Star Wars Outlaws has a few things working against it.

For starters, its a Star Wars game, and as such comes with extraordinary pressures to deliver.

Additionally, there is already a lot of Star Wars content out thereincluding critically acclaimed video games.

Why set this story between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi?

Khavari:As we were working on this game, we got excited about this “Scoundrel fantasy.”

And that was something that Lucasfilm Games and Massive were also absolutely drawn to.

And what happens when you have a civil war consuming the galaxy?

Well, criminal organizations and syndicates, they find a space to rise up.

Do the decisions that you make throughout the game create a replayable, branching narrative?

Karlson:Action and consequence is pervasive in the experience.

There will be an ebb and flow there, depending on the choices you make.

[They also impact] the endpoint.

But also, we wanted to verify this was a full journey for Kay from beginning to end.

But moment-to-moment, the story’s going to adapt.

I noticed there was a crafting bench on Kay’s ship.

How much is crafting, or survival elements, going to factor into Outlaws?

What are some other qualities from the original trilogy that you wanted to bring to Star Wars: Outlaws?

Khavari:Tone was a big aspect of this.

We wanted to capture that matinee action feel, but with a high emotional stake.

I think the score is a perfect example.

I still remember hearing it for the first time.

It was just like, “That’s Kay.”

And everything just gets elevated suddenly, you know?

Speaking of, why Kay Vess?

I want to hear a bit more about her character.

She is also a cunning thief, that is her trade.

That’s where she came from.

And her and Nix together have sort of been fighting every single day to survive.

She’s not perfect, she hasn’t figured everything out yet, and that feels great.

That feels natural and fresh in what we’re trying to do.

I think that the team is super excited about that.

There have been people who have compared her to Han Solo.

What do you think sets her and Nix apart from Han and Chewy?

Khavari:I think the main thing is, honestly, she hasn’t figured it all out yet.

We kept going back to that.

With Kay, her direction hasn’t been set yet.

She hasn’t made her mark on the galaxy.

She doesn’t know all these syndicates and criminal organizations.

That’s a joy to write for.

It makes her, I think, feel more relatable too.

Khavari:Yeah, exactly.

She’s someone who has grown up having to do everything herself, having to survive herself.

And Nix is almost like this chink in her armor.

It’s her only family.

It’s her support system.

And I think what’s great is it translates from story to gameplay as well.

Having seen gameplay, I am blown away by how ambitious Star Wars Outlaws is.

Do you think 2024 is a realistic timeline?

Have there been any obstacles because of how ambitious it is?

The pride we have in being able to show that today is significant, I would say.

I think right now we’re just super focused on hands down delivering that the best possible.

The above interview has been edited for readability and brevity.

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