With Star Wars Outlaws finally out in the wilds, it’s become clear that, although not a game without its fair share of flaws, it is still a worthy and unique addition to the space-faring fantasy that fans continue to crave for in a video game.
However, a few of the game’s strange design choices are much harder to look past than others. For instance, the choice to not have Kay shoot while riding on her Speeder is a peculiar one for a Star Wars game set on the side of scoundrels and crime lords. Fortunately for us, the game’s lead designer, Fredrik Thylander, has some concrete answers to clear the fog.
The Choice to Not Shoot During Chases Is a Part of the Star Wars Outlaws’ Goal of Fantasy Fulfillment
To reiterate, Star Wars Outlaws feels like a game that is both up to the mark on modern game design standards and a regression from it, missing features that even Ubisoft has firmly cemented in their game design ethos over their past two decades of releases.
So, when recently asked about the design surrounding the Speeder, Fredrik Thylander had an answer that clears away a ton of our speculation on the game, saying:
What we see in the Star Wars movies is speeder chases – you being chased. We see you having to dodge and get away, and then try to explode their Speeder or make them crash into a tree – especially when we look back at the original trilogy.
Adding to this, he explained that it was not part of their philosophy surrounding in-game chases and was challenging to design while keeping the overall feel of riding the thing aligned with the movies.
Not that it’s a bad decision, but when thinking about this, a lot of the pieces surrounding Star Wars Outlaws fit quite neatly into their places, as the objective of the game was to first replicate the feel of movies rather than being an iterative experience as a game. In that regard, they’ve pretty easily succeeded with this game.
Star Wars Outlaws Is Not Perfect, but It’s Easily One of the Best Additions to the Franchise
At the end of the day, the game’s developers deserve to be proud of what they’ve accomplished here. While some might see the “gamey” bits as a step down from Massive Entertainment’s previous outings, it’s difficult not to praise their focus on building one of the best open worlds based on the series.
Now, granted, the game doesn’t have the best facial animations, the combat and stealth are rudimentary, and the story doesn’t pick up steam right away. At the same time, exploring the world, working through the syndicate system, and taking part in many of the game’s side activities feel unbelievably engrossing.
Not to mention, when the story finally starts running on all its cylinders, it becomes clear why many consider Ubisoft’s newest title a worthy addition to the pantheon of the best Star Wars stories.
With that said, though, what are your thoughts on Outlaws so far? Would you prefer the Speeder bits as is or with the inclusion of free-aim and shoot? Let us know in the comments below.
