Star Wars Outlawshas a ton of weight on its shoulders as it hoists the mantle ofStar Wars’ first-ever open-world game. Unlike Respawn’sStar Wars Jediseries, which is connected to a pivotal event in canon but takes place largely in its own niche betweenRevenge of the SithandA New Hope,Star Wars Outlawsis set shortly afterThe Empire Strikes Backand bears the full force—pun intended—of all the world-building and established lore in the galaxy at that point. This is especially true of how Massive and Ubisoft would’ve needed to approach their treatment of planets inOutlawsspecifically.
Tatooine is a planet thatStar Warshas revisited frequently, for example, and at several points throughout the franchise’s enormous, generation-spanning timeline. Therefore, it may not be terribly difficult for players to already have somewhat of an understanding of what Tatooine could look like, or what threats and opportunities might await them there under the Galactic Empire’s rule. Cantonica is another query altogether, though, and Massive art & world director Benedikt Podlesnigg spoke with Game Rant about not expecting glitz and glamor exclusively fromThe Last Jedi’s iconic desert planet.
Star Wars Outlaws’ Cantonica Looks to Show the Disparity Between Canto Bight’s Lower- and Higher-Classes
The Last Jedipopularized Cantonica with imagery of eclectic, rich-blooded nightlife in Canto Bight, notable for its casinos. The coastal city is also known for its controversial fathier stables and race tracks as they made for a contentious subplot inThe Last Jedi. However,Outlaws’ recent hands-on preview revealed Kay Vess can bet on fathier races.
The Last Jedicertainly teased that not all of Canto Bight enjoys unfathomable wealth, and it seems as ifOutlawsis making conscious strides to not only represent its nightlife—knowing full well how exciting that will be for players and Kay alike to experience and explore—but also the more downtrodden corners of the city that are presently underrepresented. DiscussinghowOutlaws’ Cantonica differs from its depiction inThe Last Jedi, Podlesnigg stated that the team had creative liberty given that the game takes place so long before the movie:
“For Cantonica, we tried to imagine what it would be 30 years before we see it in the movie. Imagine a location that is not fully developed, where there is a big workers district that contrasts with the rich Casinos. This gave us a chance to really show a contrast in locations.”
This contrast in particular should allow Cantonica to not simply be a shimmering set piece withpossible mini-games, fathier races, and Sabacc-playing galore, and that’s paramount ifOutlawshopes to make Cantonica more dynamic and unfurl more of the threads thatThe Last Jedileft dangling in its abridged representation of the planet. Depending on how much players can explore of Canto Bight, it might be as enriching for the narrative overall as it is for Kay herself, especially since her backstory is tied to it.
Star Wars Outlaws’ Cantonica is a Narrative Inspiration as Much as It’s an Iconic Planet
Interestingly, Kay was raised in Canto Bight, and as Narrative Director Navid Khavari says, “specifically in The Worker’s District, away from the glitz of the casinos.”
Canto Bight and Cantonica at large clearly have a huge influence on Kay’s character and it’ll be interesting to see how the planet and those struggling to survive on its streets will be portrayed in contrast to how the planet is illustrated inThe Last Jedi.Planets such as Tatooine or Kijimiwill likely have their own quirks as well, but Cantonica already has a unique representation and Massive now has an opportunity to broaden it further and more meaningfully.
