There’s something that feels inherently Star Wars about a cantina. Whether the clientele includes beeping droids and an array of raggedy aliens or not, the energy of that particular kind of meeting space has an intergalactic edge that tips the scales from a humdrum beverage stand to something a little more, well, exciting.
And so, it felt innately right that when I got the chance to chat with Star Wars Outlaws narrative director Navid Khavari, and ND-5 voice actor Jay Rincon, it was just outside the doors of a bustling, makeshift cantina – replete with seemingly space-rusted paraphernalia and alien iconography.
The interview was late afternoon during a recent international media event, after a few hours of gameplay and cantina beverages took the edge off the California heat. Just beyond a spacecraft-like bridge and a weather-worn speeder, we chatted about all things inspiration, character relationships, and freaks.
From Akira to anime – sourcing inspiration from unlikely places
One of the most well-known inspirations for the original Star Wars series was the films of Akira Kurosawa, with George Lucas openly declaring their impact on the iconic space opera. In a 2001 interview with Criterion, Lucas said, “It’s really his visual style to me, that’s so strong and unique … the visual, the graphics, the framing, just the quality of the images goes a long way in telling the story and setting the mood.”
That influence feels well carried through into Star Wars Outlaws, with a more modern take on the energy. For me, the gameplay and vibe felt very reminiscent of A Fistful of Dollars – which, in itself, is a 1964 unofficial adaptation of Kurosawa’s Yojimbo.
As narrative director, Khavari made clear that these threads of inspiration were important to carry through in the development of Star Wars Outlaws. “One of the things we really tried to explore, especially early on, were ‘what were George Lucas’s original inspirations?’” he said. “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.”
Read: Star Wars Outlaws preview – An atmospheric jaunt with Uncharted vibes
But the impact of spaghetti westerns and these iconic black and white films isn’t the long and short of it for inspiration through the game – small nods to other properties occasionally pop up. For GamesHub reviewer Jam Walker, the platforming and puzzle-solving elements of their preview gave Uncharted vibes.
That’s not to mention Nix, Kay’s adorably agile and affectionate merqaal companion, who attacks with a move that feels akin to the face-huggers of Alien. It’s striking and effective – though I’ve got to admit it was his extremely dramatic “play dead” move that really captured my attention. That move feels much more akin to a Shakespearean play, or perhaps the theatrics of a soccer player seeking a penalty.
Ultimately though, the combination of space and westerns really does make for a strong match. For Rincon, who voices the Internet’s favourite world-weary droid ND-5, anime went hand-in-hand with old-time westerns when it came to sourcing inspiration for the development of his character.
“Cowboy Bebop is what resonated and popped up to me immediately in the early days of us doing this – you know, being a trailblazer, traversing the galaxy and going from mission to mission,” he said. “And then obviously, with ND-5 and the duster, and his voice, swagger and this brooding persona that he has, I couldn’t stop thinking about Clint Eastwood or anyone of the old time westerns.”
The design of the characters really goes hand-in-hand with the way the story of Star Wars Outlaws unfolds. While ND-5 rocks the duster (very well, if I may say), Kay is positioned as the epitome of the scoundrel archetype.
Scoundrel is as scoundrel does
According to Khavari, the team drew from a range of scoundrels in the Star Wars canon in the creation of the Star Wars Outlaws story – but with a key point of difference. “You want a character with a vulnerability, and so, I think the idea of Kay being relatable – someone that is one of us – was super important,” he said.
“You look at some of the other scoundrels in Star Wars – if you go back to Han Solo’s early days – there’s so much bravado and confidence and ‘I’m gonna figure this out’. With Kay, we always wanted to infuse a sense of like, maybe she’s second guessing herself a bit. Maybe there’s a bit of self deprecation, maybe there’s some vulnerability.”
Another dramatic point of difference for the rag-tag Star Wars Outlaws crew is a sense of ‘rookie’ energy, and a lack of polish. They have the attitude, but that doesn’t mean they’re always going to hit the nail on the head when navigating the intricacies and political machinations of a divided galaxy.
