GamesOpen WorldStar Wars OutlawsHow Star Wars Outlaws skips RPG conventions like levels and XP to “reward player curiosity” and turn every skill we learn into “a little adventure in itself"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesOpen WorldStar Wars OutlawsHow Star Wars Outlaws skips RPG conventions like levels and XP to “reward player curiosity” and turn every skill we learn into “a little adventure in itself"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
InStar Wars Outlaws, mastering the ways of the scoundrel is all about who you know. With a bounty on your head and a desire for freedom driving protagonist Kay Vess forward, the connections you make will be just as important as your actions and reputation. After all, no one starts at the top of their game, and as a newcomer in the Outer Rim, Kay has a lot to learn to become a bonafide gunslinger, thief, and resourceful underdog even Han Solo could be proud of. But rather than earning XP, or increasing levels in order to learn the tricks of the trade,we’ll have to put in the legworkto locate local experts and convince them to impart their wisdom.
“There are people in this galaxy who will teach you new tricks,” says lead systems designer Matthieu Delisle. “Experts are our take on a progression system that kind of breaks away from more traditional types of progression. So we’re not talking about XP bars, or levels, or even ability trees. To unlock new abilities in Outlaws, you will first need to find elusive experts. And the best place to start is in the cantinas, where you can pick up rumors and ask around to find some intel about where to find the local experts. Once you find them, they will ask you to go on an adventure to convince them to help.”
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Expert in the field
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
“Part of Star Wars' DNA is a very verbal tradition [of] people learning from each other"Fredrik Thylander
“Part of Star Wars' DNA is a very verbal tradition [of] people learning from each other”
“The signature ability here with our speeder expert, it’s a speeder jump that you can learn to do, and the unlock conditions are to land a 60 meter jump,” Delisle explains. “And the really interesting thing about this is that when you get these challenges, you start looking at the world with a different eye, because now [you think], ‘how do I do a 60 meter jump?’. All those cliffs and those ramps that I’ve seen before [in the world], they were really fun to ride, but now they serve a different purpose. So you start thinking about the open world as the solution to a problem that will lead you to unlock new abilities.”
The “open world as the solution to a problem” philosophy drives right at the heart of what initially inspired the team to break away from more traditional progression systems like skill trees: “From the get go, we wanted the game to be about exploration,” Delisle tells me. “So we wanted to reward player curiosity. And we really wanted to make the world kind of a character, that’s part of the story as well, because those worlds have so much personality. So we came up with this idea of elusive experts that are hiding all around the galaxy that you need to find, and then they will teach you new tricks and new abilities, which is also something that you see a lot in Star Wars.”
“Part of Star Wars' DNA is a very verbal tradition [of] people learning from each other”, lead gameplay designer Fredrik Thylander adds. “Absolutely,” Delisle agrees, “we wanted [players to look at] the world with a new eye, both as an experience of exploration, but also as an experience of growing your character.”
Making a name for yourself
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
A Star Wars story(Image credit: Ubisoft)How Massive crafted Kay and Nix’s story in Star Wars Outlaws: “What would it be like for any of us to meet Jabba the Hutt for the first time?”
A Star Wars story
(Image credit: Ubisoft)How Massive crafted Kay and Nix’s story in Star Wars Outlaws: “What would it be like for any of us to meet Jabba the Hutt for the first time?”
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
How Massive crafted Kay and Nix’s story in Star Wars Outlaws: “What would it be like for any of us to meet Jabba the Hutt for the first time?”
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“Early on, we knew that we wanted to tell a strong story. So we didn’t want five different endings, we wanted some continuity to Kay’s story. But at the same time, we wanted a strong element of choice in the game,” Delisle says. “And we felt like navigating the different syndicates, playing them against each other, betraying them, being betrayed yourself sometimes was like the most scoundrel-y thing that we could do to offer an element of choice. So that’s kind of the inception of the reputation system. With that as a foundation, we connected reputation to so many different things.”
One such thing are contracts, which you can take on in the open world to earn some favor with the syndicates. As senior systems designer Alice Rendell says, “the underworld is full of opportunities for Kay to improve her reputation, or her equipment”, and contracts offer a way to fix your mistakes .
“There are many different contract brokers in the galaxy who need a smuggler or a thief; basically someone just like Kay. And these workers hand out jobs on behalf of the syndicates,” Rendell says. “So this is a great way for Kay to work her way up from a bad or poor reputation if she’s in a bit of a hole with her reputation, and become someone that the syndicate leaders will trust enough to give more important and higher paying jobs.”
“Once you have completed a job, there is always the opportunity to play the underworld” Rendell adds, “you have the choice to betray your employer. You can hand the goods over to someone else, always at the risk of hurting your reputation with whoever employed you in the first place.”
The Star Wars universe has a new moon – how Ubisoft’s Massive made Toshara for Star Wars Outlaws, “a true haven for the outlaws and the underworld”.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5
Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”