Star Wars Outlaws Hutt Reputation Misses a Rancor-Sized Opportunity

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As a die-hard Star Wars fan who’s spent countless hours immersed in the galaxy far, far away, I must say that Star Wars Outlaws has been an enjoyable ride… most of the time. The game’s reputation system, rich and rewarding as it is, could have used a little more polish, especially when it comes to the Hutts.

In the game Star Wars Outlaws, players flourish by exploring and appreciating the minute details of each planet’s open-world, engaging in activities with criminal groups. The alluring reputation system in Star Wars Outlaws offers a wealth of rewards and opportunities, making it exciting to observe which factions control a particular planet, as shown through district and hideout zones. This information significantly influences the strategic decisions players must make about which syndicates they choose to align with, such as deciding whether gaining their favor is necessary for accessing specific areas without restrictions, given they maintain a good reputation with them.

In the game “Star Wars Outlaws”, The Pykes and Crimson Dawn are frequently encountered across various locations, while the Hutts and Ashiga tend to be more selective about their hideouts. Notably, the Hutt Cartel is most prominent on Tatooine due to Jabba’s palace being there, as seen in the original “Star Wars” trilogy. The intimidating presence of the Hutts in these stories is well-known, but unfortunately, their influence in gameplay doesn’t live up to expectations, despite having the potential to make key scenes in the story more significant.

Star Wars Outlaws Copies Return of the Jedi’s Rancor Scene, But with an Uninspired Twist

Infiltrating Jabba’s palace with the aim of rescuing Nix secretly seems unique until the players encounter Jabba in his throne room. Remarkably, this scene mirrors Luke Skywalker’s experience in Return of the Jedi, as Kay Vess is thrown into the rancor pit below, but she’s accompanied by her bounty hunter ally Vail and a dying Hoss instead.

Following their victory over a group of massive Mastiffs within the tight, well-known lair, there comes a heavy sound against the metallic door before the players. The presumed release of the Rancor never materializes; instead, Kay and Vail are liberated to depart. It isn’t until they arrive at the throne room’s sail barge hangar that a true boss fight with a Rancor finally ensues, focusing more on evasion than direct confrontation.

This situation is disheartening, primarily because it unfolds as expected, regardless of Kay’s exceptional standing with the Hutts at that moment. This rigid scripting weakens the overall storyline by minimizing the system’s potential impact in terms of narrative significance.

Star Wars Outlaws’ Rancor Being Tied to Reputation Would’ve Given It Narrative Weight

In a more engaging way for the palace battle scene, it would have been intriguing if releasing the rancor on Kay was due to players having a negative standing with the Hutts as they progress through the story. Instead, the Hutt reputation declines following this boss fight, and players must work to improve their standing once more before re-entering the palace. This suggests that a high reputation with the Hutts has little impact on the Jabba storyline as a whole.

If Kay had maintained a Good or Excellent reputation with the Hutts, it would have been intriguing to observe that the Rancor wouldn’t have been unleashed against the players at all, given that her loyalty and contributions to the Hutts weren’t disregarded by Jabba.

Additionally, it’s plausible that the hostility from Jabba would be justifiable if players had an unfavorable or poor standing within the cartel. This could make sense as Jabba might find it convenient to eliminate someone who hasn’t demonstrated loyalty to the organization. However, plot-wise, having the rancor set to a lower reputation level would imply that players who have previously earned a Good or Excellent status with the Hutt Cartel would be unable to access thrilling content if they managed to achieve such standing again beforehand.

As a fan, I’d rephrase it like this: In Star Wars Outlaws, your character’s standing with the Hutts seems to be inconsequential unless they’ve previously been working to build a reputation with other criminal organizations such as the Pykes, Crimson Dawn, or Ashiga. This could make sense if your actions towards these groups have somehow tarnished your image with the Hutts. It feels like the game’s narrative and reputation system are at odds in this regard, where one action doesn’t seem to affect the other as much as it should.

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2024-10-05 15:04