Star Wars Outlaws interview: How Ubisoft is bringing the series\u2019 first open-world to life UbisoftStar Wars Outlaws is no run-of-the-mill open-world experience playing it safe with one of the biggest IPs in the galaxy today. Rather, Ubisoft\u2019s ambitious open-world title reads like a love letter to the franchise from lifelong fans. We spoke with Narrative Director Navid Khavari and Game Director Mathias Karlson to take a peak behind the curtain. After playing a full hour of Outlaws over Summer Game Fest, I was able to speak with two of the leading men at the helm at Ubisoft. One thing above all else quickly became clear: They deeply care about Star Wars. For Khavari, a lifelong fan having once adorned his office desk with Yoda figures, long before a conversation with Lucasfilm ever seemed possible, this project is an absolute dream come true. For Karlson, an open-world savant, the opportunity to transfer his talents to one of the most beloved franchises of all time is not one he\u2019s taking lightly, and you could just sense the passion every time he began speaking about Outlaws. Both exude confidence in what the dev team has accomplished while never forgetting to remain humble, they know the stakes and acknowledge the pressure, but are all too eager to cross the finish line knowing they\u2019ve cooked up a feast for Star Wars fans. All roads lead to Kay Vess Outlaws began with its protagonist. Before there was a narrative mapped out, planets locked in, or even a place on the greater Star Wars timeline set in stone, there was Kay Vess. \u201cAt its heart, Star Wars is a story about characters, Khavari began. \u201cTo do service to this universe and to the fans, we had to start with the character. Making sure this fits into the theme of a scoundrel. Everything organically flowed from that.\u201d From unique gameplay systems and combat abilities to how we as players interact with the sprawling open lands, everything has been built from the ground up specifically to \u201cstay true to Kay.\u201d The very structure of Outlaws was, in turn, settled upon after Kay Vess was established as the game\u2019s protagonist. In order to flesh out an underworld tale, having players watch a character rise from a nobody to a legendary scoundrel, \u201cit needed to be an open world experience,\u201d Karlson said. \u201cFor us, it just felt so natural that this fantasy of this type of character, navigating the underworld, being under the watchful eye of the Empire, we really get to feel the freedom and that your actions have consequences.\u201d Any other approach wouldn\u2019t have cut it, the devs explained. An open-world structure was the ideal fit for Kay Vess and that\u2019s a sentiment that repeated a great deal throughout our conversation. What feels most authentic to the protagonist\u2019s personality, goals, and overall place in the galaxy? Every design choice along the way seems to have been factored into the equation to serve Kay Vess, and through our brief hands-on experience, it certainly seems all the better for it. Lucasfilm embraces Outlaws with open arms As the first open-world Star Wars game ever, and just the second Star Wars game published by Ubisoft (who could forget 2006\u2019s Lethal Alliance?), the devs have no doubt been under immense pressure. But from the very beginning, Lucasfilm has been there every step of the way, supporting the team however possible, not just allowing them to add some fresh ingredients to the mix, but actively encouraging them to do so. New characters, a whole new species, a new faction, the first visualization of a planet, Ubisoft hasn\u2019t just taken an inch, they\u2019ve been running for miles at this point and the owners of the IP appear to have been extremely supportive. \u201cOne of the most exciting things when we went to Lucasfilms and talked about wanting to do a scoundrel story, they were so receptive to us bringing new things to the table,\u201d Khavari said. \u201cThey were collaborators every step of the way. When we started talking about characters, creating a new syndicate, when we wanted to develop the first realized version of Akiva, they were so receptive. Not only were we lucky enough to draw from [the galaxy\u2019s existing lore], we were able to contribute.\u201d From the very first pitch, as a handful of Ubisoft\u2019s higher-ups visited Lucasfilm to sell them on the idea, including Khavari and Karlson, Lucasfilm has been in their corner. It was established as a mutually beneficial relationship, as devs addressed upfront, \u201cWe\u2019re fans, not scholars. We need you and you need us so that we together can bring this thing to life,\u201d Karlson recounted. \u201cThey\u2019ve been our guides making sure not just that we fit into the canon, but also helping us build new things without ever taking us out of the driver\u2019s seat. It\u2019s our creative engine, but with them as shepherds.\u201d In constant communication with the Lucasfilm team, Khavari described their working relationship as being \u201cextremely organic.\u201d There\u2019s no hostility to any pitches, no matter how bold or innovative they might seem for the IP. \u201cIt became\u2026 Ok, can we do this character? Do we want to do this character? It was always in the spirit of \u2018how does this relate to Kay\u2019s journey?\u2019\u201d Speaking to one specific example on the gameplay side, Karlson explained how Lucasfilm helped Ubisoft achieve its vision for Kay\u2019s arsenal. \u201cWe wanted to give Kay a blaster that has modules that grow and evolve. We\u2019ve never seen that before in Star Wars,\u201d he said. \u201c[Lucasfilm] has always been like \u2018Yes, how do we make that happen?\u2019 Never \u2018no.