Why Star Wars Outlaws is the most authentic Star Wars sequel since Rogue One

GamesAdventureStar Wars OutlawsWhy Star Wars Outlaws is the most authentic Star Wars sequel since Rogue OneWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesAdventureStar Wars OutlawsWhy Star Wars Outlaws is the most authentic Star Wars sequel since Rogue OneWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Ubisoft) As a lifelong Star Wars fan, and someone old enough to (just!) remember seeing the original movie at the Studio Cinema, Bletchley, in 1978, there have been moments inStar Wars Outlawsthat have filled me with overwhelming nostalgia. Strolling through Mos Eisley, passing Stormtroopers carrying their heavy stock assault rifles and Jawas selling gently used Astromech droids, has been a hell of an experience – but it’s only part of what makesUbisoft’s game such a faithful Star Wars experience. Like the acclaimed sequel movieRogue One, it captures so much of the style and meaning of the first three films. There’s a lot of John Ford in both Star Wars and Outlaws. Kay Vess is the reluctant hero drawn against her will into a wider conflict, a regular Ford theme, which Lucas adapted into Luke Skywalker. Ford, too, was interested in life at the edges of the American Frontier: small remote towns, dodgy cantinas, corrupt lawmakers, the thriving underworld – this is reflected in the setting of Outlaws with its outer rim planets and criminal gangs. The whole Gunslinger quest, where Kay sets out to help a Tatooine sheriff defend her town from outlaws, is a classic Western narrative. Meanwhile, the samurai-inspired Ashiga clan with its complex codes of honor and duty are a nod toward Kurosawa. The game’s whole narrative, of a rootless warrior attempting to navigate their own route through a vast and devastating war, is the essence of Hidden Fortress – the Kurosawa picture to which Star Wars is most indebted. (Don’t) let the past die (Image credit: Ubisoft) Return to Tatooine (Image credit: Ubisoft) But Outlaws also relates closely to the original Star Wars trilogy – in a very obvious sense, as with its setting between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, it takes us right back to the themes, worlds and visual language of those films. Star Wars began in a post-Clone War era of battered technology and corrupt star systems surviving on the outskirts of Imperial rule. Outlaws is there too. It returns to Tatooine, the heartland of the Star Wars myth, weaving in iconic characters such as Jabba and Lando, and like Rogue One, it makes brief yet scintillating use of Darth Vader and the Death Star. Just as important is how Outlaws uses the aesthetics, iconography and milieu of the original movies: the cantinas with their shadowy corners filled with diverse aliens, imperial bases with their monochrome interiors and walls of blinking computer panels; spaceship cockpits with their analogue switches and levers. A New Hope, Rogue One and Outlaws are all about physical technology – hard drives and memory banks, computer hacking tools and stolen plans. And while Kay is breaking into vaults for loot and data, there are Rebel Alliance operatives doing the same thing, drawing us back to the spies alluded to in the original film. (Image credit: Ubisoft) And while the Outlaws universe feels practical and weathered – a stark contrast to the digital precision and opulence of the prequel trilogy – the narrative also feels grounded. It’s about thugs and gangsters, and set in dodgy bars and the streets of crowded towns. There’s none of the meandering Jedi, Sith and Mandalorian mythologies that weighed down theDisneyTV spin-offs or the closing film trilogy of the Skywalker saga. This leads to a world that feels immediately understandable. “We have a fantastic world building team that really would dissect these planets, from demographics, to fauna, flora and aesthetics,” says narrative director Navid Khavari. “We followed the three second rule, which was very crucial to Star Wars: ‘do I understand what I’m seeing within three seconds? Do I get the story?’ Whether that’s an environment, or a character, it was important.” Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Indeed the very building blocks of the Outlaws narrative – its structure and underlying themes – take us back to the opening trilogy and its reliance on Joseph Campbell’s concept of the Hero’s Journey, which was a huge inspiration for Lucas. Just like a New Hope, Outlaws is a story about building a crew and setting off on a quest: in the former, Luke gathers C3PO, R2D2 and Ben Kenobi, then Han and Leia; in the latter, Kay has Nix, but she bring in other experts, starting with battle droid ND-5. It was the same with Rogue One – a classic crew-building story with Jyn gathering a team of disparate warriors. But on a deeper level, both Rogue One and Outlaws return to the absolutely fundamental theme of Star Wars – parental abandonment and rediscovery. Just as Luke must contend with Vader, Kay’s relationship with her errant mother underpins the story and drives her forward. As Whitta says of Rogue One, “One of the things that’s very clear from the original trilogy is that it’s about a fallen man being redeemed through the love of, and for, his son. So that’s where the idea of Jyn’s father being one of the architects of the Death Star came from, a similar theme of the daughter redeeming the sins of the father.” If you’re itching to make another Kessel Run, here are thebest Star Wars gamesyou should check out next. 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that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1 Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”