'Star Wars Outlaws' director Julian Gerighty was "a little disappointed" by the game's Metacritic reviews.
Star Wars Outlaws' poor reviews aren't stopping fan's enjoying the game, says director Julian Gerighty
The action-adventure game - which is set in the 'Star Wars' universe between the events of 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) and 'Return of the Jedi' (1983) - landed on August 30 and managed a score of 76 from critics and 5.5 by users on the review aggregator site.
The lacklustre response came after it was hit by a huge range of glitches that plagued the game’s launch.
The title was available three days earlier for those who pre-ordered its Gold and Ultimate editions, but players who accessed the game early encountered problems, including issues with progression, save files and a string of bugs.
Ubisoft quickly rolled out a patch to address some of the concerns.
And although it wasn't ideal, Gerighty says players are still enjoying the vast game.
He told GamesRadar+: “I'm a little disappointed with the Metacritic; Of course, recognition from press and critics is very important to us, but players are really connecting with what we did.”
He continued: “Honestly, it’s brought me so much joy to see the incredible images being captured and shared. And I think that’s proof positive that this is an experience like no other Star Wars experience before, that lets you step into this world and enjoy some virtual tourism.”
The creative director at Massive Entertainment, recently acknowledged the challenges but said they were a consequence of the game’s scope.
He told the BBC: “When you have millions of players step into your world, you’d rather it not happen. It’s one of those things that we’ll keep a lookout for, keep correcting, and keep improving.”
Gerighty also admitted the issues were “not ideal”, but emphasised the complexity of the game was a factor.
He added: “Sometimes these things happen. The bigger the game, the more systems you have, the more complex it’s going to be. “There’s a lot we can do to improve the experience, but it always has to be through the lens of the creative filter.”
He also highlighted the importance of community feedback in refining the game, adding: “We see it as an opportunity to examine how we can push things further in the future. And that’s going to be a part of the action plan on this game, too.”