Highlights
- The upcoming Star Wars Outlaws game has the potential to include romance options, which is rare in Star Wars games and could add complexity to the characters and story, similar to the beloved Knights of the Old Republic series.
- However, one argument against including romance options in Star Wars Outlaws is that it has a canon narrative, making it difficult to incorporate significant player-choice decisions, including romance.
- Another reason to exclude romance options is so the game can focus fully on its female protagonist, Kay Vess, without sharing the spotlight with a love interest, as this approach was seen in successful female-led Star Wars stories like Rogue One.
Though each one obviously has its own unique traits, the vast majority of open-world RPGs do share a lot of the same mechanics and core features. An expansive progression system, some kind of player-choice built into the narrative, a slew of unlockable weapons and armor, and a solid set of companions are all common features of an open-world RPG, and all seem to be present in Ubisoft's upcoming Star Wars Outlaws.
First unveiled during Xbox's June Showcase and then given a gameplay demonstration at Ubisoft's own event, Star Wars Outlaws already looks like quite the impressive entry in the Star Wars video game canon. Putting players in the well-worn boots of Kay Vess, Star Wars Outlaws sees players smuggle their way through the galaxy, meeting plenty of equally conniving faces along the way. And with such a seeming emphasis on character interaction, there's a case to be made for Star Wars Outlaws to include some kind of romance options.
The Argument For Star Wars Outlaws Having Romance Options
Romance options aren't often seen in Star Wars games. In fact, the only time romance options have been available in a Star Wars video game is in the Knights of the Old Republic series, and its MMO sequel The Old Republic, where players can romance a handful of their companions. In general, the romance side of Knights of the Old Republic is pretty great. For those that don't want to engage in the system and keep all their relationships plutonic, that option is there, but for those that want to find out more about their crewmates and companions, KOTOR's romance system allows embraces that fully.
Engaging in Knights of the Old Republic's romance system will often uncover more about companions' backstories and has the potential to unearth some unique questlines that really enrich KOTOR's already excellent story. And in engaging with these characters more, players will naturally feel a close bond forming with their companions. This is one of the core reasons behind why characters like Bastilla and Atton are so beloved.
If Star Wars Outlaws handled it with care, then it could easily end up capturing a similar feeling to Knights of the Old Republic's romance system, allowing its characters to feel more complex and realistic. Additionally, Star Wars Outlaws' narrative context also fits a romance system inherently well, with Kay Vess and most of her acquaintances being smooth-talking scoundrels.
The Argument Against Star Wars Outlaws Having Romance Options
But one of the biggest issues preventing Star Wars Outlaws from having any romance options is that Star Wars Outlaws will feature a canon narrative. And with a canon narrative, it's much harder for Star Wars Outlaws to introduce any kind of significant player-choice, as then it's unclear what decisions are actually the canon ones. Naturally, this extends to any significant romance options.
Another big argument for why Star Wars Outlaws shouldn't feature romance options is that this game is Kay Vess' story first and foremost, and she deserves the entire spotlight to herself. Female protagonists are, thankfully, becoming much more common in Star Wars, and the best stories featuring a female lead are those where they don't share the spotlight with a love interest. Rogue One worked so well because Jyn and Cassian didn't get together at the end, and Rise of Skywalker's final moments were ruined with the forced inclusion of a romantic subplot between Rey and Kylo. Star Wars Outlaws has the perfect opportunity to belong to the former camp, and has the potential to make Kay Vess an incredibly compelling character without resorting to romantic narrative beats.
Star Wars Outlaws releases in 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
