You’re skimming across the dunes of Tatooine, the twin suns are beating down on Kay Vess’s jacket, and then you see it. Water. Or at least, something that looks like it might actually stop a repulsorlift vehicle dead in its tracks. If you’ve played any open-world game in the last decade, you probably have PTSD from vehicles sinking the second a tire touches a puddle. But the outlaws speeder on water mechanics actually change the way you navigate the Outer Rim. It's not just a visual flourish. It's a gameplay necessity that Massive Entertainment had to get right so the flow of exploration didn't feel like hitting a brick wall every time a river appeared.
Honestly, the speeder is basically the second protagonist of the game. You spend more time on that seat than you do in the Trailblazer’s cockpit. When people talk about the speeder, they usually focus on the upgrades, the laser cannons, or how it handles on the jagged rocks of Toshara. But the hydro-propulsion aspect? That’s where the technical design gets interesting.
The Technical Reality of Your Speeder
Kay’s speeder isn’t a magical hovercraft that ignores physics. It’s a customized Sullust-built vehicle that uses repulsorlift technology. In the Star Wars universe, repulsorlifts work by pushing against gravity wells. Usually, this means solid ground. When you take the outlaws speeder on water, the physics engine has to shift. You’ll notice the handling gets "looser." There’s less friction than on the dirt, making those high-speed turns a bit more of a drift-heavy experience. It’s satisfying.
If you haven’t upgraded your speeder yet, you might notice some limitations. Early on, the game restricts where you can go. You aren't just zipping across oceans like a jet ski from the jump.
Massive Entertainment designers, including Creative Director Julian Gerighty, have mentioned in various interviews that the speeder was meant to feel like a "scrambler" motorcycle. It’s supposed to feel tactile. When you hit a body of water, the spray isn’t just a particle effect; it actually obscures your vision slightly, adding to that gritty, lived-in feel Star Wars is famous for. It’s a far cry from the floaty, weightless vehicles in some of the older licensed titles.
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Why Water Traversal Matters for Kay Vess
Think about the map design in Star Wars Outlaws. Toshara is full of canyons and riverbeds. If the speeder couldn't handle liquid surfaces, the game would be a tedious mess of finding bridges.
- It opens up flank routes during chases.
- It allows for hidden collectibles tucked under waterfalls.
- It makes the "wanted" system way more dynamic because you can lose Imperials by hitting a waterway they can't easily navigate.
The outlaws speeder on water isn't just a "mode." It's a survival tool. When the Pyke Syndicate is on your tail and you're running low on health, hitting a river at a 45-degree angle to skip across to a different landmass is often the only way to break line of sight. It feels desperate. It feels like something a smuggler would actually do.
Upgrading for the Deep End
You can't just expect the base model to perform like a champ. To really master the outlaws speeder on water, you have to visit the mechanics. The upgrade path in Outlaws is tied to "Experts." These are NPCs scattered across the galaxy who unlock specific parts of your skill tree. To make your speeder a true amphibious beast, you’re looking for the Hydro-Propulsion upgrade.
Without it, certain areas are essentially soft-locked. You’ll try to cross a deep lake and the speeder will just... sputter. It’s frustrating, but it’s a classic Metroidvania-style gating mechanism. You see a cool island in the distance? You can’t reach it yet. Come back after you’ve helped the right person in a smoky cantina.
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The Expert System and Your Bike
- The Mechanic: You'll need to find Selo Rovak. She’s the one who teaches you how to really push the speeder’s limits.
- Materials: Don't sell your scrap. You need specialized components like Ion Cells and Cryo-Coils to make the water handling feel smooth.
- Customization: While mostly cosmetic, some of the skins you find actually make the speeder look more rugged, which fits the "swamp-runner" vibe when you’re on planets like Akiva.
Akiva is really where the outlaws speeder on water shines. It’s a jungle planet. It’s wet. It’s humid. The entire map is designed around the idea that you are constantly transitioning between muddy paths and deep lagoons. If you haven't mastered the boost timing on water yet, Akiva will teach you the hard way.
Realism vs. Star Wars Physics
Let's be real for a second. In the real world, a vehicle moving at those speeds hitting water would likely flip or disintegrate due to surface tension. But this is Star Wars. We accept that a farm boy can blow up a moon-sized space station, so we can accept that a repulsorlift can skim over a lake.
The developers did a great job of making it feel "heavy" though. There is a distinct sound change. The whine of the engine drops an octave, and the haptic feedback on the controller (if you’re on PS5) gives you that rhythmic "slapping" sensation of the repulsors hitting the surface. It’s these small details that prevent the game from feeling like a generic asset flip.
Common Misconceptions
People often think they can use the speeder to bypass all water hazards. That’s not true. There are "out of bounds" areas and deep-sea sections where the game will force a respawn. The speeder has a ceiling—both literally and figuratively. It’s meant for rivers, lakes, and marshes. Don't try to drive to the next continent across an ocean.
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Also, combat on water is significantly harder. Your turn radius is wider. If you’re being chased by pirate skiffs, you need to use your "Adrenaline Rush" ability to take them out quickly, because trying to out-maneuver them in a standard dogfight on the water is a losing battle.
Mastering the Glide: Practical Advice
If you want to get the most out of your outlaws speeder on water experience, stop treating it like a car. Treat it like a surfboard.
When you approach a bank, don't let off the gas. Maintain your momentum. If you have the speed boost unlocked, trigger it right as you hit the surface to "plane" the vehicle. This keeps your speed high and makes you a much harder target for any stormtroopers taking potshots from the shore.
Another tip: watch the color of the water. Darker blue or green usually indicates depth that might be impassable if you haven't upgraded your repulsor power. Light, turquoise, or muddy water is your playground. Use the terrain to your advantage.
Essential Next Steps for Players
To truly optimize your speeder for all environments, you should prioritize these specific actions as soon as you leave Toshara:
- Locate the Scavenger Expert: This unlocks the ability to gather better parts from the environment, which you'll need for high-tier speeder mods.
- Farm Credits on Kijimi: You’re going to need a lot of credits for the top-tier "Speeder Repulsor" upgrades. Kijimi’s syndicates offer high-paying contracts if you don't mind getting your hands dirty.
- Practice the 'Slide': Go to a flat area on Toshara with small ponds. Practice drifting from the grass onto the water and back. Learning how the friction changes will save your life during the high-stakes heist missions later in the story.
- Check your Settings: If the speeder feels too "twitchy" on water, go into the controls menu and adjust the vehicle camera sensitivity. Lowering it slightly can help with the floaty feeling that comes with water traversal.
The outlaws speeder on water is a microcosm of what the game does well: it takes a classic Star Wars concept and adds just enough "heft" and "grit" to make it feel new. It’s not just about getting from point A to point B. It’s about the feeling of the wind (and spray) in your face while the Empire closes in. Focus on those Expert quests, keep your scrap metal handy, and don't be afraid to take the wet route when things get heated.