"Outlaws" is powered by an upgraded version of the Jedi engine, which was previously used on "". LucasArts' INSANE animation engine is used to display the game's cutscenes. The game was also originally planned to have 12 unique multiplayer characters, each with their own in-game attributes. The final release halved that number to six characters. The game was inspired by western films such as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "A Fistful of Dollars", as well as other Clint Eastwood westerns. It was released for Microsoft Windows on April 7, 1997. It is the first video game to feature a sniper zoom, and one of the earliest examples of a reloading mechanic. Despite the serious tone of the game, "Outlaws" maintained a few easter egg jokes, including Max of the Sam & Max series, hidden inside a building, a pair of grey aliens experimenting on a cow, and several references to the "Indiana Jones" series of games and movies.