Being “Woke” Is The Last Of Star Wars Outlaws’ Problems

Star Wars Outlaws isn’t off to a great start. The game hasn’t even come out yet, and there is already tons of negative press about it for a variety of reasons. And while I do think a lot of that is not only warranted but is also deserved, it’s still strange to see so much of the backlash be dedicated to throwing out buzzwords like “woke.” Which seems to be attached to almost every new video game that’s released.

Within just the first 10 days of its release, the initial trailer has received over 150K dislikes. And taking a quick look over at the comments, it becomes quite obvious that at least some of this is directed towards the fact that the main protagonist in this title is a female character. Some gamers are complaining that the lead character, Kay Vess, is purposely made to look “uglier” than her real-life counterpart. 

Whatever the case may be, I can’t help but feel that this is entirely irrelevant to the things that people should actually be talking about. Like how the game’s monetization and bundles seem totally scammy. Or how Ubisoft pretty much doesn’t want you to own your games anymore. Compared to that, this whole woke discussion seems totally out of left field and pointless. Here’s why.

It’s Sort of Based On A Conspiracy Theory

There’s a theory going around in certain gaming circles nowadays. This is that female characters are purposely being designed in a way so they don’t appear attractive. Star Wars Outlaws isn’t exactly the first title to be accused of this. In fact, several female characters like Spider-Man 2’s Mary Jane, and Aloy from Horizon: Forbidden West, are considered victims of this “uglification” trend.

Aloy’s looking quite different in Forbidden West
byu/Zophixious_ inhorizon

Usually, posts claiming stuff like this will have one, or at best two, off-looking shots. Even if the characters do look weird in them, they don’t serve as a good representation of what the final appearance usually tends to be in most of these titles. We’ve seen this happen time and time again with previous games, and now, Star Wars Outlaws is receiving backlash for it again.

Some gamers have also been chalking this up to a general problem that’s observed in almost all modern Western games. Even considering it as some part of a larger movement aimed to step away from “traditionally attractive” characters in video games. Again, much of this mostly just amounts to people theorizing without any real evidence to back it up.

This Kind Of Vitriol Can Be Dangerous

While everyone is free to air their opinion about an upcoming title, there’s no denying that when people get the actors who reprise these roles, it can be quite dangerous. The greatest example of this is what people did to Stephanie Tyler, the voice actress and model for Mary Jane. She had to undergo a lot of harassment and stalker-y behavior from overzealous fans, causing her to quit auditioning for new roles.

Mary Jane face model Stephanie Tyler quits being an actress/model due to toxic harassment. Hope you guys are happy…
byu/mcp100 inSpidermanPS4

This is clearly crossing a line, and I think fans who make a big deal about the looks of Star Wars Outlaws’ main characters are repeating the dangerous pattern. Lately, some folks have been posting comparisons between the looks of the actress who plays Kay, with the character itself. Clearly, characters can’t be one-to-one copies of the model they represent. But fans setting themselves with crazy expectations and getting the models involved don’t seem to get this.

Alot of ppl don't like the main protagonist design in Star Wars Outlaws.

They should have made her resemble the real-life counterpart that plays her.

The real one has charisma and star power where the game version looks like a generic create a character model. https://t.co/fRJYY8Fr6D pic.twitter.com/FSvvZYzKGA

— Visual Fidelity (@VisualFidelity) April 9, 2024

I can only hope as the game nears its release, more people choose to concentrate on the legitimate problems within this title. Instead of on the more superfluous details like whether they find the lead character to be attractive or not. Discussions like that have led to pretty bad results in the past, and I feel like that might continue again if folks aren’t careful.

And It’s Not Like There Isn’t Enough To Hate About This Game

From its overpriced bundles to the generally terrible stance Ubisoft has regarding video game ownership right now, there isn’t a lack of reasons to get genuinely made about. Tons of cosmetics and even 3 days of early access are locked behind the “Ultimate Edition” of the title, which costs a massive $129.99 US dollars. Even the base game, which offers nothing besides a measly pre-order bonus, adds up to about $69.99. 

Outlaws Pre-order and Ultimate Edition Cosmetics
byu/the_topher89 inStarWars

All of this is stuff that should’ve already been in the game. You’re paying full price for a Triple-A title, and still having tons of cosmetics and unique appearances being removed, just so you fork over even more cash. It’s clear Ubisoft is trying hard to funnel gamers towards its subscription model, which gives players access to the Ultimate version of the game. 

This isn’t even considering the actual gameplay, or performance, both of which might cause people tons of headaches when the game launches. So if folks really do want to get mad, I think their anger is better served over things that genuinely deserve it. Especially over stuff like the character’s looks, and whether or not she’s an exact replica of the model who played her.