Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws is an ambitious project, and pleasing the fans of such a popular, timeless franchise is no small feat. For Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft’s upcoming game, capturing the essence of Star Wars is a top priority.
Star Wars Outlaws‘ narrative director, Navid Khavari, spoke about the collaborative efforts between his team and Lucasfilm Games to ensure an authentic experience for longtime fans.
Star Wars Outlaws Aims to Get The Franchise’s Universe Down to the Detail
In a 2023 interview with Game Informer, Khavari spoke about how his team’s collaboration with Lucasfilm Games is at the heart of the game’s development process. Khavari mentioned the close relationship between the two teams, explaining that they regularly synch up to ensure Star Wars Outlaws retains authenticity:
The details matter so much in this galaxy, so we always want to make sure we’re capturing the spirit of Star Wars in everything we do.
One part of this initiative is the inclusion of familiar characters from the Star Wars universe. At San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that Jabba the Hutt would make an appearance in Star Wars Outlaws, voiced by the legendary Dee Bradley Baker.
Khavari is excited about Jabba’s role in the game, describing him as a key figure in telling a story set during the original trilogy era. The director remained tight-lipped about any other cameos, though:
There may be some other cameos we hope people look forward to discovering for themselves.
The game releases later this year on August 30th, so you won’t have to wait too long to uncover these secrets yourself.
Outlaws’ Narrative Director Is on a Mission to Impress
For Khavari and his team, staying true to the spirit of Star Wars goes beyond surface-level references and Easter eggs. He wants to capture the themes of heroism, adventure, and camaraderie that fans have loved seeing in the franchise over the past few decades.
One question from the interview focused on the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen in the initial gameplay footage (known as letterboxing). If you were wondering whether they’ll be present in the game, Khavari reassures fans that it’s up to the player:
Star Wars Outlaws will absolutely allow players to enjoy the game in a variety of different ways, whether that is ultrawide as shown at announce or regular 16:9.
He also spoke about some of the techniques the team used to emulate a cinematic quality within the game. The team is dedicated to honoring the legacy of Star Wars films and has used barrel distortion, lens flare, film grain, and other effects for this reason.
Are you excited for the release of Star Wars Outlaws? Are there any elements from the franchise that you’re hoping are included in the game? Feel free to tell us your candid thoughts in the comments below!
