New ‘Star Wars Outlaws’ gameplay trailer dives into the galactic underworld (video)

Last year’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was easily one of the best Star Wars games of all time, and yet, fans have been itching for a full-blown open-world game set in George Lucas’ universe for more than a decade now. Now, Star Wars Outlaws aims to deliver exactly that, and the latest gameplay demo straight from Ubisoft is quite promising.

For those who haven’t been following Massive Entertainment’s AAA behemoth: Star Wars Outlaws follows young scoundrel Kay Vess and her cute little alien pet, Nix, as they try to earn a better life for themselves by working with a bunch of shady figures and doing high-stakes heists. That totally doesn’t sound risky at all. By the way, the story takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in the Star Wars timeline, so expect some familiar faces to pop up, including the now-confirmed Jabba the Hutt and Qi’ra, Emilia Clarke’s character from Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Following April’s exciting story trailer, the Ubisoft Forward 2024 presentation has done a fine job of heating things up before the August 30 launch. This latest gameplay demo is all we ever wanted from an open-world Star Wars game and we love that this time around, it isn’t centered on the Jedi. You can watch it below:

The most surprising reveal comes right at the start, as we’re shown how the progression system for Kay’s abilities and skills works. Unlike in other traditional open-world titles, she’s got to learn new tricks from ‘experts’ found across the galaxy, including a Jawa.

It appears Star Wars Outlaws will be encouraging true exploration and engaging with the colorful Star Wars underworld, rather than crossing tasks off a checklist and grinding for better gear. That said, expect plenty of secondary activities and cool new equipment to find as you explore the game’s many planets.

The rest of the demo gives us a taste of the space combat mechanics, which appear to be relatively simple but flashy nonetheless, the space-to-planet transitions (well-executed loading screens that feel seamless), and the bustling streets of Mos Eisley, quick stop by the cantina included.

The latter section doubles down on the ‘Grand Theft Auto but Star Wars’ angle, with infiltration, witty dialogue, and snappy action taking over. Decision-making and factions are part of the larger game too, and devs have confirmed you can really rub people the wrong way, depending on who you side with and how you choose to approach missions. Be prepared to face all of the Empire’s might if you’re too noisy or violent, too.

Star Wars Outlaws will be launching on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (Windows) on August 30, 2024.