Ubisoft was reported to be working on an open-worldStar Warsgame back in January, with EA losing the rights to the make the franchise’s games. Although Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot has already said that the game is too far away to make predicting a release window possible, that hasn’t stopped fans wondering how the Ubisoft open-world formula will mesh with the hugely popular sci-fi IP.
Ubisoft’sStar Warsgame will be developed by Massive Entertainment, developer of theDivisionfranchise. However, it is the open-world formula of Ubisoft franchises likeFar CryandAssassin’s Creedthat could give fans an idea of how an open-worldStar Warsgame may be brought to life.
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The Far Cry Formula
TheFar Cryopen-world formula, like so many parts of the franchise, was first solidified in the minds of most fans withFar Cry 3. The game was set in the Rook Islands, a fictional archipelago largely procedurally generated using the Dunia Engine. Locations like towns and enemy bases, however, were placed by developers personally, and with some key concepts in mind that would shape the design of subsequentFar Cryopen worlds.
Far Cry 3’s level design director Mark Thompsonwas interviewed by IGN just after the game’s release, during which he explained the priorities behind the game’s open-world design. The main focus was creating “space that exists for a reason.” As a result, there’s a logic behind the placement of many of the game’s enemy bases.
For example, one base might be in-land, and run as a lumber mill. Down the road on the coastline, players might find a similar enemy base, this time purposed with shipping out timber. With this kind of light environmental storytelling in mind,the Rook Islandswere able to create an open world with a logic behind it that didn’t rely on spelling things out explicitly.
This could be particularly interesting to see in theStar Warsuniverse ifUbisoft Massivegoes down a similar route.Star Warsisn’t exactly a series known for its watertight internal logic, but it could be interesting for players to be able to follow, for example, a smuggler taking illegal goods from a Mos Eisley-style wretched hive of scum and villainy to the spaceport where he offloads the goods.
Similarly, players might be able to find a base full of stormtroopers placed in an area that protects Sith interests, even if those interests are never the focus of a main mission. The exact details will depend on when and where in theStar Warsuniversethe Ubisoft game is set, but hopefully the game will attempt to set up some of the same internal logic in its open-world that helped setFar Cryon a whole new path withFar Cry 3.
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The Assassin’s Creed Formula
The latestAssassin’s Creed,AC Valhalla, has one of thebest open worlds in anAssassin’s Creedgame. The game’s open-world design was reminiscent of other titles that toed the line between broad open-world experiences and character-driven storytelling, likeThe Witcher 3andRed Dead Redemption 2.Valhallaintroduced World Events, a new side quest system that reminded some fans ofRed Dead’s Stranger Missions orGTA’s Strangers and Freaks. Despite the name, a lot of these World Events are more scripted thanFar Cry 3’s open-world design philosophy.
However, exploring a planet in theStar Warsuniverse and bumping into NPCs with as many strange goals as those found inAssassin’s Creed Valhallacould be great, and something unseen in aStar Warsgame so far. One of the best parts aboutValhalla’s open-world quest design is that most of the World Events are short and character-driven in the same was as the bestRed DeadorGTAStranger quests. Some see the player take on unique enemies and boss fights. Others are purely roleplay focused, like a world event about a Viking mourning his lost friends. As with all great open worlds,Valhallaalso has some purely silly events the player can encounter, like the Winchell the Robesfree world event, where players meet a man proselytizing the benefits of nudism.
Hopefully Ubisoft Massive’sStar Warsgame will strike a good balance that learns lessons from bothAssassin’s CreedandFar Cry’s open-world design.Far Cry’s best gameshave worlds that feel like they have a clear logic to them, but there were few opportunities for players to discover unique quests or interesting characters outside the main story.
AStar Warsgame that builds an environment with the underlying logic of aFar Crymapbut packs it full of unique world events like those found inAssassin’s Creedcould have the best of both worlds.Far Cry’s formula would allow for dynamic open-world fights and exploration that tells stories without the need for scripted quests, butAssassin’s Creed’s formula would breathe more life into that world with memorable moments and characters.
There are still some major questions hanging over Ubisoft’sStar Warsgame. Many fans have been trying to figure out how Massive Entertainment will create an open-world game which spans multiple planets, if it does at all. If the upcoming game does let players explore the galaxy, questions arise about just how large and detailed each individualStar Warsplanetwill be able to be.
For now, however, fans of theStar Warsfranchise get to hope for an open-world game which takes the best open-world design Ubisoft has to offer and transforms it for theStar Warssetting. Whether or not Massive will be able to pull it off is another question entirely, but fans ofStar Warsandgreat open-world gamesalike should keep a close eye on Ubisoft’sStar Warsgame to see which titles it takes influence from.
Ubisoft’s open-worldStar Warsgame is currently in development.
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