Ubisoft Massive is not idle. After releasing Avatar Frontiers of Pandora in 2023, the Swedish studio is preparing to deliver its vision of Star Wars with Star Wars Outlaws. A game which, like that of the big blue men, is not a direct adaptation. It’s an original point of view, but one that obviously incorporates all the lore of the cult license signed George Lucas. Are we heading for a (very) good surprise like Fallen Order and Jedi Survivor? We were able to test it at Summer Game Fest 2024, but also speak with the game’s narrative director, Navid Khavari.
Almost twenty years after the release of Lethal Alliance, Ubisoft has taken over one of the most prestigious franchises in the world. An intergenerational saga which continues to move crowds in droves, and whose interest does not fade despite setbacks. With Star Wars Outlaws, Massive Entertainment (The Division 2, Avatar Frontiers of Pandora) wants to offer an experience different from previous games in this universe.
A brand new heroine
Star Wars Outlaws lets you play as Kay Vess who is nothing like the Jedi we usually play, including in Fallen Order and its sequel. She is a “simple” outlaw who grew up penniless, in the working-class neighborhood of Canto Bight, and who aspires to a better life. Even if it means playing spoilsport across the galaxy. And she has a certain talent for this, hence the fact that she is approached by a criminal to carry out a very lucrative heist which will allow her to blow up the bounty weighing on her. For Navid Khavari, narrative director of the game, it is therefore more a story of “underworld scoundrels” than a story around the Jedi, the Force and everything else that generally takes precedence in films, series or games.
However, the adventure fits into the middle of the feature films since the plot takes place between Star Wars Episode V: The Empire and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. But all the events depicted in the films take place in the background of Kay’s life. “She has a unique perspective on what’s happening in the broader context, but also on these iconic characters that we love and know. What was very interesting for us, for example, was what would happen if you met Jabba the Hutt for the first time. If you don’t know who he is. If you don’t have this reference ».
Although there is a very clear link between the works of George Lucas and Star Wars Outlaws, the director was not involved in the design, unlike Lucasfilm Games. But the company wasn’t there to chaperone Ubisoft Massive and slap developers’ fingers. On the contrary, the narrative director of the title underlines a collaboration “very fruitful, honest and organic” with a company that was available and attentive to help the studio “capture the spirit” from the world of George Lucas. “We worked in close collaboration with Lucasfilm and always with a view to exchange in order, for example, to have feedback on the way in which our work fits into a broader universe. They always encouraged us incredibly. At every stage of development, their main concern was always asking us if we were being sincere with Kay’s character.”.
According to Navid Khavari, even Disney, which is known for rigorously regulating its licenses, has not put obstacles in the way by imposing things or restrictions. This is also why the members of Ubisoft had a free hand to develop from scratch the planet Toshara, which draws its inspiration from East Africa, but also to bring Akiva to life. An environment from the novel Aftermath (among others). Should we expect exhaustive exploitation of the extended universe? It looks like it.
“ There are so many easter eggs in this game that I wish I could tell you about. But what I can promise you is that the team did their research. There’s this wreck that Kay is exploring, it’s a High Republic cruiser. We like to put lots of little details and easter eggs”. We tried to find out if Gideon would be in the casting in one way or another, but our interlocutor pushed aside to keep surprises at the launch. On the other hand, and it has already been official for some time, Qi’ra from the criminal organization Crimson Dawn will be in the game. And one of the other things that Ubisoft Massive is proud of is having had the opportunity to create a new species which will be omnipresent since it is Nix. A merqaal who follows Kay like his shadow and which will be very practical for him to make a name for himself in the galaxy.
A duo adventure full of cuteness
After the various enticing trailers, we were finally able to get to know Star Wars Outlaws, the time of three missions to test the various mechanics and the most rudimentary phases of play. We started by infiltrating a base, in order to recover a module for our ship, guarded from the start by several officers and stormtroopers. Enemies who, if they spot us, have the ability to raise an alarm directly or run to a sign to call for reinforcements – which can be sabotaged to prevent this.
At the beginning, we played it smart by taking advantage of the abilities of Nix, our cute companion. He is rather resourceful since he can open (unlocked) doors for us, go into enemies’ pockets to bring back objects like grenades, or even highlight key elements of the decor. But where he is best is at triggering an explosion, attacking an opponent or even distracting them. This allows Kay, and therefore the player, to sneak behind the back of an opponent to stealthily kill him. And it becomes interesting depending on the environment and the number of soldiers given that we can really take advantage of this window to bypass our targets and surprise them with a frontal or more discreet assault. We really hope that the level design will encourage this type of strategy, whether with closed or more open environments, because it’s a real plus.
In the event of a failed infiltration, you have no choice, you have to take out your blaster which is equipped with several modules. The plasma is there only for damage, while the “Lion” is used to reduce and neutralize enemy energy shields, or to seriously hurt droids with little resistance to this type of ammunition. Finally, there is also a third module to torpedo an opponent in one hit. When a gauge is full, Kay can also trigger a special shot where the action is almost frozen to allow several people to be targeted, like the Cold Blood mechanic in Red Dead.
As for the gunfights, they are quite conventional, but the Star Wars soundscape necessarily adds another dimension. And the immersion should be further reinforced by the adaptive triggers as well as the haptic feedback of the DualSense, since the PS5 controller will be supported in particular for weapons. Unfortunately we did not have any at our disposal for this session. In addition to taking cover behind a low wall for example, Kay can initiate a slide which, for the moment, is not perfect. It’s hard to describe, but it’s too catchy and the animation is too floaty, which ruins the movement itself.
Between two gunfights, Star Wars Outlaws has planned to test your knowledge of rhythm and observation, with a mini-game to force the most robust doors. You must in fact model your lockpick gun shots on a very precise tempo, identifiable with the sounds emitted, or by paying attention to a light which is also in rhythm. And it’s not easy. We’ll have to take the hit, but above all we hope that it won’t be worn out to death. In the same genre, there is another “random” mini-game where you have to align symbols on a panel… without any reference. We simply have indications to tell us if the pictograms are in the wrong order, for example.
It’s nice from an in-universe point of view, but we’ll see if it’s overused either. Star Wars Outlaws being a modern TPS, which has heard of the existence of a certain Uncharted, there are these moments of escape where the decor is in tatters and where our heroine is about to pass the weapon left to at any time, and a grappling hook to reach a wall or platform too far away for a simple jump. Effective as always. We couldn’t leave this first session without flying off into a space battle. And for once, it unfortunately lacked punch. We will have to see when the ship will be improved, but in our opinion the speed was still insufficient and the scenery was too fixed to provide real sensations. Even if we haven’t been able (yet) to roam freely in the world of Star Wars Outlaws, coming out of this preview, we have no doubt about the ability of Ubisoft Massive to take us on a journey into this resolutely iconic universe. . The studio knows how to do it, Avatar Frontiers of Pandora is proof of it, and the general atmosphere really makes you want to discover more.
We are waiting for Star Wars Outlaws with the desire to discover more
On paper, Star Wars Outlaws is still a great promise. Even if this presentation was precise and quite academic, we already feel the care given to the universe. Whether it’s music, sounds or environments, we have what we’re looking for and we know that there will be much, much more. We are now very curious to discover the open world, the famous and much-vaunted reputation system, and to see the evolution of opportunities with the adorable, and very useful, Nix. Among other things. A good general impression therefore, despite doubts about the battles in space or the poorly executed slide which could have contributed to the gunfights.