Ubisoft is making changes to how it develops open-world games, and this is evident in Star Wars Outlaws. In an interview with IGN published recently, developers from Massive Entertainment discussed the game’s features, including its approach to open-world exploration.
Julian Gerighty, Creative Director at Massive, shared insights on navigating the various planets and moons in the game. Unlike previous Ubisoft games with overly expansive worlds, Massive has taken a more nuanced approach, considering both on-foot and speeder travel.
“It was less about size and more about traversal time with the speeder,” explained Gerighty. “It takes four or five minutes to travel nonstop on the moon Toshara, which may not sound like much, but once you start, it feels quite substantial and keeps you engaged.”
Exploration in the game will involve using maps, wandering, and eavesdropping, especially for the protagonist Kay Vess, who is unfamiliar with many locations.
While exploration is a core element of Ubisoft open-world games, Star Wars Outlaws aims to strike a balance between scale and depth. The game features planets and moons of varying sizes that offer a range of activities and events without feeling overwhelming or repetitive.
“We want the game world to be exciting and diverse, not just vast for the sake of it,” said Gerighty. “Each location will provide unique experiences and always present new activities for players.”
In addition to planetary exploration, space travel and combat are integral parts of the game. Seamless transitions between surface and space gameplay are promised, providing players with a complete experience.
Excitement is building for the release of Star Wars Outlaws on August 30 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
