Star Wars is a galaxy far, far away, yet somehow feels like it’s just around the corner with every new game release. But not all of those releases have hit the mark. However, something tells me that Star Wars Outlaws could be the game we’ve been waiting for, especially for those of us who prefer our heroes a bit more… morally ambiguous.
I’ve played my fair share of Star Wars lineup games where I’ve swung lightsabers and done the whole hero gig as saving the galaxy, turning down the dark side—classic Jedi stuff. But to be honest, playing the goody-two-shoes can get a tad bit boring. So, with the latest Star Wars Outlaws just around the corner, it feels that the developers might finally get the memo: some of us want to delve into the grittier side of the galaxy.
Over the years, we’ve seen a slew of titles trying to explore the Star Wars underworld. Star Wars: Bounty Hunter tried to give us a taste of the dark side (not that Dark Side) by putting us in the boots of Jango Fett. But, let’s just say it wasn’t the Boba Fett experience we dreamed of—it felt more like Boba Fett Lite, diet version.
Then there was the infamous Star Wars: 1313, which happened to be going to be the gritty Star Wars game to end all gritty Star Wars games, especially with its E3 demo that dropped jaws and seemed Uncharted meets the underworld! Yet, in a twist of fate that was more dramatic than Anakin’s turn to the dark side, the game was canceled thanks to corporate shuffles and whatnot.
Fast forward a bit, and we had the promise of Project Ragtag, another venture into the criminal underbelly of Star Wars. It was spearheaded by none other than an Uncharted series alum, which gave us all hope. But it too got lost in the Sarlacc pit of canceled projects. I guess the Force just wasn’t with those releases.
After a parade of almosts and what-ifs, along comes Star Wars Outlaws, swinging into the fray like Han Solo in the nick of time. It promises an open-world adventure where you can play as Kay Vess, a smuggler who’s probably done more shady deals before breakfast than I’ve had hot dinners, and it looks like they might deliver this time.
Kay Vess will be dealing with cartels, and Imperial officers, and hanging out with a crew that includes a droid who’s more about comic relief. They may have taken a pinch of GTA, a dash of Ubisoft’s open-world magic, and sprinkled it all in a galaxy far, far away. It may be true as it’s the same Ubisoft playing its publisher role on this project in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games.
Star Wars Outlaws seems poised to give us that walk on the wild side we’ve been craving. It’s set in the more worn-down corners of the Star Wars universe, the places where you’d clutch your wallet a little tighter. Further, it’s the time when the galaxy’s scum and villainy need their moment in the spotlight—Jedi and Sith can’t have all the fun, right?
Here’s hoping that Star Wars Outlaws not only lives up to its promises but presents a standard for what a Star Wars game can be. Because if there’s one thing this galaxy needs, it’s a little less sanctimony and a lot more skullduggery. Maybe this time, the Force will be with us, showing us that the best stories might come from the galaxy’s underbelly, where the blasters are loaded, the stakes are high, and the heroes are anything but clean.
