Star Wars Outlaws' open world is designed to offer "full freedom of approach"

Star Wars Outlaws is trying to offer "full freedom of approach" to players in its open world.

In an interview with Edge Magazine, creative director Julian Gerighty explained how the studio's approach to open world gameplay was shaped, explaining that developer Massive Entertainment is "really focusing on what 'open world' means to the player, which is full freedom of approach."

Gerighty explained that philosophy via the Star Wars Outlaws gameplay preview from last Summer Games Fest. In that showcase, it was heavily implied that there were multiple potential avenues that protagonist Kay Vess could take in an attempt to get around the obstacles thrown her way; a stealthy approach could easily be swapped for an all-guns-blazing charge into battle, but it's also possible to entirely circumvent a fight and head straight for the exit if you're sneaky enough.

All of that "freedom," means that while the gameplay showcase showed Kay getting away scot-free, there will be consequences if you don't get things right. Gerighty doesn't go into details on that front, but does say that "those choices, the way that we use them most is within the reputation system."

That reputation system offers its own pros and cons, as Gerighty explains further; "if you're in [other characters'] good books, you'll unlock exclusive quests, special prices at their vendors, access to locked-off areas. But if you're in theri bad books, they're going to send people to chase you down - and there'll be consequences in terms of credits, or some sort of monetary punishment, there."

While you wait for Star Wars Outlaws, here are ten of the best Star Wars games to play instead.