Star Wars Outlaws is now available worldwide on various gaming platforms and the initial reactions have been mixed for the most part. The game developers took a massive risk by revisiting a major turning point in the Star Wars saga and introducing a new character that is not in a way directly involved in the main conflict.
The visuals and atmosphere play a key role in this universe. The game developers wanted to honor what inspired George Lucas in the past.
The Narrative Director Admitted They Were Going for a Specific Approach in Star Wars Outlaws
Ubisoft handed this original Star Wars project to Massive Entertainment and the game developers were equally optimistic and nervous for the right reasons. After years of development and hard work, the game is finally out for the gaming community to enjoy and critique, especially the artificial intelligence of enemies in-game which are laughably bad and poorly optimized.
Despite all the setbacks, narrative director Navid Khavari carved the time to sit down and discuss certain details about the development of this ambitious project. Khavari was ecstatic to share threads of inspiration and how this game honors the original trilogy directed by George Lucas that kickstarted the franchise.
One of the things we really tried to explore, especially early on, were ‘what were George Lucas’s original inspirations?‘
Khavari thought the best way to honor Lucas was to cite his sources of inspiration while working on the original trilogy and the Kurosawa films stood out at the time. Akira Kurosawa was a renowned Oscar-winning filmmaker in his prime and Khavari was influenced by Yojimbo‘s theme of playing both sides for Kay’s reputation system within the criminal underworld.
Kurosawa was a big one, especially Yojimbo. That really translates almost directly into playing syndicates off of each other – the idea of Kay walking in and having to navigate the reputation system. It really infused the spirit of what we’re doing.
The story takes place between Episode 5 – The Empire Strikes Back and Episode 6 – Return of the Jedi, and it would make sense for Khavari to prioritize the look and atmosphere as closely as humanly possible for maximum entertainment and immersion. Fans of the original trilogy will notice a unique lens that replicates the cinema lenses of the ’70s.
Matching the visual tone is important and creates an illusion that players are stepping into a world they fondly remember. Khavari wants to honor the Skywalker Saga without relying on the films as a crutch and to branch off organically with an original and authentic Star Wars story.
George Lucas Has Set the Precedent for What Star Wars Outlaws Should Look and Feel Like
The game developers also revealed that Solo: A Star Wars Story was the perfect source of inspiration for creating this original project. Han Solo’s past connections with the criminal underworld and the syndicates were an untapped pool of opportunities for exciting new stories set within a galaxy far, far away.
Fans are not amused with the technical drawbacks but appreciate the thought of developers for unifying the Star Wars universe by adding an iconic weapon seen in The Mandalorian. Ubisoft managed to sneak Mando’s Phase-Pulse Short Rifle into the game.
Nostalgia can be a powerful tool and Khavari wanted to use that to benefit this project. The interest of legacy fans will likely be piqued after seeing these similarities and taking them back to where they were ages ago.
George Lucas was limited by the technology of his time but it has evolved since then and Ubisoft could fully embrace his vision without restraint. Hopefully, fans can overlook the issues and celebrate the game for what it is.
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