Star Wars: Outlaws trailer showcases a GTA feel for a great new adventure

It’s the game Star Wars fans have waited years for, as Star Wars: Outlaws will give an open-world feel to the classic franchise. Get a look at the first story trailer here!

It’s probable that no franchise has had more video games than Star Wars. It’s touched on just about every type of game genre there is: side-scroller, first-person shooter, role-playing, strategy, you name it. But one genre it’s never tackled before is the “open world” game. Best known by the smash hit Grand Theft Auto franchise, these games allow gamers to play a story but also pretty much go where they want and take part in some fantastic adventures.

Given the potential in the Star Wars universe, an open-world game makes so much sense but despite various attempts, it’s never come up. Until now. 

After being announced two years ago, Ubisoft, the developers of such epic game franchises as Assassin’s Creed, has unveiled the first story trailer for Star Wars Outlaws, featuring a brand new storyline and characters and looks ready to take the open world concept to new heights. 

Meet Kay Vess

The trailer establishes the story takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (as evidenced by the shot of Han Solo in carbonite). It’s a time when the crime syndicates are taking full advantage of the civil war between the Empire and the Rebellion with a crime family known as Zerek Besh looking to make a major play.

Enter Kay Vess, a longtime thief and con artist who wants to make her way in the galaxy with her loyal pet, Nix. When a job goes sideways, Kay finds herself targeted by bounty hunters. The only way to pay off the debt is by robbing Zerek Besh. As this is too much for one person, Kay travels the galaxy to recruit criminals to her side for the heist of a lifetime. 

The game will involve some classic Star Wars locales like Canto Bight, Kijimi, Tatooine, Akiva, and a new planet, a windy locale named Toshara. We get guys like Jabba the Hutt but the potential of seeing scores of new characters is fantastic. It will also be terrific to delve into how the rest of the galaxy operates during the events of the original trilogy.

A special secondary trailer with narration from narrative director Navid Khavari highlights more of the story and its characters and shares special details on how the game works. A key point is that how Kay goes about her missions will affect the storyline. If she succeeds in a job, she gets more prominence and respect, which means more people are willing to aid her. If she fails or double-crosses someone, then Kay gets more people after her, and it is harder to succeed at her ultimate mission.

The trailers show some fun action with Kay using a bike, getting into fights, and Nix aiding her in some stealth missions. There's also spectacle with space battles, some sort of desert monster, and more. While it’s story animation and not gameplay yet, it still looks quite impressive. 

It's also downright refreshing not to have stormtroopers as the only mooks. Sure, the Empire has a presence but the focus is on the crime gangs and how Kay navigates this deadly galaxy, keeping a step ahead of bounty hunters and the like.

For those wanting more insight into Outlaws, Game Informer magazine just announced its newest issue, which will contain a 12-page look at the game’s development and more on the plot points. 

Amusingly, the trailer also gives away how the game will be available on August 30, 2024, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. With the idea of “Grand Theft Auto Star Wars” and some great story beats, Outlaws should be one of the best Star Wars games in quite a while.

Star Wars: Outlaws arrives on PC, Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X and S August 30.