Summary
Star Warsgames have been hitting all the right notes lately as they accurately land on gaming trends and manage to exceed the expectations of the IP nowadays. Indeed, any excitement regardingStar WarsbeforeAndorwas looking fairly dim, and Respawn’sStar Wars Jedifranchise was able to pull the franchise free from that perilous sarlacc.Fallen Orderoffered an intriguing narrative for refugee Padawan Cal KestiswhileSurvivorexpands that story to encompass the High Republic. Now, Ubisoft’s open-worldStar Wars Outlawslooks to carry the torch forStar Warsgames.
Based on the surprising amount of gameplay shown,Star Wars Outlawslooks to offer a polar-opposite experience fromStar Wars Jedi. Kay Vess is no Jedi herself and is instead a scoundrel hoping to survive the Galactic Empire’s rule like any other creature in the galaxy, and in her efforts it looks like players will encounter many criminal syndicates and possibly be forced to make some egregious decisions to scrape by. Kay will likely rely on her blaster pistol, but similar to howCal could wield a blaster inStar Wars Jedi: Survivor, it would be neat if Kay could wield a lightsaber inStar Wars Outlaws.
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Star Wars Outlaws Should Let Kay Wield a Lightsaber, if Only Momentarily
Ever sinceFallen Orderit was clear that Cal would not be a traditional Jedi. His need to flee as a youngling and grow up on his own meant his only goal was survival, and with a tarnished connection to the Force it is surprising that he was able to recount any of his abilities or lightsaber training when he needed to go toe-to-toe with the Second Sister on Bracca.
Then, inSurvivor, Cal is much more in-tune with himself and picks up some new lightsaber stances along the way. One of these stances allows Cal to wield a single-bladed lightsaber in one hand and a blaster pistol in the other, giving him a swashbuckler’s finesse as he mixes pistol whips and lightsaber thrusts with long-ranged shots. This stance was easily the most unique of the five available inSurvivor, and was also the one that most succinctlyportrayed Cal as an atypical Jedi.
There is a theme inSurvivorthat lends a bounty hunter or scoundrel aesthetic to Cal, whether players don certain cosmetic outfits or wield the blaster itself, and that helped to make him more dynamic. Still, while Cal is able to wield lightsabers and Force abilities in theStar Wars Jedifranchise, Kay will be taking on the role of a full-blown scoundrel inStar Wars Outlaws. There is no need for Cal to assume this kind of aesthetic as a result, but it would be exciting ifOutlawshad a spin onSurvivorby letting Kay use a lightsaber, if only temporarily.
It would be fun to have a lightsaber available at a black market merchant, for example, or found on a corpse somewhere.Outlawstakes place betweenThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi, meaning a lightsaber could be a hot commodity and sell for a lot of credits if fans wished to pawn it as well.
Finding and wielding a lightsaber could also be a scripted sequence where it is used for self-defense before Kay discards it or it is lost, which would let its inclusion be thrilling while also not overstaying its welcome. On the other hand,Outlawscould leave lightsabers to the Jediwho wield them and stick to Kay’s blaster and fragmentation grenades instead.
Star Wars Outlawsreleases in 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
