When it comes to Star Wars games, I'm so ready to hang up my lightsaber for a blaster gun. Rather than the ways of the force, give me the ways of a roguish scoundrel Han Solo would welcome with open arms; I'm talking smuggling, stealth, and street smarts in the seedy underbelly of the galaxy. I want to dive into an adventure where I only take orders from just one person: me.
Enter Star Wars Outlaws. Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft's highly anticipated upcoming Star Wars game promises to let me experience a universe I adore from the perspective of "a scoundrel in the underworld". As rookie thief Key Vess, Outlaws will throw us right into the heart of scum and villainy, and in doing so, potentially let me live out my ultimate Star Wars fantasy.
As creative director at Massive Julian Gerighty said in a recent SDCC 2023 interview, Star Wars Outlaws will let you "step into Star Wars and experience Star Wars on your own terms", with the freedom to decide "where you go, how you get there, who you're going to work with, who you're not going to work with, how you're going to make those credits, and how you're going to get away from the bounty on your head". After having my fill of the Jedi life, I couldn't be more on board with the idea of diving into a galaxy far, far away as a "scoundrel archetype" who lives by their own rules.
Never tell me the odds
I know I'm far from alone in wishing I could be Han Solo, or, you know, someone like him. I think it's a fantasy that's been going strong among fans ever since moviegoers first met Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina in 1977. There's an undeniable appeal to the scoundrel lifestyle: living by your own terms, seizing opportunities wherever you can find them, and being something of a grey area when it comes to morality - rather than being governed by a code like the Jedi order.
I've heard about older games that passed me by that tried to play on this desire among fans - such as the 1997 N64 release, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, which puts you in the role of the Solo-like mercenary, Dash Rendar. But as the first ever open-world Star Wars game, Outlaws presents so much freedom and opportunity to truly immerse myself in the scoundrel way of life for the first time.
In the world of roguish types, for example, reputation is the name of the game (and Solo has that in spades). Excitingly, Star Wars Outlaws will feature a "reputation system" as Kay Vess, who starts out as a rookie thief. As Gerighty explained during SDCC, this system will feed into your relationship with the criminal syndicates of the underworld: Cross them and they'll send people after you, but get on their good side and syndicates will let you reap the benefits by giving you special prices on their goods, or access to faction territories and unique quests. In the seedy underbelly of the galaxy, where backstabbing is as natural as breathing, I can't wait to see what paths I can tread as a lone rogue who gets caught up in the criminal chaos.
Scoundrel? I like the sound of that
In a behind-the-scenes look at Outlaws, the team at Massive and Lucasfilm explained why the time period of the upcoming adventure is ripe for Kay to pick as an emerging scoundrel in the world of crime. Set between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Lucasfilm franchise content and strategy director Steve Blank said: "this is a moment where the civil war between the Empire and the Rebellion is at its height, and this creates an environment across the galaxy where outlaws can thrive."
With crime lords such as Jabba the Hutt making an appearance, the timeline sets the perfect scene for some stealthy shenanigans with your trusty (and adorable) animal companion, Nix. After all, when everyone is so preoccupied with the civil war, and many are out to exploit that, it's good to try to slip under the radar when things get heated. I've always loved being stealthy in games. Whether it's a series that makes it a focus such as the best Assassin's Creed games, or RPGs with class builds that let your sneaky side flourish, nothing beats the feeling of skirting around enemies, or outwitting your foes with a well-timed distraction.
After spending a lot of time with my lightsaber as Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order this past year, I'm more than ready to switch things up. In fact, when Outlaws was first revealed last month, the stealth aspect is what initially drew me into Massive's open-world offering. Throw in a side of smuggling, a cunning protagonist, and criminal syndicates, and I'm already sold on hopping onto Kay's speeder and seeing what awaits me in the darker side of the galaxy.
There's so much about Star Wars Outlaws that appeals to me as a longtime fan. But the "scoundrel archetype" is easily its biggest selling point for me as someone who's had their fill of the Force. As Han Solo said to Luke, "hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side", after all. Outlaws presents the chance to step into Star Wars and, crucially, "experience it on your own terms", as Gerighty put it, and I can't think of anything better than that. Sign me up for that "high stakes scoundrel lifestyle" right now.
A fan of the galaxy far, far away? Check out our pick of the best Star Wars games you can play right now.
