Although someStar Warsgames have allowed players to explore various planets relatively freely,Star Wars Outlawsis the first full-blown open-worldStar Warsadventure that isn’t an MMORPG or aLEGOgame. Such a prospect presented numerous challenges that the seasoned open-world veterans at Ubisoft were more than equipped to tackle, and the result is a galaxy-spanning scoundrel story that young Han Solo fans once merely dreamed of.
Game Rant spoke withStar Wars Outlawsgame director Mathias Karlson along with art and world director Benedikt Podlesnigg about Ubisoft’s approach to creating a truly open-worldStar Warsgame. They weighed in on the importance of player freedom, engaging exploration, and delivering authenticStar Warslocales to be immersed in.This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Open World Exploration in Star Wars Outlaws
Q: How do you encourage and reward exploration inStar Wars Outlaw’s open world, beyond primary objectives?
Podlesnigg:Star Wars Outlawsis the most fun when it is enjoyed as one experience. It’s not about primary or secondary objectives; it’s one experience in which you are emerging scoundrel Kay Vess and her companion, Nix, asstreet thieves in theStar Warsgalaxy. Look around, eavesdrop on conversations… look at the world, listen to Nix… there is always something to find. The things you find are always something rewarding; it could be items needed to upgrade your abilities or a fancy new paint job for your speeder or starship but also new quests or unexpected situations.
Q: Player agency is important in open-world games. In what ways can players decide where to go or what to do next? Can there be more than one approach to an objective?
Karlson:Agency and freedom for you as a player are really at the heart of the experience. Not just in where to go and what to do next, but also in how you approach different situations. Do you approach it stealthily or blaster-blazing? The choice is almost always entirely up to you – including what consequences you are willing to deal with at the time.
Many of your actions can shift your reputation with the underworld syndicates up or down, and therefore the different rewards, opportunities, and risks that come with it. If you get caught breaking the rules of the Empire, you will find yourself wanted and they will come after you.
I personally think you enjoy the game the most when you embrace a certain ebb and flow of your reputation and wanted status. Ultimately, it leaves you very free to seize opportunities and pursue your own goals in the way and order that you want. The changing landscape of friend and foe becomes a big part of the fun. The most important and fundamental philosophy for our open-world experience is that you may be driven by your own goals and on the way be distracted by your own curiosity – and that curiosity is always rewarded.
Q: Can you explain some of the side objectives and activities Kay Vess can engage with as she explores various planets?
Podlesnigg:There are tons of things to do… as mentioned, taking it in as one experience I think is the key. While playing the main story there are many distractions on the way suitable for the scoundrel lifestyle. For example, finding the locations of andplaying Kessel Sabaccagainst the high rollers is very fun and rewarding.
Q: As a whole, how doesStar Wars Outlawsadhere to and break away from typical Ubisoft Open-World tradition?
Podlesnigg:It’s an experience driven by curiosity, you will engage with the world and its inhabitants to discover things that you’re able to engage with and threads you can follow. This could be listening in to conversations to find clues about the next hidden treasure or following the trail of an expert to unlock an ability you want. Everything is engrained within the world and the world itself and those within it are the key to your progression.
Q: How much freedom did you have when depicting more iconic locales like Mos Eisley vs. less well-known or original locations?
Podlesnigg:Lucasfilm Games gave us a lot of freedom and worked very closely with us to ensure the authenticity of iconic locations. The team is full ofStar Warsfans who really pushed at every corner to ensure we respect the source material, especially when it comes to Tatooine. Being able to really enter the Mos Eisley cantina, walk around in it, and experience it within an open world is amazing.
When creating Tosharawe came to Lucasfilm Games with the idea of what we wanted to do and then worked with them closely to verify everything fits together. We had a lot of freedom when creating this special moon so we could really go very deep into the world building to create a location that fits withinStar Warsbut also feels real.
Designing Iconic Planets For Star Wars Outlaws
Q: When designing Tatooine, were there any specific elements or possible challenges in ensuring you hit the ’70s/’80s vibe of the planet versus later depictions like inThe Clone WarsorThe Book of Boba Fett?
Podlesnigg:We spent a lot of time looking at reference material. We tried to look at the things that would have inspired the people who worked on the movies at that time in addition to looking atStar Warsmedia.
For Tatooine specifically, we looked at references that were used for the movies like the filming locations in Death Valley and Tunisia. We also tried to stay true to depictions of some of the locales shown in the books where you see cutaway images of them. It helps to create the timelessness that is such a big part of the IP. Each era has its own style that creates the unique world-building ofStar Wars.
Q: Can you discuss how your version of Cantonica may differ from its depiction inThe Last Jedi?
Podlesnigg:ForCantonicawe 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.
Q: Tatooine, Cantonica, and Kijimi have all appeared in movies. What was the process like of selecting these planets and designing them, knowing that your version of these planets eventually line up as they do in the movies?
Podlesnigg:For bothKijimi and Canto Bightwe had resources available to us from Lucasfilm that were used when crafting the locations within their respective movies, which helped us to stay very authentic to the established layouts of the locations.
Q: Meanwhile, Akiva has not appeared in movies, only novels, and Toshara is a brand new planet inStar Warslore. Were there any restraints or specific creative freedoms taken when designing these planets?
Podlesnigg:For Akiva, we dove into the books… really digging deep into the descriptions of the world and creating a visual language that would fit that description. For example, the book described the buildings as having a thick stucco material, so when you look in the game you may see a rough, thick layer of painted stucco on buildings. Also, the idea of Monkey lizards as invasive species being the city’s pests was a great way to bring those creatures into the game.
For Toshara, we wanted to create a location that feels real and still fits right intoStar Wars. It’s all about the one biome onStar Warslocations. We used the African savanna as our biome and Amberine as our exotic ingredient. We added the wind to it and imagined how all these elements would interact with each other and influence flora, fauna, and culture.
[END]
