Star Wars Outlaws Understands the Importance of Weird Little Guys and Glup Shittos

The cities, towns, and hamlets in Star Wars Desperados are gorgeously detailed (but never overwhelming), with bustling taverns and shady back alleys a refreshing sight. Is it because their interactions are deep? No, not at all. In fact, they are quite static collections when it comes to possible interactions. The secret is that they truly feel like you’re living in them, as if you’ve come straight out of a galaxy far, far away.

Massive Entertainment’s latest open-world game isn’t That Once you pass the graphical demo, you can advance. Its overall world design is actually a limited version of the design Ubisoft has been using for over a decade in Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, and even Avatar: Pandora’s Frontier. However, it’s a nuanced window into the Star Wars universe, and it all comes together because its makers truly understand that Star Wars thrives on cramming cooler background characters and creatures into one scene middle.

Many other Star Wars games (most, in fact) embody the surface atmosphere, sights, and sounds of the vast galaxy that George Lucas had in mind decades ago, and continue to grow in size, age, and scope. Growth comes as new artists enter its sandbox. However, not everyone seems to understand the little things that pile up to make Star Wars… Star Wars and not just another sci-fi/fantasy story pretending to be Star Wars.

Last year’s Jedi: Survivor really understood this mission. The second installment in a planned trilogy, Respawn Entertainment’s Jedi-centric epic is packed with emotion and core themes that have made Star Wars resonate with so many people across generations. On top of that, some extra time was spent (which Fallen Order didn’t have) to flesh out most of the scenes and expand the ground level of the Star Wars galaxy. While the forces of light and dark continue to battle, ordinary people are just getting by, which is a common occurrence in almost any sci-fi or fantasy setting you can think of. Maybe the movie doesn’t have as much time to address these issues when it focuses on Jedi and Sith, the Resistance and the Empire, etc. . Not only that, but they’re the perfect medium for fans to become one with a world they’ve only seen for so long.

When you’re working on a massive open-world game that has to be completed on a deadline, it’s easy to overlook (or at least underestimate) much of the work that goes into making a massive game world come to life. If something isn’t directly tied to the playable experience, it probably won’t get the attention it deserves. Still, these small details are as key to selling the illusion as mechanics and systems or real-time gameplay. In Star Wars Desperados, I found it difficult to keep going without stopping every few minutes to admire the vistas and photograph any new little guy or weird creature I encountered. This quickly becomes a “problem” when there are so many people scattered across the map.

“Desperados” is one of those Star Wars stories that simply showcases how colorful and hilarious the Star Wars universe is. Like the (underrated) spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story , the lower stakes allow us to get closer to the characters in the context of the Skywalker Saga. Shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Andor also understand the appeal of making the Star Wars galaxy bigger by going smaller (at least in the beginning of the plot vs. the grander before connecting things). After so many video games that have delightfully recreated the battle between good and evil, devoting so many resources and time to creating a true villain experience seems like a logical step to keep the Star Wars IP fresh in the gaming space. .

Of course, The Outlaws’ later storylines can’t escape the influence of Star Wars’ core themes (nor should they), but overall, you’re just a schmuck off the radar of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. You just want to get paid and live your life, maybe pamper some bantha in the process. Whenever Kevis comes into contact with something or someone that she feels is beyond her level, she says no. I hope this remains unchanged in future DLC stories. I’d rather keep playing sabacc with Lando than actually join the Resistance. We’ve seen too many Star Wars space operas, but few up-close encounters with the underworld.

The main story of Outlaws takes a while to unfold, but it eventually does, but I’d be right if I said Wes and friends’ big heist was more memorable than finding the Sarlacc’s teeth inside the Sarlacc lie. If you’re rushing through the game’s main beats, you might miss this kind of content entirely. Just don’t skip the “Expert Missions” and the little excursions they bring. Much of Star Wars: Outlaws’ appeal is hiding in plain sight, which might explain why some reviews feel so oddly harsh, or perhaps more representative of Ubisoft’s open-world games, which are better than Star Wars: Outlaws. “Apprentice” is more direct and predictable. Its planets require you to explore at your own pace, gathering bits of information and putting together hidden stories and treasure hunts.

I mean, in Outlaws, I often had more fun talking to Rodian, who was leaning against a table alone, than slogging through the reputation system or following what was thrown at my face on the quest line. Most of it is good content, but Outlaws rewards sick Star Wars gamers who read Wookieepedia articles like they’re real-life data, and casual gamers who check to see if there’s anything hidden behind every waterfall treasure chest. Take a moment to caress that unknown creature. Sit back and try to listen to some gossip. Steal the data card from the careless guard. Taking photos of the new bar band. You won’t find it anywhere else, at least not in such a textured way.

My favorite character in Desperados, besides maybe ND-5, is this Gallus guy whose name I can’t remember, who works for the Empire in a little fish tank. When he showed up, I knew Massive was really good at this game. I roll my eyes every time a regular human shows up, and cheer every time some weird alien becomes a major player or has something interesting to share. The smaller, the better. That’s probably why Nix is ​​the best Star Wars companion since BD-1 came out in 2019 (sorry, Grogu).