Over the years, Ubisoft has been known for its open-world game formula, complete with large, sprawling maps, plenty of side-quest markers, and landmarks for players to discover. This formula can be seen in most of Ubisoft’s biggest franchises, including Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs and Far Cry. In search of seemingly endless content, Star Wars. Outside the law seems to be following in these footsteps. However, filling such large worlds with more intimate, tightly knit stories can be a challenge.
To tell a great story, game developers need a good sense of visual direction. And there are always unique challenges in working with a licensed property as tightly controlled as Star Wars.
At Ubisoft Forward, the game developer sat down to play for one hour Star Wars. Outside the lawand also had the opportunity to speak with Associate World Designer Chloe Hammond and Associate DRT Director Martha Yonkers to discuss the inspiration for the main character designs and trying to strive for the Star Wars aesthetic while still making Outlaws unique.
Star Wars Outlaws’ heroine “survivor”
Star Wars. Outside the law follows rookie rascal Kay Vess and her housemate Nyx. Kay took a bit of inspiration from Han Solo in her design, but the developers wanted to make it clear that she’s still a rookie thief. Her survival mindset and gentle nature allow her to make tools out of anything, including her hairpin, which doubles as a makeshift lock pick. These small details make Wess a much more relatable and grounded character. Her companion is a cute animal named Nyx, and he’s part of a brand new species introduced in Outlaws called the Merqaal.
Its design was inspired by creatures that could survive in the jungle. For example, its scales can protect it from harsh weather. Nix looks a lot like an axolotl with his whiskers, and the development team wanted to give him something he could emote. In the game, Vess can summon Nyx to distract, attack, and even steal enemies.
![The player character's ship fights TIE Fighters in Star Wars Outlaws. The player character's ship fights TIE Fighters in Star Wars Outlaws.](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt740a130ae3c5d529/bltd867561acaec7a19/6668b389e61f656440f4035a/SWO_UbiFW_Trailblazer_combat_NoLogo.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Image via Ubisoft.
Many open-world video games typically have distraction techniques, such as having characters throw rocks or having robots short out nearby electronics to lure enemies away. U Robbers, Nyx himself is used, as he sometimes lies stretched out on the ground while enemies approach him, confused as to what he’s even doing. This adds personality to Nyx, and it’s no surprise that Nyx embodies the trend for “cute” aliens ever since Grog’s Yoda-looking sidekick became very popular on the hit Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian.
The constant interaction between Wes and Nyx creates the impression that they are a family and are constantly looking out for each other.
“There were a lot of masterminds who were very thorough in making sure that Nyx Steele felt like a believable creature that could really survive in the Star Wars world,” Jonkers said. “But at the same time, it would be a very good companion for Wes.”
Wes also has access to his own Trailblazer ship. Like the Nix, the Trailblazer was also inspired by real animals, in this case, the humble turtle. Its design is influenced by the monorail of the 60s and 70s and hints at retrofuturism – or imagining what the future might have looked like in the era when George Lucas was first preparing Star Wars. At the time, people envisioned a 2000s future with flying cars and robot servants, not too dissimilar to what is in Star Wars.
On the planets, Wes gets to ride his motocross bike called the Speeder, which Jonkers says was also inspired by futuristic retro styling. “There’s something familiar about every Star Wars design,” she said. “But there is also a small percentage of the exotic and foreign.” While retrofuturism has its roots in the late 1800s, it continued into the 1960s with the space age and into the 1970s when Star Wars became a cultural phenomenon.
Creating a new world
While the demo didn’t include any open-world parts of the game, Hammond explained that the team wanted to create open-world content in three unique ways. The first was to make sure the towns were densely populated where players could overhear conversations and rumors that might interest a scoundrel like Wes. Wes can gain information and track down characters to learn new skills, giving players an incentive to engage with open-world activities.
The second way is to use vehicles and travel. With Trailblazer, players can discover new space stations and orbital areas. This aspect stands out in that players can actually fly closer to planets before being able to land, which is a much more engaging gameplay feature than simply being able to pick a planet and land on it like in games like Star field and Mass effect.
The third aspect was to convey the impressive environments and sweeping views of the worlds that Wess encounters on his journey. The demo placed Wess in a variety of biomes, including tropical and snowy, giving a glimpse into the variety of settings players can expect.
![Star Wars Outlaws player character Vess and her animal companion explore a factory. Star Wars Outlaws player character Vess and her animal companion explore a factory.](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt740a130ae3c5d529/blt973f42b985331b84/6668b3c67d25f49ace4b2fa9/SWO_UbiFW_Reactor_Grapple_NoLogo.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Image via Ubisoft.
on the surface Star Wars. Outside the law looks like a Star Wars skin on Ubisoft’s typical open-world formula with a checklist of actions to complete. However, the relationship between Wes and Nix is what will keep players invested throughout the journey. It’s also clear that developer Massive Entertainment put a lot of heart and soul into creating this world.
“They’re going to start very small as a duo of rookie thieves and navigate the underworld,” Hammond said, hinting at Wes and her alien sidekick. “I think we provide diversity. Whether it’s in the locations, the quests, or the different characters, it’s all very tailored to this authentic storytelling that we’re trying to do.”