Star Wars Outlaws Cinematic Mode Makes It Look Like The Original Trilogy

As a seasoned gamer with decades of gaming under my belt, I must say that Star Wars Outlaws has truly caught my attention. The visual language it employs harks back to the original trilogy, creating an immersive experience that feels like stepping into the same galaxy far, far away.


In terms of aesthetic, Star Wars Outlaws appears incredibly plausible as if it belongs in the same galaxy depicted in the original movie trilogy. This approach significantly shaped the visual style of the game. However, the developers at Massive Entertainment aimed to push boundaries by designing Star Wars Outlaws to seem as though it was filmed using the exact same cameras and lenses as the classic films.

To pull off this technical accomplishment, the studio created a digital “lens” within the Snowdrop Engine, which they utilized to deliver a more movie-like experience for Star Wars Outlaws. Although it’s not mandatory, players have the ability to activate a widescreen display in the game, resulting in black bars at the screen’s bottom, a realistic film grain, and various subtle cinematic effects.

In a recent TopMob Insider documentary, creative director Julian Gerighty discussed the creation of a unique lens within Snowdrop, their game engine. This lens emulates the characteristics of lenses from the ’70s and 80’s, including barrel distortion, chromatic aberration, film grain, and vignetting. These elements are combined to create an immersive ultra-widescreen effect. Players can adjust these features independently, but collectively they transport you into a cinematic experience that feels incredibly realistic.

As per Stephen Hawes, the technical art director, the lens project was tough yet rewarding since it echoed the method of filming in the initial Star Wars movies, thereby enhancing a cinematic feel for Star Wars Outlaws. Massive Entertainment successfully incorporated technical aspects such as lens breathing and film grain at 24fps regardless of the game’s chosen frame rate, while details like CRT screens, slight barrel distortion, and soft focus contributed to a “realistic, cinematic” environment, according to Hawes.

Star Wars Outlaw is set to release on August 30 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. However, if you’re eager to play it before that date, you can do so early if you have a Ubisoft Premium+ subscription. On Metacritic, Star Wars Outlaw currently holds a “mainly favorable” rating of 77 out of 100 from 59 reviews.

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2024-08-26 20:09