Summary

• Players can manipulate their reputation with criminal syndicates for exclusive rewards by choosing who to side with wisely.
• Star Wars Outlaws emphasizes moral ambiguity, allowing players to shape Kay Vess as a relatable protagonist with unique alliances.
• The game offers replayability as players can explore different alliances, impacting the story and exclusive missions available.

Star Wars Outlaws is set to explore the criminal underworld of the Outer Rim, with its new protagonist, Kay Vess forming relationships with some of the largest crime syndicates in the galaxy as she embarks upon her planet-hopping adventure. These alliances will be a key part of Star Wars Outlaws' story and gameplay, as Kay uses her reputation to navigate certain perilous situations.

Screen Rant spoke with Star Wars Outlaws' creative director, Julian Gerighty, at Summer Game Fest 2024, and he offered some insight into how the game's reputation system would work. Players can choose to double-cross different syndicates while carrying out jobs, opting to hand stolen information to one group over another. This will result in Kay's reputation being increased with one group while taking a hit with the other. Players will have to choose wisely which syndicate they side with, as higher levels of reputation can grant access to different rewards exclusive to each faction, with Gerighty breaking this down below:

Julian Gerighty: Reputation is important because the friendlier you are with each one of the criminal factions, the more access you'll have to their strongholds, and the more access you'll have to their special equipment. You'll get discounts on their special equipment. You'll get contracts and quests that are exclusive to the higher level of reputation and even exclusive gameplay features attached to costume pieces. So it's a real motivation for you to push your reputation as high as possible. On the other side of the spectrum, if you're in a terrible relationship with a syndicate, they're going to send people after you.

New footage shown at the June 2024 Ubisoft Forward showcase showed some of this mechanic in action. Kay's involvement in an optional dogfight in space helped build a positive reputation with the Pyke syndicate but lowered her reputation with the Hutts, resulting in a less welcoming reception when she later landed in Hutt territory.

Star Wars Outlaws Will Play With Moral Ambiguity

While Trying To Make Kay Vess "As Relatable As Possible"

Unlike most Star Wars games, which focus on the central conflict between good and evil with the Jedi and the Sith or the Rebels and the Empire, Star Wars Outlaws will be slightly more morally ambiguous with its central portrayal of Kay Vess. Players are able to choose just how much they want the scoundrel to lean toward the side of good or indulge in a more roguish approach, with Gerighty stating that the studio wanted to make Kay "as relatable as possible" and therefore, she is "not perfect," as she is "just a rookie thief that finds themselves catapulted into this incredible adventure."

While Gerighty did note that the story itself is linear and will lead players to the same point, the fact that players can essentially carve their own criminal alliances should make the Outer Rim's underworld feel far more alive as Kay figures out which syndicates she should align herself with. This mechanic could also give Star Wars Outlaws a decent amount of replayability, offering the chance to see what different bonuses each group offers if different decisions are made in later playthroughs, including exclusive missions that may be completely missed if Kay opts to anger a specific syndicate and doesn't increase her reputation there.

It's clear that Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment want to give players a different kind of Star Wars experience, and choosing to side with the likes of iconic villains such as Jabba the Hutt over new introductions to the canon like the Ashiga clan is certainly one way to set it apart from other recent titles such as Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, which focused on a more Jedi-centric story with its protagonist Cal Kestis and his slightly more noble goals. Star Wars Outlaws launches on August 31 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Ubisoft Connect and Epic Games Store, and pre-orders for the title are available now.

Source: Ubisoft/YouTube