If you were worried that Star Wars Outlaws was going to end up being an infinite Ubisoft timesink ala Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, the developers at Massive Entertainment want to put you at ease, noting that the experience will be «very manageable».
24.07.2023 - 22:39 / pcgamesn.com / Julian Gerighty / Kay Vess / Will
Star Wars Outlaws is one of the most highly anticipated RPGs this year, due in part to the fact that it will stand as the Star Wars series’ first open-world game. While Ubisoft’s upcoming title has already amassed quite a fan following, there is still much to learn about what makes Star Wars Outlaws unique. Massive Entertainment’s creative director Julian Gerighty took part in a recent interview on the pre-launch game, discussing a bit of everything from the main characters to the gameplay features and how they’ll work.
When asked about Star Wars Outlaws behind-the-scenes and why it works so well as an open-world experience, Gerighty said that it offers players a chance to “step into those locations both new and iconic, and really discover and direct the experience that they want.” In other words, it gives fans the chance to play through the game however they want to. If that means proceeding through the main story in a more linear fashion, so be it. If it means becoming distracted by curiosity, that’s just as valid.
Gerighty went on to talk about the main characters of the game, including Kay Vess, Nix, and ND-5. On Vess, he said that the developers “built her to be somebody who was a rookie thief, so just starting in the scoundrel lifestyle, if you will, but has dreams of exploring the whole of the galaxy.” He described Vess as a “fish out of water on a planet that’s really a hive of scum and villainy,” which sets her character off.
As for Nix, Gerighty said the devs “think of Kay and Nix together as a whole.” Nix is meant to be her “trusty companion,” but more than just a pet. “This is the only person that you really trust as Kay Vess,” said Gerighty on their relationship. Nix is a new creature created for the game itself, inspired by “a lot of references from animals on Earth that have been mashed together.” In the end, what the devs got was a “beautiful, lovable, but incredibly aggressive merqaal that we call Nix, that’s become a huge favorite on the team.”
ND-5 on the other hand was described by the director as “a character that you meet a little bit later on in the adventure and, he joins as a minder, a bodyguard, but an observer, as well.” Interestingly enough, he also calls ND-5 “a droid with a very complicated past,” saying that the character will become “a huge fan favorite.”
When asked about Star Wars Outlaw’s planetary system and how the devs worked to make new areas unique, Gerighty replied that players would feel at home even in undiscovered locations. “I’m in something that is undiscovered, that feels relatable because it has elements that you know, but really takes you out of the familiarity with that little twist,” he said, saying that many “simple, but really, really refined little
If you were worried that Star Wars Outlaws was going to end up being an infinite Ubisoft timesink ala Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, the developers at Massive Entertainment want to put you at ease, noting that the experience will be «very manageable».
Ubisoft knows its way around compelling open worlds, but Star Wars Outlaws is shaping up to be one of its biggest and most densely detailed yet. As previously announced, each planet in the release will be fully explorable, with enough open space to give you a meaningful sense of adventure. And the French publisher is handcrafting every one: there’s no procedural generation.
Ever wondered what kind of nightmarish, extraterrestrial smoothy you could whip up with the disgusting liquids that barbarian Luke Skywalker was always chugging down? It might not actually taste that bad; as dedicated fans well know, George Lucas had a bad habit of making things sound worse than they actually are (see "Jizz" as an example of this, the specific kind of space-jazz employed by the Max Rebo band).
In a recent interview, developers at Massive outlined the size and scope of Star Wars Outlaws stating that the title is «not a 200 or 300-hour epic unfinishable RPG.»
While Ubisoft’s last few releases have been more miss than hit, the future is slightly better, thanks to titles like Star Wars Outlaws. Developed by Ubisoft Massive of The Division fame, it’s an open-world third-person shooter starring Kay Vess, who pursues the scoundrel lifestyle across numerous planets.
Despite its open world, Star Wars Outlaws won't be a «300 hour epic unfinishable RPG». Phew.
If you’re a fan of the Star Wars franchise, then you might understand that there is a dark underbelly in the galaxy. Most might instantly think of the Jedi and Sith as being the focal point. But those that are not Force-sensitive have other areas to worry about. We know that there are a few criminal syndicates that thrive in this galaxy, with the Hutt Clan being one of the more notoriously known. However, if you dig deeper into the franchise, you might come across other notable crime syndicates citizens are fighting back against or aligning with. You’ll find that these criminal syndicates will play a big role in Star Wars Outlaws.
Coming up with a Star Wars game is harder than you might imagine. There’s a lot to be mindful of regarding keeping things canon. You certainly don’t want to write against what a movie, film, novel, or comic book has already established. So we imagine the efforts to deliver the Star Wars Outlaws game were challenging and rewarding for the team. Fortunately, we can go into this game knowing that the developers took quite a bit of time ensuring that it remains authentic to the franchise.
One of the reasons that Star Wars Outlaws intrigued gamers from the moment it was revealed was that, on the surface, it looked like no other game set in the galaxy far, far away that we had seen before. Primarily, games from this galaxy focus on the Jedi/Sith or are based on the movies that have come out. Oh, or are LEGO versions of those films. Just saying. This game from Ubisoft is in a much different position because it focuses on the smuggler Kay Vess, who is trying to obtain her freedom and start a new life for herself.
Star Wars Outlaws creative director Julian Gerighty says the upcoming open-world game won't follow in the footsteps of modern Assassin's Creed titles as a "200 or 300-hour epic unfinishable RPG."
Since the last three Assassin's Creed games are gigantic RPGs with equally as expansive maps, there's understandable anxiety when Ubisoft announces a new RPG--will it be an unfathomable time sink of hundreds of hours? With Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft says no.
Ubisoft has addressed some worries about Star Wars Outlaws’ playtime.