Cameos Star Wars Outlaws know how to handle characters with care

Fan service has always been ubiquitous Star Wars and for the most part it was relevant and meaningful because of the series' overlapping generational corners. That's not to say there wasn't any ill-conceived fanservice, though, as Rey suddenly being attached to Sheev Palpatine seemingly places her in the iconic character's family just to keep her history relevant. Rather, Darth Vader igniting his lightsaber and slicing through a brave band of rebels more or less overshadows everything else in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story but it's out of place as the film continues seamlessly A new hope.

Star Wars Outlaws should have always had fanservice since it takes place in between The Empire strikes back and Return of the Jedi and had Kay Vess and Nix visit Tatooine of all planets. It is possible that these decisions were made in order to open the world Star Wars the game could lean a bit on fan nostalgia, and yet what Massive achieves proves that where it falls in the timeline is no crutch at all. Star Wars Outlaws it definitely dabbles in cameos, but it does so in a way that doesn't detract from the overall story and doesn't rely on the looks of these characters to carry the game.

The Star Wars Outlaws DLC has every right to sing the praises of Kessel Sabacc

Star Wars Outlaws' first upcoming DLC, Wild Card, doubles down on one of the best features of the epic open-world quest by going all out on Kessel Sabacc.

Outlaws' Cameos puts it firmly in the Star Wars timeline

Considering how the franchise likes it Star Wars Jedi has a more ambiguous place in the timeline between the looming theatrical IP trilogies, Star Wars Outlaws is undeniably clear when set. Seeing characters like Jabba the Hutt, Bib Fortuna, Salacious B. Crumb, Boba Fett, and a carbonite-frozen Han Solo on Tatooine, for example, is exciting enough, but seeing Darth Vader, Lando Calrissian, Lady Qi'ra, and Temmin Wexley helps recontextualize the game's canon.

It could have been easy for Lando to only appear at one Kessel Sabacc table if Massive wanted him to be purely nostalgic. Instead, Lando is going on an Expert NPC questline that proves he worked with the Rebel Alliance, and that goes a long way toward showing what he's been up to between the events of the last two original trilogy films.

Arguably, Lando overstays his welcome by being its centerpiece

Star Wars Outlaws
A wild card story pack, but at least it ties in with the fact that he was the main quest finder in the base game, so it's only natural that he'll be the one players run into in a DLC chapter revolving entirely around Kessel. Sabacc.

The Star Wars Outlaws cameos weave their cover lore into a neat web

Additionally, Massive doesn't duplicate Boba Fett – perhaps because Respawn already introduced him as a twist at the end of the movie. Star Wars Jedi: SurvivorBounty Hunt side quest – and only gives players a brief glimpse of it through the louvers of the ventilation shaft. Regardless, Boba Fett's cameo is no less immersive as it makes sense that he could have been in the palace at the time and fans know he was working for Jabba.

When it comes to cameos, references, or Easter eggs, there's nothing obviously gratuitous Star Wars Outlaws because if it did, it would be quite noticeable and leave a sour taste. For example, if a lightsaber were to fall into Kaya's hands, or if a Jedi appeared, it would likely distract negatively from the fact that Outlaws is a villainous tale meant to shine a light on some of the darker corners of a galaxy far, far away.