Star Wars Outlaws devs say they want to nail that Han Solo 'scoundrel fantasy'

Mon calamari and an imperial officer at a secluded cantina table

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

In a recent interview, Star Wars: Outlaws game director Mathias Karlson and narrative director Navid Khavari sat down with GameSpot to dish out some more details on the upcoming open world Star Wars game. They give the impression of new character Kay Vess as an up-and-coming, Han Solo-style character diving into the galaxy's underworld at one of the darkest points in the movie timeline.

If Vess' snappy space jacket, quirky nonhuman companion, and chunky junker of a starship didn't clue you in, Outlaws is trying to be the Star Wars scoundrel game, much like how 1313 (RIP) was supposed to be the definitive bounty hunter send-up. "We got excited about this 'scoundrel fantasy,'" Khavari told Gamespot. "And when you think of scoundrels and what era this could fit in between, well, in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, there's this civil war consuming the galaxy.

"To enter into the underworld within that window felt like a perfect starting point for someone like Kay and for the Player."

Kay contrasts with scruffy nerf herders of yore, however, in how new she is to the whole scoundrel business. Khavari and Karlson characterize her as a rookie diving into Star Wars' thriving criminal underworld: "With Kay, her direction hasn't been set yet. She hasn't made her mark on the galaxy. She doesn't know all these syndicates and criminal organizations," Khavari stated. "And as a character, her having that sort of self-deprecating, 'I'm still figuring it out' attitude feels really refreshing, to be honest. That's a joy to write for."

"Kay is also a bit of a loner," Karlson added. "She's someone who has grown up having to do everything herself, having to survive herself. And Nix [her fluffy animal friend she can use to distract and sabotage enemies] is almost like this chink in her armor. It's her only family. It's her support system. And I think what's great is it translates from story to gameplay as well."

We'll be able to see for ourselves sometime next year if Massive can stick the landing on Outlaws, but we like the look of it so far. PCG staff writer Morgan Park thinks Outlaws looks like the best thing Ubisoft has made in years, and hopes that its worlds' granular detail and character can live up to its massive scale.

Ted has been thinking about PC games and bothering anyone who would listen with his thoughts on them ever since he booted up his sister's copy of Neverwinter Nights on the family computer. He is obsessed with all things CRPG and CRPG-adjacent, but has also covered esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When he's not playing or writing about games, you can find Ted lifting weights on his back porch.