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In the ’90s, over a decade before the release of epic Western adventures like Red Dead Redemption, LucasArts introduced the world to Outlaws. Originally released in 1997, Outlaws was a truly groundbreaking entry in what was widely considered a niche genre at the time.
It was also LucasArts’ first venture into the creation of an original first-person shooter.
From Star Wars to Outlaws
To help set it apart from previous Star Wars-related releases, LucasArts modified the Jedi game engine they’d previously utilized for Star Wars: Dark Forces and enhanced the INSANE animation engine to better optimize it for Outlaws’ cutscenes.
LucasArts also created a compelling Western-style plot and cast of characters for the game, including protagonist James Anderson, a retired U.S. Marshal who sets off on a quest for vengeance after his wife is murdered and his daughter kidnapped by outlaws.
Drawing inspiration from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti Westerns, the outlaws who murder Anderson’s wife aren’t rogue agents wreaking havoc at random. Instead, they’re employed by a corrupt railroad baron, Bob Graham, who seeks to intimidate Anderson into selling his farm so he can build his railroad through it.
Departing from the colder sci-fi settings of titles like Star Wars: Dark Forces, even the grimmest moments in Outlaws are bathed in warmth thanks to its colorful, hand-painted backgrounds and fully animated, voice-acted cutscenes.
A great example of this can be found right at the beginning of the game, with cutscenes showing the happy home life Anderson will soon be robbed of, along with his wife and daughter.
Beyond its visuals and story, a key way in which Outlaws proved itself noteworthy was with its soundtrack.
LucasArts understood music to be an essential part of the Western genre, with Outlaws becoming the first FPS of its kind to feature a fully orchestrated score created by legendary composer Clint Bajakian.
Working with the Original Team
In Nightdive’s recently released Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster, you’ll be able to revisit the game’s iconic soundtrack in its Vault. In addition to behind-the-scenes documents and concept art, the Vault features commentary from Clint Bajakian for each of the score’s 15 tracks.
“The style was to be an original homage to the great spaghetti Western soundtracks of the late Ennio Morricone,” Bajakian explains in his exclusive Vault commentary. “Most all of the score is live recording, making possible the achievement of something real, something truly spaghetti.”
Not only will fans be able to enjoy Clint Bajakian’s insight into the creation of the game’s soundtrack, but Nightdive also conducted a special Deep Dive podcast interview for Outlaws with original level designer Kevin Schmitt.
“I textured most of the levels in Outlaws — you know, the texture artist created it and I put it on the walls,” Schmitt recounts in his Deep Dive interview. “I placed the props, I placed the enemies, I did the scripting, I placed the audio. We wrote a lot of the dialogue; we did everything back then.”
As nice as it is to have these as bonus items with Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster, for Nightdive including members of a game’s original development team wherever possible is considered a key part of the remaster process.
“Involving members of the original development team is important because it’s vital for authenticity, accuracy, and respect for the artists and developers who brought their vision to life,” Kick explains. “Their insight into mechanics, limitations they faced, and design helps our team keep the remasters we develop faithful to the original, not just in look, but in spirit as well.”
Modernizing a Timeless Classic
For Nightdive, maintaining the authenticity of a game’s original experience is one of the studio’s primary goals. The team wants the game to play the way you remember it, with options included in Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster that emphasize this, including the ability to toggle between the game’s original and remastered graphics.
While originally a PC release, Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster will be available on consoles for the first time ever, including Xbox One and Series X|S. On consoles, Outlaws will offer improved gamepad support, including a weapon selection wheel, aim assist, and rumble.
No matter how or where you choose to play it, nearly three decades after its original release, Outlaws continues to remain a defining entry in the Western genre — one that’s well worth revisiting or checking out for the very first time.
When asked why Outlaws continues to resonate with gamers to this day, Kick explains:
“Where most FPS games of its era were about shock and spectacle, Outlaws told a simple, emotional story underscored by a music composition that treated the material with genuine gravity. There simply weren’t many Western-themed games during this time.”
If you’re wondering whether physical editions of Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster will be available for purchase in the future, the answer is almost certainly yes.
“Fans are always asking about a physical edition,” Kuperman notes. “We think that physical editions are important to game preservation. We know that our fans always appreciate that option, so we hope to release physical editions of the game, including the game cart, for our fans to enjoy in the future.”
If you want to saddle up and play the game right here and now, Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster is available digitally on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One!
Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster
Lucasfilm, Disney, Atari, Nightdive Studios
$29.99
From the team that brought you STAR WARS™: Dark Forces Remaster comes the return of the 1997 western FPS classic, Outlaws!
Saddle up and ride back into the Wild West with the gunslinging ex-Marshal, James Anderson, and face off against the good, the bad, and the even worse this side of the Mississippi as you work to uncover a twisted plot of greed and corruption. With your trusty six-shooting .45 Revolver, Scoped .44 Rifle, 10-Gauge Shotgun, and good ol’ Sawed-Off 12-Gauge Shotgun, you’ll be packin’ plenty of firepower to take out all manner of outlaw varmints.
Outlaws + Handful of Missions features high-resolution, uncompressed cutscenes and updated visuals for weapons, characters, and enemies, all fully recreated from archived art and stylized to match the original look with full color palettes. Outlaws + Handful of Missions also offers Cross-Play Multiplayer with game modes including Deathmatch, Team Play, Capture the Flag, and Kill The Fool With The Chicken!
It’s Payback Time.
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Will Fulton, Xbox Wire Editor
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