Key Takeaways
- Star Wars Outlaws excels in creating dense, lived-in, and active populated areas in its world.
- The game offers unique gameplay opportunities, like eavesdropping on conversations for quest intel.
- The next Mass Effect could benefit from drawing inspiration from Star Wars Outlaws for a more lively and interactive game world.
Not much is yet known about the next Mass Effect game, as BioWare continues to keep its cards close to its chest. However, regardless of where it goes, the next Mass Effect game might do well to draw inspiration from Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment’s Star Wars Outlaws in one key area.
Star Wars Outlaws excels in its populated areas, providing players with a world that feels lived in as opposed to static and uninteresting. If the next Mass Effect game were to use Star Wars Outlaws as inspiration in this area, it would improve the universe many have come to love.
The Next Mass Effect Should Take a Cue From Star Wars Outlaws’ Populated Areas
Star Wars Outlaws’ Populated Areas Are Dense, Alive, and Active
Star Wars Outlaws may not get everything right, but it does nail its dense, populated areas. In more ways than one, Star Wars Outlaws feels like an authentic Star Wars adventure, managing to capture the essence and atmosphere of the films more so than many of the Star Wars games that have come before it. One of the most notable ways it accomplishes this is by making its populated areas feel alive and active, as though players are actually exploring the world of Star Wars.
On each of Star Wars Outlaws‘ planets, players can visit major cities that are packed full of citizens and wildlife native to the area, alongside infrastructure befitting the region’s appearance and geographical framework. Venturing through these densely populated areas, such as Star Wars Outlaws‘ Mos Eisley, it’s easy to spot signs of life, simply because they are everywhere. While many games might put more attention to detail in making NPCs players can interact with, Star Wars Outlaws ensures the vast majority of its NPCs, even those players can’t interact with, still feel integral to the makeup of the world.
Traipsing through one of Star Wars Outlaws‘ populated areas, players might come across two characters telling jokes to one another and laughing hysterically, or they might hear a story about a gambler out on his luck, now looking for another quick way to make a buck. Most of the NPCs seem to have a schedule too, as following them around, players can witness them doing a variety of different tasks. In Star Wars Outlaws‘ Mos Eisley, in particular, it’s even possible to find a group of Stormtroopers practicing their blaster aim under the supervision of a patient commander.
It’s all similar to what
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
accomplished with its world design, offering players a world that feels alive and real, and less like a video game with obvious limitations.
Star Wars Outlaws’ Populated Areas Offer Unique Gameplay Opportunities
Apart from Star Wars Outlaws‘ populated areas featuring a memorable living world, they also offer unique gameplay opportunities. As players make their way through one of these areas, they might hear a couple of NPCs discussing something in the distance. Eavesdropping on these conversations will then provide valuable intel about quests and items in Star Wars Outlaws‘ open world. This is a refreshing way to include side quests in the game without overloading the map with icons indicating their location.
Mass Effect 4 Leaning on Star Wars Outlaws for Inspiration Would Be a Breath of Fresh Air
The Mass Effect series has always featured densely populated areas for players to visit, but they have never been quite as lively as those found in Star Wars Outlaws. It would be interesting to see the next Mass Effect game apply the same design principles and feature a world that actually feels lived in, as opposed to a world that simply serves as a backdrop. The next Mass Effect might also benefit from giving players unique gameplay opportunities by listening in on conversations or witnessing certain events, much like Star Wars Outlaws. This would all be a breath of fresh air for the next Mass Effect game, providing players with a living world they have yet to see in the franchise.