Star Wars Outlaws arrived on consoles last Friday and takes gamers into a Galaxy Far, Far Away for an adventure alongside scoundrel Kay Vess. Along the way, players follow the character as she navigates the Star Wars franchise's seedy underworld, working with or crossing one criminal gang at a time.
Tarot and Star Trek: Section 31 star Humberly González plays Kay in this story set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and does so with both a voice performance and through full-body motion capture.
"I know that when she was first crafted, they were making her a bit more cynical, a bit more snappy and sassy, but me coming in meant I wanted to bring more vulnerability to her — the cracks in the shield, the flaws that she had to have composure through, and that, to me, that makes her so complex, so layered," González recently told Variety (via GameFragger.com). "Because if she’s a rookie, how does that show up in the world, and what is she learning?"
"And so we got to experience this timeline in 'Star Wars' that everybody knows so well, but through fresh eyes, a new point of view. What happens when Kay Vess is meeting face to face with Jabba the Hutt, who we know runs one of the baddest crime syndicates out there? She has no idea who he is. It’s a very fun experience to input this rookie scoundrel in a world that we so know and it’s so dangerous."
Having got to know Kay so well, it's understandable that González is eager to play her in a future live-action adaptation. Lucasfilm has thus far kept its video game and comic book characters separate from those seen in animation and live-action, though there's no reason that can't change.
"I think it would be incredible to see Kay Vess in live action, because one thing that we don’t see in animation is those micro expressions of a real human being on screen," González told the trade. "And it would be incredible for me to experience what it would be like to be literally in her costume, in her appearance, her likeness, in the landscape, to see her interact with real characters, the creatures."
"It would be a dream come true. I certainly would not say no to the opportunity. And I think there’s so many opportunities to see Kay Vess and other aspects of established roles in ‘Star Wars,’ because we’re in the original trilogy, and there’s so many opportunities for her to exist or show up and in different places. So it would be amazing, and I think fans would love it," the actor concluded.
In Star Wars Outlaws, experience the first-ever open-world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Explore distinct locations across the galaxy, both iconic and new.
Risk it all as Kay Vess, a scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix. Fight, steal, and outwit your way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted.
What do you think about Star Wars Outlaws? Would you like to see Kay Vess in live-action?