From Assassin's Creed Odyssey to Star Wars Outlaws: Crafting a Galactic Open-World Adventure

Star Wars Outlaws has been notably influenced by Assassin's Creed Odyssey, particularly due to the advantageous position of its director, who had the opportunity to consult with Ubisoft's development team about the intricacies of constructing their expansive worlds. The planets in the open world of Star Wars Outlaws are equivalent to the size of three combined zones from Assassin's Creed Odyssey. This unique comparison emerged because of the direct communication between Outlaws' director and the Odyssey team for guidance.

Julian Gerighty, the creative director of Star Wars Outlaws, has openly discussed how Assassin's Creed Odyssey has impacted the game's development. In a conversation with GamesRadar+, he elaborated on this influence and the collaborative bond he maintained with the developers who created Kassandra and Alexios's adventures.

Gerighty attributes much of the inspiration for Outlaws to Odyssey's vast environment, its traversal system, and the RPG light mechanics embedded within the game. He acknowledges Odyssey as one of his favorite entries in the Assassin's Creed series, explaining the significant impression it has left on his project. However, Odyssey's direct influence on Outlaws goes beyond inspiration alone.

For many crucial development ideas, Gerighty had the convenience of reaching out to his peers within Ubisoft to ask detailed questions about their experience. He sought their expertise on topics such as managing the scale of the game world and determining feasible traversal distances. This direct access to the minds behind one of his favorite games was invaluable, providing practical insights and support from within the same organization.

Despite the benefits of consulting fellow Ubisoft developers, Gerighty also mentioned that another open-world game acted as a "biggest reference" during the creation of Star Wars Outlaws—Ghost of Tsushima. Throughout the interview, he commended Sucker Punch's game for its dedication to delivering a pure player fantasy experience.

After spending four hours exploring the open world of Star Wars Outlaws, the experience evokes similarities to Red Dead Redemption, set in a galaxy far, far away.