“A lot of the other scoundrels in the galaxy, the ones that we’re well versed with, they’re pretty dynamic and polished right from the get go,” said Rincon. “And this is all rough around the edges.”
For the character of ND-5, who has a bit more experience in the underworld and is certainly battle-tested, it’s a case of providing advice and guidance while wearing the scoundrel label with a bit more reluctance. But therein lies the crucial dynamic that made even just the few short hours of Star Wars Outlaws gameplay so engaging: the relationship and interplay between the three core characters.
Found family is a trope that often gets trotted out – and for good reason – but one of the strongest selling points for Star Wars Outlaws narratively is how effectively it illustrates the connections not only between Kay and Nix, but also between Kay and ND-5, and even Nix and ND-5. The trio feel connected, and Nix especially feels like more than just a function-based companion.
“I think what’s fun is yes, Nix is probably more of a mirror of Kay’s personality, but also is sort of the extension of her into the broader world,” said Khavari. “She’s fiercely protective of Nix, and I think that relationship between them is, in some ways, deeper than family – the team really infused their own pets into this creature, and it’s really fun and interesting to see how that translates into the game.”
For the actors, selling that connection is vital. “The relationships have to be honest … you build it through chemistry,” said Rincon. “As long as everything that we’re doing is genuine and organic, then I believe that the characters are relating, and telling the story, and behaving as they should.”
That’s not to say that they’re well behaved – after all, a scoundrel resides squarely in the grey area. But if you’re looking for a flawed found family, who make it easy for you to want what’s best for them, you’ll find it in Star Wars Outlaws. That is, if you can wade through the rest of the freakish folk who call the universe home.
Freak mode: Embracing the wackos of Star Wars Outlaws
The Star Wars universe is known for its freaks. It seems that with every new episode, game or film, the Internet falls in love with a new freaky little guy – and rightly so. From the beloved Babu Frik to an assortment of strangely tusked and wacky looking creatures, there’s no shortage across the galaxy, so it stands to reason that Star Wars Outlaws should, by rights, live up to that demanding freak quota.
Fortunately, it does in spades. During my few hours of gameplay, I roamed around often neglecting the main missions on a very specific hunt – a freak watch, if you will. I found everything from freaky looking birds, some beautifully hulking beasts (that yes, you can pat), and your regular assortment of goofy little guys.
But that was only in the short few hours I’d been exposed to, so naturally I had to consult the experts. The last question of our interview time was very simple, and yet extremely important to me: which character or beast in Star Wars Outlaws is Khavari and Rincon’s favourite freak?
“Salacious B. Crumb, for me,” said Rincon. “Salacious Crumb is what I used to call my old dog, because she would come up and eat all of our crumbs, and so that just stuck for me. One of my favourite parts of all Star Wars was Salacious, so it always made me laugh.”
For Khavari, the answer lies in a jar. “I’m gonna go with Bosnok, I think,” he said. “It’s a character that we fashioned and I think, just in the team, is so popular. We saw the Gallusians in Solo, but to have a character in a jar that has a personality, that’s so Star Wars – and that’s freak mode, for me.”
Freak mode, indeed. When Star Wars Outlaws finally releases in late August, I know that I will certainly be spending a good chunk of my time venturing around the populated areas in search of freaks – and I will not be disappointed.
Stoking the flames of curiosity
If Star Wars Outlaws feels reminiscent of A Fistful of Dollars, this short, four-hour long stint of gameplay and interaction left me eager For A Few Dollars More. I’m already eager to dive back in to Kay Vess’ world, to further explore the syndicate reputation system – and yes, find those freaks.
But mostly I’m keen to see how the inspiration sources, and development of organic character relationships, play out across the wider narrative arc. Star Wars Outlaws has a very specific energy that’s hard to place, and I’ve devoted more than a few hours of thought to the missions I accomplished in that short time.
If nothing else, I’ll be comfortably sat at the helm in order to spend more time with Nix. I would do literally anything for that little guy and his flair for the dramatics.
Ubisoft provided flights & accommodation to GamesHub in order to play Star Wars Outlaws and interview developers. Ubisoft did not have oversight of this article.
