Highlights
- Star Wars Outlaws incorporates gameplay mechanics from both GTA and Assassin's Creed, with a focus on stealth and the ability to reduce the player's wanted level.
- The game features a faction reputation system that could benefit from Assassin's Creed's social stealth, allowing players to blend into the environment to avoid detection.
- Parkour and climbing elements from Assassin's Creed could enhance gameplay, giving players the ability to navigate rooftops and buildings to escape or avoid conflict.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was released earlier this year, and the continued story of Cal Kestis was well received, with Respawn Entertainment improving upon the Jedi combat mechanics that were so popular in the first game. Now, the spotlight is on Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment to up the ante in the form of the open-world Star Wars Outlaws. Sneak peeks revealed by the gameplay trailer back in June earned it the moniker of GTA in space, owing to its similar mechanics like a wanted level and motorcycle-esque speeder. However, the main character being an outlaw means some gameplay features of another Ubisoft franchise could be included -- specifically Assassin's Creed.
Kay Vess is the main character players get to control; she's a rookie scoundrel on a path to create a better life for herself and animal partner Nix in the galactic underworld, undertaking missions to get by. Apart from the story, there were some exciting gameplay features, including a stealth feature that sees Kay sneaking around a factory making stealth takedowns. She was also spotted using her companion Nix to push buttons or switches, distract guards, and even grab weapons, making up for the game's lack of Force abilities in an adorable way. The stealth mechanic is essential in this game, seeing that Kay is an ordinary human scoundrel and doesn't have any extraordinary skills to her name. The teasing preview has left fans wondering if Massive Entertainment would bolster the gameplay by taking a page out of Assassin's Creed's playbook.
Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin's Creed's Stealth are a Match Made in Heaven
Stealth and Assassin's Creed are synonymous, and Star Wars Outlaws is the latest Ubisoft game to employ stealth as a core feature of its gameplay. Star Wars Outlaws' Faction Reputation system opens the door for an expanded stealth role, since the trailer depicted Kay running to her ship with an increased wanted level after refusing to bribe an Imperial officer. This dynamic could benefit immensely from Assassin's Creed's social stealth, where players blend into the environment to reduce their notoriety level. Crowds, buildings, and bushes could be ripe hiding places to wait out a high wanted level in Star Wars Outlaws.
The added crowd elements could also allow Kay to eavesdrop on informants, tail targets, and pickpocket items. Additionally, a feature enabling Kay to destroy wanted posters and reduce her notoriety would be a fantastic addition to the game. Clever mechanics like pushing down a stall on the street while fleeing from the law or weapons like Assassin's Creed Mirage's smoke bombs could distract pursuers as Kay flees the scene.
Star Wars Outlaws' reputation system shapes its factions to react to Kay's presence -- and some in a particularly unfriendly fashion. Consequently, parkour would be another useful feature of Assassin's Creed that could elevate the title's gameplay. Whether to avoid tensions flaring or escaping a locale in a pinch, jumping from roof to roof or through windows to hide in buildings would greatly aid Kay's cause. It doesn't need anything daring like the feats in Assassin's Creed that see players scaling entire monuments just to unlock an area on the map with Eagle Vision, but a bit of climbing could be valuable. Although Kay doesn't seem to match the athletic prowess of an Assassin from the gameplay, the ability to traverse rooftops would always be a welcomed addition to an outlaw's capabilities.
Star Wars Outlaws also features a robust space combat and travel system, as seen in the clips of Kay's escape from Toshara. The glimpses are promising, flaunting the traditionally intense battles from games like Star Wars Squadrons. The trailer showed a game retaining the core elements of the Star Wars galaxy with a rebellious twist, and an amalgamation of some of Assassin's Creed's elements in the title would do Star Wars Outlaws a world of good.
Star Wars Outlaws releases in 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.