Massive Entertainment has finally unveiled the mystery Star Wars game they’ve been working on with Star Wars Outlaws. In partnership with Lucasfilm Games, Outlaws is set to be one of the most expansive deep dives into the underworld of a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
Ubisoft invited us to an exclusive media briefing to give more insight into the development of Star Wars Outlaws and see what the studio has been cooking for the past few years. Here’s what we got so far.
Rebel Scum
As a massive Star Wars fan, I was so excited when I heard about Massive Entertainment’s project. Having played through the excellent Division games, Massive really knows how to present a visually stunning world that just pulls you in the second you look at it. Gameplay also looked, sounded, and felt really good for both Division titles. Bringing their talents over to create the first-ever singleplayer action-adventure open-world Star Wars game brings up a galaxy of exciting opportunities.
We already got 2 excellent Jedi-centric stories from Respawn Entertainment. However, if there’s anything the critically acclaimed Disney+ Andor show has taught us, is that fans also crave seeing the narratives of the people who are caught up in all of this intergalactic mess.
Set in between the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, players will be able to play as Kay Vess, a scoundrel trying to navigate her way in the galactic underworld. She’ll be accompanied by her adorable companion Nix, who also plays a significant part in the gameplay. This is a time of intense conflict as the Empire rules with an iron fist. You’ll be spending your time dealing with various syndicates, a lot of which you can’t bring yourself to trust.
The Empire will also be a looming presence as they can easily wreck your day and label you as a wanted person in a given sector or planet. Reputation is everything in Star Wars Outlaws and the actions and choices you make will impact the way your experiences will pan out.
A galaxy of opportunity
The world of Star Wars Outlaws is driven by 3 things: Influence, Reputation, and Credits. These are what will decide whether or not you’ll be surviving the dark alleys, dingy cantinas, and bustling streets. We already know how talented Massive Entertainment is when it comes to creating dense environments. It’s about time a Star Wars game gets the same treatment.
On-foot gameplay will consist of both action and stealth with your trusty blaster that holds a few more tricks in its arsenal. You’ll also be able to use vehicles in the form of your speeder as you navigate the expansion open worlds. Vehicular combat will also be a prominent feature. You are a scoundrel after all. Running away from people trying to kill you is an occupational hazard.
You’ll also be able to jump into the pilot through Kay’s ship, the Trailblazer. The gameplay that was released featured a seamless transition from the moment you enter the ship on the ground to take off into the vast outer space. All without a single loading screen in sight. If this is true to the final build, what an impressive achievement for the folks at Massive Entertainment.
With your ship, you’ll get the opportunity to get into intense intimate dogfights while also participating in large-scale space battles. On foot, vehicular, and ship gameplay? Star Wars Outlaws is what us fans have always wanted.
You can watch this feature from Ubisoft where they introduce Humberly González, the actress who brings Kay Vess to life. From early impressions, our heroine seems to be smart, witty, and confident all while trying to keep it all together in a world that does not want her alive. Immediately, she is becoming one of the most interesting additions to the Star Wars universe and I can’t wait to see more of her and who she becomes.
You’ll be able to catch González and the rest of the Star Wars Outlaws team in Comic Con San Diego that’s coming in July.
While no final release date has been confirmed, you can expect Star Wars Outlaws to launch sometime in 2024. The force is strong with this one, but my excitement is all the more prominent.