Star Wars Outlaws Embraces Mass Effect 1’s Aesthetic for Classic Film Feel

Star Wars Outlaws Embraces Mass Effect 1’s Aesthetic for Classic Film Feel

Star Wars Outlaws is channeling the essence of the era during which the original trilogy was created, using a similar technique to BioWare’s Mass Effect to capture the authentic feel of the films.

In Edge Magazine, Julian Gerighty, the creative director, detailed the team’s commitment to authenticity. “We’re right in the heart of the Empire and Jedi timeline, aiming to recapture that period’s essence,” he explained. Massive’s team is implementing technology to replicate vintage ’70s cinematography—the vignettes, the film grain, the breathing and curvature of older lenses, and the distinctive lens flares—each element contributing to a filmic atmosphere.

Gerighty pointed to Mass Effect as a benchmark for this approach. BioWare’s celebrated title wasn’t adapting a specific film series but sought to evoke the vibe of classic sci-fi cinema, notably through its use of pronounced film grain and other visual filters, creating a standout visual identity.

While such stylistic choices like film grain and vignetting can be divisive among players, these traits became less pronounced in subsequent Mass Effect installments, hinting at a trend towards cleaner visuals. Nonetheless, it seems likely that Star Wars Outlaws will offer a refined version of these effects, possibly even making them adjustable, catering to those who appreciate a more vintage look.

Gerighty also hinted at the influence of the tangible, puppet-based effects seen in the original Star Wars movies on the game’s creature design, praising the enduring impact of practical effects from the series.