That’s how spectacular the new “Star Wars” game will be

The comparison of space smuggler Han Solo and the heroine of “Star Wars Outlaws”, which was recently officially revealed at the Xbox Showcase in Los Angeles, is obvious. Kay, played by Canadian actress Humberly González, is slightly younger but also carries out shady contracts for crime syndicates and increasingly feels the breath of the empire on her neck.

Kay actually wants to leave all that behind and just live in peace and freedom. But the small change required for this is legally difficult to earn. This somewhat strange struggle for freedom is the narrative centerpiece of “Outlaws”, which takes place between Episodes V and VI. Particularly in terms of gameplay, however, the open world adventure offers much more.

Animal support in shooting and sneaking

Just as Chewbacca is constantly next to Han Solo, Kay also has a furry companion. Nix is ​​the name of the cute critter that looks a bit like a mix of lizard and critter. Nix cannot speak, but follows Kay’s instructions to the letter. In the passages on foot, Kay orders him to attack or distract opponents. The cattle can also press buttons, retrieve healing packs, or drop weapons from opponents. But nothing has what it takes to become a second “Star Wars Jedi” BD1, i.e. the secret star of the game. Whether it’s offensive or sneaky? Both are possible. Melee takedowns and a blaster stun mode even allow for a non-lethal approach. But hey, likeable heroes don’t necessarily have to become killers!

For example, if Kay manages to slip out of the Pykes Syndicate’s hideout just robbed, the chase in the gameplay demo won’t happen. It’s possible that Kay’s reputation with the Pykes won’t even sink, which could have a positive effect on the later order situation or the syndicate could even come to her rescue in a chase with TIE fighters. Even the escape from the empire at the end of the gameplay demo, in which the preliminary neutralization of the wanted level is distantly reminiscent of an escape from the police in “GTA”, can be completely omitted if you take the money from the corrupt officer gives up.

However, you will hardly be able to avoid all conflicts in the final game, since Kay always has to play the various criminals against each other and generally climbs the empire’s most wanted list. There is always the potential for exciting setups.

Open World Action or RPG?

In the interview, the developers of Massive Entertainment leave no doubt that “Star Wars Outlaws” is a true open-world game, or rather one with large open areas from which you can use Kay’s spaceship Trailblazer to get off the moon Toshara to travel to orbit. take off and fly to Jabba’s home planet of Tatooine. Well, it’s not completely seamless, the takeoff and landing are interactive video sequences, which we can go through in an almost unbelievable amount of detail given the fantastic graphics. Aside from this mini-restriction, you should be able to travel the Outer Rim, i.e. the areas on the edge of the Empire’s zone of influence, very freely and move around large cities and lush landscapes for the most part unrestricted.

The developers, when asked, would not go into detail about how much roleplay is included. Since Kay’s ship also has a workbench in any case, one can at least assume optical crafting options. The skill with which Kay marks the two enemy drivers in the chase sequence on the speeder and then shoots them automatically is similar to a grappling hook, but you have to unlock it first. However, we’re betting on a more realistic approach to Kay or Nix’s character development when you’re teaching them new tricks, for example. We might even imagine that there are no classical learning points here. But as with so many of our questions, the developers aren’t willing to disclose any details at this point.

Promising first impression

Star Wars Outlaws looks fantastic and offers tons of action with combat on foot, on the speeder or in the starship. The fact that at least many situations can be managed in stealth mode and in a non-lethal variant is an additional enrichment, especially since this approach suits the likeable Kay and her companion Nix, who is both cute and useful. The story definitely offers some potential for a thrilling story with the deepening entanglement in criminal machinations and the increasing pursuit of the Empire. Many detailed questions remain unanswered, but we are positive about the launch in 2024.