and we were starting to think it was a bit broken, but before you shout Dank Farrik - fist in the air because you've been sent back to the save point at the start of the section again, follow these tips to get through the mission as if Hitman himself was actually cosplaying Kay Vess.

Infiltrate Gorak's base - Don't get caught - step by step

This is your first objective in the main mission The Criminal Underworld as soon as you steal the Starfighter and crash-land on the beautiful planet of Toshara. Your ship breaks down, you meet Waka and set off in your speeder to the city of Mirogana, where you learn about the various crime syndicates from Danka, who gives you the job.

Infiltrate the syndicate district - If you are detected, you will be thrown out. You won't be able to use your weapons, but you will be able to use stealth actions.

As it is intended as a stealth tutorial, you are not allowed to take out the blaster or steal the Pyke's weapons. However, you can do stealth takedowns (by approaching an unsuspecting Pyke from behind and pressing square) or use Nix's two ranged actions by pressing L1: Distract and Attack. This is important, because you might think you can only distract in this area, but now we'll see that attack is just as useful when you only have one enemy in sight.

Of course, you can also send your buddy to collect loot with Play Catch or turn off cameras, and don't forget to hold up on the digital crosshairs to sense enemies and interactive elements nearby. The objective is to steal some data from Gorak, who has seen you as too green to hire you. Here we go.

Step 1: Entering the Pyke Syndicate District

To the left of the district entrance, guarded by Pyke guards in the town of Mirogana, you'll find some additional loot, but what you're interested in is a ventilation shaft on the right. This is where you'll sneak inside and reach the checkpoint where it all starts... and where you'll return to every time you see 'STOPPED' on the screen.

As soon as you start the section you will see two Pyke making the rounds walking to the left. You go to the right, all the way to the end of the corridor. Loot a crate to get a direct energy circuit and press R3 to drop down with the rope like Indiana Jones. Once you hit the ground, although you have the most obvious path to the right (if we look at Kay's back), go left, towards the green smoke area. Go through it without fear to find a chalcopyrite and 3 Silvian Iron at the end of the channel. You can now return to the main path.

Step 2: Ignore the Pykes' room and stick to the left wall

After climbing down with the rope you will be in an area with what looks like an orange coil in the centre. Ignore the surveillance room full of Pykes to your left, go around the 'coil' to the right and crouch down by the crates to wait for the pair of guards to reach your position and turn around. Don't worry: they won't see you. And don't attack them.

From there, duck down the ventilation shaft just to your left; you'll come out at the first tricky part as soon as you open the grate. If you want, you can lure and take out the nearest Pyke with Nix's distraction, but remember to surround your cover well, or he'll see you.

Here you should be crouching low and sticking to the left all the time behind walls and cover, but don't forget to pick up the duracero and chalcopyrite materials along the way, let alone the coarse cloth, collectible for your armoured vest. As it's in sight of the bad guys, use Nix's 'Play catch' to grab it.

Step 3: The camera and the workshop dummy

As soon as you get the thick cloth, instead of sticking to the left, choose the alley at the far end of the street. Press up on the crosshair to keep an eye on the patrolling Pyke and go after him to take him out in the alley, or wait for him to follow his patrol to take out the surveillance camera first. To disable it, you can either send Nix to Distract within his field of view and turn it off by hand or send your pet directly to flip the switch, whichever suits you depending on the Pyke walking around the area.

With the camera off, get behind the dumpster and lure the guard with Nix, if you haven't already taken him down, to the other side of your position, to stealthily silence him from behind. You can now approach a very large, uncovered garage or workshop of sorts, with a Pyke crouched in the background examining something on a pallet. And if you've had bad luck with patrols or the game has been 'glitched', there may be another one standing right next to him.

So how do you get past this without getting caught? If one is crouching, which is normal, stop trying to distract/attract him with Nix, because it's much harder without hiding places. It's better to send Nix to Attack Ranged and, as soon as he jumps in your face, run towards him and take him down with Square. Don't worry - they won't hear or see you doing it in this particular case. As soon as you take down the crouching Pyke, don't dawdle or look to the left - just climb up the mesh wall on the right and you'll have snuck in using the Data Spike. As soon as you enter the grate in the next room you'll reach a new checkpoint - finally!

Step 4: No more stealth - Tips for combat in Star Wars Outlaws

What lies ahead is much more simple, dynamic, and fun, and you will no longer be sent back to repeat irritating stealth sections. If you get killed you'll respawn, but just focus on having fun.

The turbolift section is easy enough using Nix, and then you'll need to turn off two power core switches to throw the force field and enter the Pyke Fortress in Mirogana. When you have no choice but to take out the blaster, we recommend five things:

1. Don't skimp on the grenades, use left cross and X.


2. Don't hesitate to use the bacta vial as soon as you get hit by two shots, with the down arrow.


3. Pick up powerful weapons such as the A300 blaster rifle (e.g. from shielded enemies) or the PK-23 sniper blaster.


4. Mark enemies on sight with your electro-binoculars, with left on crosshairs and Triangle.


5. Don't try to take them all out because they won't stop coming out. Make your way to the tower door, grab some loot and head out.

You'll gain access to the restricted area and, after a little puzzle hacking of an encrypted file and a Spotchka recipe, you'll also enter Gorak's terminal, where an important revelation about the Pyke, Tizlak and Governor Thorden awaits you...

If you make it out of this alive, mission accomplished!