Star Wars Outlaws gameplay revealed in explosive trailer
Ubisoft revealed Star Wars Outlaws during the Xbox Games Showcase on June 11, 2023, with a cinematic trailer. Intrigued gamers didn’t have to be overly patient before seeing some gameplay of what Ubisoft Massive describes as “the first-ever open-world Star Wars game” with a video containing exactly that being released during Ubisoft Forward a day later.
Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi – that’s 3 to 4 ABY for those of you familiar with the in-universe chronology – Star Wars Outlaws follows the story of Kay Vess and her adorable companion Nix. She’s a clever scoundrel seeking the financial independence to begin a new life away from the galactic underworld, which means that she’s up for some high-risk enterprises that might run her afoul with the galaxy’s biggest crime syndicates like the Pykes, Black Sun, and the Hutts. The Empire, of course, is still around at this time and is a threat looming around every corner.
The Star Wars Outlaws gameplay reveal trailer shows off some explosive action as well as a more sneaky bit, giving us a taste of what’s going to be possible in this game set in a galaxy far, far away. You can check it out for yourself below:
Kay can command Nix to take down enemies quietly or fetch items. There is stealth-based gameplay, cover plays a huge role during shoot-outs, and you can have exciting speeder chases. There seems to be a fair bit of decision-making as well with the video showing Kay refusing to bribe an imperial official and getting herself into trouble. Presumably, she could have made her life easier by simply agreeing to pay a bribe. The transition between atmospheric flight and space seems to be seamless.
Ubisoft Massive is mostly known for making The Division, an open-world third-person shooter with lots of looting, and it seems like Outlaws is definitely inheriting some characteristics from Massive’s previous work. However, the game also seems like it’s a good deal more story-driven. The space western aesthetics and atmosphere certainly fit right into the setting and fans of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated show will be happy to spot a reprogrammed Separatist commando droid called ND-5 as one of Kay’s companions in a nice connection of the eras.
Star Wars Outlaws does not have a release date yet, but is planned to be launched some time in 2024 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Ubisoft only lists a Ubisoft Connect launch for the PC version right now and the game is nowhere to be found on Steam, so this might be a timed exclusive release on Ubisoft’s own platform.