\u2019\u201d Breathing life into the galaxy While obviously a more polished chunk of the overall experience, what we were shown of Outlaws during Summer Game Fest carried the Star Wars atmosphere without question. There\u2019s that special something in the air when you\u2019re wandering the streets of a bustling city waiting to be explored. There\u2019s that uneasy feeling as you survey the cantina and keep tabs on some of the more suspicious characters. There\u2019s that sheer sense of joy as the camera zooms out, you get a lay of the land, and the screen wipes to the next sequence in trademark Star Wars fashion. The diverse range of environments have been brought to life with remarkable detail, as even the smallest etchings on a wall or a flickering light down an alleyway help ground you in this galaxy far, far away. Yet as Karlson outlined, it\u2019s not the easiest task adapting such a beloved series with this degree of detail. In the movies, you see a set that\u2019s been painstakingly realized, but there\u2019s little in the way of interactivity. It\u2019s very much just that, a set. When it comes to a 3D space inside a current-gen video game, it\u2019s a completely different beast. \u201cIt\u2019s a real place, it\u2019s not a movie set. If you scratch the surface, there is substance, Karlson said. No slice of the demo exemplified this greater than in my third and final mission. After fleeing the Empire and briefly taking shelter on the nearest planet, it quickly became clear just how much time I\u2019m sure to be spending soaking it all up when the game hits store shelves. Wander down one direction and you can find an NPC eager to have a chat. Hear him out and it might lead you to a hidden stash, or maybe he\u2019ll just take some of your credits and never give them back. Can anyone other than Nix be trusted? Turn down another walkway and you can find yourself invited to a game of Sabbac to win some credits back and then some. Just be sure never to tell anyone the odds. Continue your travels and you\u2019ll bump into traders of all sorts, along with a huge cast of NPCs that can help Kay grow as a scoundrel. Some may be able to share their hacking skills, improving your efficiency with the many mini-games present. Others may help train your weapon proficiency to ensure you\u2019re not out in combat with the aim of a Stormtrooper. Of course, you could just beeline straight to the next mission, but doing so would be doing yourself a disservice. Love has been poured into this open world and it seems well worth your time to absorb as much as possible. A relentless power struggle Underpinning your every action in Star Wars Outlaws is a reputation system. On the surface, it may not sound like much, but look a little deeper and you\u2019ll find this system has a direct impact on how your experience pans out. In one of the three missions we got to play, Kay was tasked with stealing a valuable artifact from one of the game\u2019s many syndicates. In doing so, she\u2019s able to raise her status with that particular faction. They\u2019ll know they can rely on her for bigger jobs moving forward and put their trust in her to get it all done. However, that artifact you stole\u2026 Just so happens to belong to a different faction you\u2019ve had dealings with. Once they get wind of what you\u2019ve done, let\u2019s just say they won\u2019t be your biggest fan in that moment. It\u2019s a balancing act at all times as keeping in good favor with various factions is vital to your success. Fall down the totem pole one too many times and you\u2019ll feel the consequences out in the open world. Areas under that syndicate\u2019s control may no longer be accessible. Traders favored by said syndicate may hike the prices up twofold when you enter their store. Entire missions and storylines could even be temporarily unavailable if you upset the wrong power players throughout the galaxy. \u201cKay is thrust out into the larger galaxy in a bit of an unexpected way,\u201d Karlson said. \u201c[She] has to find her footing, not side with any one group, retain her freedom, and work towards her goal. It\u2019s an ebb and flow. It\u2019s not friendship, not allegiance, it\u2019s reputation. What can I do for you? What can you do for me?\u201d In some cases, you\u2019re going to have to make some uncomfortable decisions. You can\u2019t please everyone all of the time. However, for completionists out there worried this might put a stop to their 100% run, fear not. I made sure to get some clarity and it turns out, you can indeed see and do everything, maxing out a positive reputation with all syndicates at once, though it certainly isn\u2019t easy. \u201cGood luck with that,\u201d Khavari joked. If you upset one particular group for whatever reason, there\u2019s always a way to get back in their good graces. However, for some, it may be easier than others. \u201cHow can Kay get back into the good books of Jabba The Hutt?\u201d Khavari added. \u201cBut if you\u2019re skilled enough, you can pull off the right job [for them]. The fantasy lends itself to that, playing the syndicates off each other.\u201d As you gather from not just this interview but our hands-on preview as well, there\u2019s a great deal to discuss when it comes to Star Wars Outlaws. An hour barely felt like enough time to even get a slight grasp on the game\u2019s full scope. We haven\u2019t even mentioned open-world exploration, space combat, customization, and plenty more in-between. Outlaws is shaping up to be one hell of a ride, and I for one, can\u2019t wait to see how Kay Vess cements herself as a legendary figure in the underbelly of Star Wars canon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Star Wars Outlaws interview: How Ubisoft is bringing the series\u2019 first open-world to life UbisoftStar Wars Outlaws is no run-of-the-mill open-world experience playing it safe with one of the biggest IPs in the galaxy today. Rather, Ubisoft\u2019s ambitious open-world title reads like a love letter to the franchise from lifelong fans. We spoke with Narrative […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85094"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85094\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}