its release." Brittany Vincent of ShackNews placed it on her list of Five LucasArts Classics Ripe for Remakes, and noted that it "deserves another chance to woo gamers." Next Generation stated that "Outlaws uses the Dark Forces engine, and it shows. The graphics are a bit outdated, a bit disorienting, and more than a bit pixelated in close. The game's saving grace is its plot, admittedly and oft-overlooked aspect of this genre." GameSpot reviewer Chris Hudak commended the game's story and cinematic cutscenes, calling it a "movie-worthy experience" and citing the cinematic and musical influences of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns and Ennio Morricone's scores, respectively; he overall praised the game and called it "the most complete and faithful Old West shooter in the industry to date". In a retrospective review of the game, Kotaku editor Luke Plunkett praised the game's soundtrack and called the multiplayer "excellent." Plunkett cited the release of the visually superior Quake a year earlier and Half-Life not long after as factors that led to the game fading into obscurity for most players. The Escapist'''s Stew Shearer gave high marks for the game's villains; he called them "fun to hate." He stated that Outlaws "isn't just Doom with cowboys; you can tell that the developers put some real hard work into making the player feel like they're the hero in a Sergio Leone flick." The reviewer for Computer Games Magazine noted that while the game did not look as visually appealing as its competitors, other developers should "show as much thought in level and multiplayer design." Some reviewers were more critical of the game. The reviewer for Computer Gaming World said that "There's nothing really wrong with Outlaws. There just isn't much right with it." The reviewer noted that the game had excellent music and art, but felt that the game had nothing new or innovative to offer players. Edge magazine's reviewer stated that "not for the first time, shown that it's not infallible." Charlie Brooker of PC Zone (UK) had to take time to warm up to the game. "when you start playing Outlaws, it feels downright cruddy." Brooker stated that after a lengthy amount of play his opinion changed, and ultimately he gave the game a favorable review.Computer Gaming World gave the soundtrack for Outlaws its 1997 "Musical Achievement" award. Outlaws was a finalist for the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) Interactive Achievement