Star Wars Outlaws’ Developers Share Their Story Inspirations

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With Star Wars Outlaws just around the corner, developer Massive Entertainment share how they crafted their Star Wars story.

Transcript

00:00For Star Wars Outlaws, Massive worked together with Lucasfilm games to bring a

00:04different kind of Star Wars story to life. Instead of being swept up in the

00:08conflict between the Empire and the Rebellion, or the Jedi and Sith, we'll be

00:11stepping into a scoundrel story through the eyes of someone who's experiencing

00:15the underworld and the galaxy for the first time. As laid out by narrative

00:19director Navid Kavari, our newbie is Kay Vess, who's sent out on a journey that

00:24spans the Outer Rim as an outlaw, and she'll be forced to confront her past

00:27to guarantee her future. With the chance to create a fresh experience that plays

00:32around with the Han Solo archetype, the team set out to craft a story that could

00:35combine Lucasfilm's great history of storytelling with Massive's ability to

00:39craft open worlds through the lens of an up-and-coming thief who's trying to find

00:44her own way.

00:45Wait. We haven't met. Don't really know many of you.

00:51It was crucial to us that Star Wars Outlaws is not a story about the rebel

00:55alliance. It's not a story about the Empire. It's the story of a scoundrel, a

00:59thief, a hustler, an outlaw. It's the story of Kay Vess, Kavari says. And that

01:04feel, that tone, that aesthetic, that perspective, was absolutely crucial in

01:09forming the character of Kay Vess, a rookie taking her first steps into the

01:12greater galaxy.

01:15Once the team decided on exploring a scoundrel story in Outlaws, one of the

01:26first hurdles was determining where it would sit in the Star Wars timeline. Kavari

01:30explains that it was important to figure out the era early on, since every era has

01:35its own tone, its own set of characters, and its own aesthetic. After meeting with

01:39Lucasfilm Games at the start of the project, the suggestion was made that the

01:42turbulent period of time between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi

01:45would be perfect. That one-year gap, where the Empire is at its absolute

01:49height of power, Kavari says, but it's a bit distracted by the vigilante rebellion,

01:53and the underworld really is thriving. So that felt like a really, really good

01:57period to base our game in our story.

02:00With an era and scoundrel archetype in mind, we moved into what we call the story

02:11rooms, Kavari says. These weren't just writers rooms, we actually tried to invite

02:15a lot of different disciplines to participate in organically growing the

02:18story. So level artists, quest designers, writers, because we wanted it to grow

02:23holistically.

02:30Above all, the team wanted to tell a story with a character who feels relatable, which

02:33actually led to one of the most engaging discussions in the story room about one

02:37familiar face that will be making an appearance. K is someone we can connect

02:41with, and gives us a new perspective. K is not a character that has ever fought a

02:44stormtrooper, so what would it be like for any of us to meet Jabba the Hutt for the

02:48first time? What does that play like when you have no history, or even any idea who

02:52Jabba is?

02:53Right? Look, don't try anything. I've got a whole crew surrounding this.

02:57Okay, we're skipping that part.

02:59While audiences may be familiar with Star Wars, we got to go on this journey with a

03:02rookie who's seen everything for the first time.

03:05Doing what we have to, to survive.

03:09As K goes up against the underworld, she won't be alone, with Nyx at her side as her

03:19partner in crime. Kavari says he's like K's heart in a lot of ways narratively.

03:24She's not one to trust others easily, but Nyx is said to open her up, meaning that she

03:28might have the ability to trust others as well, thanks to his loyal presence.

03:32Nyx, attack.

03:40Though the pair will venture to various locations and worlds, the story begins in

03:44Kantonica, or the city of Kanto Bight. This is where she lived in the shadow of the wealthy elite.

03:50Associate narrative director John Bjorling says,

03:53Far away from the oppression of the elite and the fights of the rebellion.

03:56K herself is going to be taking jobs on Kanto, Kavari says.

03:59She's running out of some marks to hustle, her world is getting very, very small,

04:03and she's looking to leave Kanto Bight.

04:05You want to survive? Know the players.

04:08You're new to this world. Come back when you're not.

04:13And when she takes up one job that puts her in way over her head,

04:16she ends up with a death mark on her back, and on entering a journey through the galaxy

04:20and through the greater underworld.

04:21I can't wait to discover what K's perspective on the galaxy will offer us

04:31when Star Wars Outlaws arrives on August 30th.

04:34What about you? Are you excited to live this scoundrel fantasy,

04:37or looking forward to seeing the Star Wars universe through a new perspective?

04:40Let us know down below. And for more, make sure to check out GamesRadar.com.

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