Game title Star Wars Massive Entertainment’s upcoming open world, Outlaws, is expected to be available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S this year. This time, the game will not follow in your footsteps Jedi to fight the dark side of The Force but will instead give us a deeper insight into other aspects of life in the universe Star Wars. Let’s learn about all the information that Ubisoft has revealed about this game
Star Wars Outlaws Talk about something?
In Star Wars Outlaws, players will follow a brand new character named Kay Vess and her robot friend ND-5. They are depicted as thieves, mercenaries, and swindlers just trying to survive the increasing repression of the Empire. However, one of Kay Vess’s “jobs” puts her in the Empire’s sights, causing her and her companion Merqaal Nix to embark on something Ubisoft hyped as “one of the greatest heists the Outer Rim has ever seen” to gain freedom..
When does Outlaws take place in the Star Wars timeline?
Outlaws is set in the years between The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. This was the height of the Empire’s reign and that was why Kay was constantly on the run. Her illegal activities have caught the Empire’s eye, and Luke Skywalker and his friends have yet to take them down. According to Narrative Director Navid Khavari, the team wanted to explore the terrestrial impact of Star Wars’ intergalactic conflicts.
Khavari shares: “We always knew we wanted to create a unique story about an outlaw. There’s something interesting about looking at (this universe) from the perspective of someone like Kay, who knows almost nothing about the Empire, the Jedi, the Rebellion or the Sith.”
Basic gameplay
Star Wars Outlaws looks a lot like other Ubisoft games. It features the company’s trademark open-world structure, alongside stealth action elements like stealth, parkour, and assassination that remind people of Assassin’s Creed. There are also some other elements like shooting and hand-to-hand combat, and you can also interact with the environment by sending Nix to hit switches and pick up items on the battlefield.
In addition to regular combat, Outlaws also has racing and shooting levels. Video from last year’s Ubisoft Forward shows Kay being able to fire her blaster while flying. Time is slowed down so players can perform such actions.
Kay’s blaster appears to have different settings and modifications that change its functionality. What has been revealed includes a stun mode and a “focus” mode, which appears to work better against certain enemies or obstacles. Concentration mode helps apply pressure on shielded enemies, allowing Kay to close in for a melee kill.
Wanted system
An indispensable part of games that allow players to transform into criminals is being wanted. Star Wars Outlaws has a reputation and bounty system similar to that of Grand Theft Auto, meaning that if you’re caught committing a crime, your reputation will likely rise in the ranks of the Empire’s resistance. Your reputation with different factions will affect your level of access to certain areas, so while you’ll obviously make enemies throughout the game, always keep in mind who you hate the least you best when choosing a destination.
Astronaut
Kay’s adventures span the galaxy and she can fly around it in her spaceship Trailblazer. From space, players can fly to different destinations and participate in several space battles against the forces of the Empire. You can also flee at the speed of light to escape Imperial forces and cool down your wanted meter.
There are dialogue options, but no plot branching
As seen in the video, Star Wars Outlaws has dialogue options that allow for Kay’s personality. The example shown is when Kay decides whether or not to bribe an Imperial henchman. According to Massive, these choices won’t lead to a branching storyline but will allow you to add emphasis to Kay’s personality and schemes.
Outlaw will appear on many familiar planets of the Star Wars series
In Star Wars Outlaws, players will have the opportunity to visit planets from many eras in the franchise’s history. We’ve seen Kijimi, a planet introduced in The Rise of Skywalker and which looks like the gambling city of Canto Blight in The Last Jedi. It’s unknown if the planets from the prequel will appear or not, but we can fully expect it.
When does Star Wars Outlaws come out?
Ubisoft and Massive only confirmed that Star Wars Outlaws will launch this year but there is no specific time yet. A post on the Disney Parks blog seemed to hint that it would be “late” 2024. However, Ubisoft was quick to clarify that they did not yet have a publicly set date, only reaffirming that it was will be released in 2024. Therefore, Star Wars fans can definitely count on enjoying this game this year.
