Star Wars is such a big and important franchise that for many years we have received several video games under its license, and fortunately, most of them have been gems. From the fun and humorous LEGO Star Wars to the Knights of the Old Republic saga, not to mention jewels like Rogue Squadron, fans of the saga have always been very well catered to in this aspect.
Still, we must admit that we are a little disappointed that there is still no game that allows us to explore the galaxies visited and mentioned in the movies, as well as create our own story. This problem will end thanks to Star Wars: Outlaws, the first title in the franchise that will be open-world and will let us do what we always dreamed of within the universe that George Lucas created decades ago.
To infinity and beyond... (wrong reference)
This adventure will be set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, a time when authority is more alert than ever because they know about the presence and threat of the rebels. This serves as context, but in reality, our protagonist has nothing to do with this group, but rather is a lone wolf who works on her own and is solely responsible for saving her own skin.
The plot revolves around Kay, a young smuggler who engages in illegal jobs to get juicy rewards. Although she does it independently, she has a particular ally: Nix, who goes beyond the cute companion that serves to sell merchandise for children like hotcakes, but is of great help, as he expands the gameplay immensely.
For example, in a stealth mission, we can use him to attack from behind, distract a guard, or activate a button or lever without being seen. He is also capable of going through spaces where Kay doesn't fit, so we never stop. In addition to the adorable Nix, there is ND5, a combat droid who, for some unknown reason, escaped from the Empire and works as a smuggler with us.
This team of thieves has a lot of potential even though they lack the force, and although they are not related to the known sides in the Star Wars universe, they have enough charisma and chemistry to sell us their story and make us interested in them. It will be fascinating, and probably fun, to see how they interact with each other.
In a very, very explorable galaxy
Despite our excitement about getting to know this crew better, what is really important about Star Wars Outlaws is its open world. Titles like Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor did spectacular work with their narratives, which are possibly on par with the movies, but are adventures that take us by the hand a little. Outlaws promises to deliver on its story but also to give us the freedom to shape it as we want.
According to what we were told in the title's presentation, we will have all the planets of the galaxy at our disposal to explore and take all the available missions on them. There are worlds that we have seen in the films, but there are also others created for the game, and they have very varied ecosystems, populations, and creatures so that visiting each one is unique.
The missions we find on these planets are very risky jobs but with satisfying rewards, and we decide how to complete them. We can do it as stealthily as possible so that no one sees us and avoid conflicts, but if you prefer chaos, it is also possible to arrive as if we owned the place and shoot everything that moves, and then escape on foot or in a speeder.
Although this decision may seem to affect only the fun of a mission, it goes beyond that because if we are discovered and cause many problems, our reputation worsens, and the Empire will be more alert to us. So, when we visit another planet, there is likely to be soldiers waiting for us and looking for our heads.
They can even chase us in space, triggering battles between ships. This part expands the battlefield because in addition to having the surfaces of the planets, there are also the endless reaches of the galaxy. When we are not fighting against spacecraft, we can travel peacefully and discover new routes. We still don't know how many worlds there will be, so we'll have to wait for confirmation.
Prepare your blasters
Other details that we were able to catch a glimpse of are the different blasters we will have at our disposal, some characters who could be our allies or seek to kill us, one or two nods to the film canon, the scale of the cities and towns on the planets, and the vehicles and ships we can drive. There are no words to describe how beautiful this game looks and its potential.
The only sad thing about its announcement and presentation is that it lacks a release date, it is only expected for 2024. Hopefully, this time will serve for the developers to polish all the small details they will introduce in Star Wars Outlaws. This will be the first open-world game in the franchise, and it seems that it will live up to this label.
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