With Star Wars Outlaws set to land in players’ hands on August 30, it remains to be seen just how the Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment action adventure would fare, but for the team, it has been a labour of love that is finally seeing the light of day.
This was clearly evident as we joined other members of the press in Sydney, Australia, to talk to Cloé Hammoud, associate world director and Samuel De Vos, lead concept artist, about the game and stepping into the boots of Kay Vess once more before the full release.
Stepping into the Microsoft Experience Centre in the, well, city centre, we were transported to the frontiers of space, with plenty of cool Star Wars Outlaws items on display, themed food, and, more importantly, several presentations by the team to illustrate the painstaking work put into bringing their world to life.
The core of the experience is to deliver a scoundrel fantasy in a galaxy of wonder and opportunity, where players will enjoy building Vess into a true scoundrel. Along the way, there will also be the innate joy of discovery when exploring and making choices that have various consequences, leading to a tale to remember. From what we have seen and played thus far, these pillars are already shaping up nicely, but it all requires a giant playground for everything to unfold.
Building the Star Wars Outlaws World
How Massive Entertainment was able to create its take on the galaxy in Star Wars Outlaws was no mean feat. As Hammoud puts it, the team worked closely with the Lucasfilm Games folks and essentially became “Star Wars scholars” who were well-versed in almost every little detail.
“From the colour of the ship engine through the colour of the blaster sparks to the planets, the languages, there are so many details about this IP that make it so interesting and you’re learning through it,” shared Hammoud. “Lucasfilm Games, their team, their knowledge, that really helped us. They are super collaborative and also very welcoming to new ideas and the new perspectives that we are bringing for this game. So they really helped us navigate all of these different rules.”
Those rules of Star Wars design can be easy to understand but hard to follow. Having strong silhouettes, infusing personality into objects and individuals, adhering to the three-second rule of helping viewers understand what they are looking at, and ensuring everything is believable, even if things can be slightly alien, help to make something genuinely Star Wars.
“When we iterate on designs of often, quite common objects, for example, the answer is, in many cases, simplify to make it so that you really nail that 80:20 ratio that we talked about before,” said De Vos about the process of keeping things 80% familiar and 20% alien, the perfect balance of immersion.
Whether you find yourself on Tatooine or the previously uncharted Akiva, there is always something to look forward to and be surprised by. As Hammoud pointed out, the “diversity crafted in the form of planets, their environments, and locations” was exciting for her team of world builders. As an artist, it was a fantastic opportunity to “create something that is an authentic addition” that lived within a “framework” and explore “creativity in those rules” for De Vos.
“We knew that we wanted to have both familiar planets that players would like, such as Tatooine and also having the opportunity to create brand new planets. When it comes to player agency, when it comes to the locations, the characters you will meet, and the stories that they will tell, I think we see the freedom in the final product,” said the associate world director.
To further enhance the experience, the team also leveraged several ways of cinematic techniques in Outlaws. Take a closer look at the action, and you can make out the filmic treatment added on, together with layers of lens effects and subtle distortion, which works well with the anamorphic lens to deliver a truly 21:9 cinematic experience at home with the rest of Star Wars. This is a grounded, tangible, and tactile world, and players will feel it in every way.
Even the dark regions of space were something that Massive Entertainment looked at closely, especially as players will be venturing out as part of their adventure. For Hammoud, this meant thinking “about space in a very different way” and giving everything “a little twist” to differentiate one region from another, with De Vos adding that adding “an elegant, visual interest to the iconic black, dark space” was a challenge that required “a lot of special care.” Still, it is all “grounded in what planets are within that space region” to build that connection for players.
The Scoundrels All-Stars
While Star Wars Outlaws may promise plenty to see and interact with, it would be for nought if the players are not given a strong enough reason to dive in. That’s where Vess, her furry companion Nix, and the other characters come into play. From a design standpoint, it was vital for players to visualise that journey from being a mere thief to a true scoundrel, making it easier to relate to the game’s protagonist in Vess.
“When looking at the character specifically, that is the narrative the team wants to serve. And they did a great job creating a character that does not feel out of touch with a more normal person within the Star Wars universe,” De Vos elaborated.
“So there is a little bit of a relatable cargo pants, for example, they’re a little bit baggy. Nothing’s really perfect. There is definitely wear and tear everywhere, as well. And it’s the same with Nix and ND-5. The believability plays a big part in that. If you didn’t do that, it would be harder for the player to relate and to be in touch with the story as you go along.”
Even as players change Vess’ outfits to suit their fancy, several signature elements remain faithful to the character. Her use of sneakers, footwear making its debut in the IP no less, her crooked nose from getting into too much trouble, that popped-up collar, and many more will keep players firmly in step. The idea is that the freedom of outfits will still be grounded in the universe, giving you the choice of different looks with gameplay impacts that make sense. The adorable Nix will also have its recognisable elements being spotlighted, and so will ND-5, and it all comes together quite nicely to form a team that will have its part to play in the tale of Star Wars Outlaws.
With so much care going into the open world, the various planets and locations, as well as the characters who are the heart and soul of the game, it is all shaping up nicely for another galaxy-spanning adventure amongst the stars. And for those who may have reservations about the depth of the adventure across the five revealed planets this August 30, worry not.
“It makes that experience very meaningful. You spend a good amount of time there to appreciate what is going on and to see that lived-in planet, but you do get a lot of freshness from going to new planets at different points throughout the story, and you can choose when those points are and when you go to each different planet. When I play the game, it makes you really experience the planet for what it’s worth,” said De Vos.
Star Wars Outlaws launches this coming August 30 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
