How Star Wars Outlaws Might Use a Nix Affinity System

Star Wars Outlaws‘ furry companion Nix has already been turning heads, even before the game’s release makes his companionship a reality. The adorable alien creature plays the role of friend and assistant to Kay Vess, Star Wars Outlaws‘ protagonist, as she journeys through the Outer Rim to pull off a major heist and pay off her debt to a crime syndicate. Several of Nix’s unique abilities have already been revealed, many of which provide Kay with the cover or extra reach needed to get past some of Star Wars Outlaws‘ most heavily guarded and impassible areas. However, the full extent of Nix and Kay’s relationship and how it might grow throughout Star Wars Outlaws’ story has yet to be revealed.

It’s fairly common for modern games that feature companion characters to include an affinity system for those characters, in which players can strengthen their bond with their companions by regularly interacting with them or performing actions they might approve of. Star Wars Outlaws may not belong to the role-playing genre that these types of mechanics are normally associated with, but there have been hints of some semblance of an affinity system for Nix in the game. The only question that remains is how Star Wars Outlaws might implement it.

Star Wars Outlaws May Feature a Hidden Affinity System for Nix

Though no affinity system for Nix has been revealed, early gameplay footage for Star Wars Outlaws shows players performing actions that make Nix happy. This is clearly defined by a notification that pops up on the right side of the screen that reads, “Find different ways to make Nix happy.” It should be noted that this notification appears shortly after Kay orders Nix to detonate a nearby explosive canister, so making Nix happy in Star Wars Outlaws must simply mean letting him assist Kay both in and out of combat.

How Star Wars Outlaws Might Utilize Its Nix Affinity System Further

Based on what has been revealed so far, this “affinity system” for Nix in Star Wars Outlaws is directly connected to the skills that players can unlock. After completing the “find different ways to make Nix happy” objective, players unlock the Treasure Hunter skill. Unfortunately, no concrete details have been provided about what the Treasure Hunter skill does, but it’s possible to speculate after considering some of the game’s features — namely, Star Wars Outlaws‘ Expert system.

Experts are the primary way Kay will learn new skills in Star Wars Outlaws. When she visits an Expert, Kay will need to complete a challenge (such as the Treasure Hunter skill challenge) to unlock the skill. This ultimately means that the Treasure Hunter skill is provided by one of Star Wars Outlaws‘ Experts, yet somehow involves increasing Nix’s affinity. Presumably, there is an Expert in the game whose primary purpose is to help Kay unlock new skills associated with Nix. This particular expert is likely some form of beast master or pet handler who is familiar with creatures like Nix and can help Kay learn how to bond with him further.

It’s unclear what the Treasure Hunter skill is, but considering it is directly connected to Nix, it likely involves either unlocking or improving his ability to detect treasure for Kay. This means that as Kay and Nix’s bond grows, he grows as a result, perhaps by learning more about Kay’s preferences and combat patterns. Whichever direction this goes, fans of cute companions should find the relationship between Kay and Nix to be a joyride in Star Wars Outlaws, and even more so if there is a deep affinity system in the game.

Star Wars Outlaws

Massive Entertainment’s Star Wars Outlaws is an in-development game that will be published by Ubisoft. The sci-fi franchise’s first full open-world project, Outlaws follows Kay Vess and is set during the Imperial Era. Announced for PC and ninth-generation hardware, the game is expected to drop in 2024.

Open-World

Action-Adventure

Released

August 30, 2024

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft , Lucasfilm Games