Highlights
- Starfield's concept art heavily influenced the game's finished product, with visuals closely resembling the early sketches and giving players a good idea of what to expect.
- The concept art showcased a distinct "NASA Punk" aesthetic, emphasizing realism over fantasy, and this style is evident in everything from the cities to the spaceships in Starfield.
- The screenshots and videos released so far indicate that players can expect to see similarities between the concept art and the actual game, suggesting a faithful adaptation from early designs to the finished product.
With the long-awaited launch of Starfield now a little over a month away, players will soon get the chance to see how the in-game graphics compare to the stunning concept art released for the title over the years. Although there’s been a flood of screenshots and videos released in recent months in the lead-up to Starfield’s September launch, for years all potential players had to go on were the occasional pieces of concept art put out by Bethesda to promote the game. And while it’s rare for a finished game to look exactly like its earliest images, Starfield’s near-finished form hews closer to its concept art than many gamers were likely expecting.
Early Starfield concept art revealed a sci-fi setting with its own distinct style, one that leaned heavily into realism rather than the more fantastical trappings typically associated with the genre. Featuring scientifically grounded depictions of everything from the robot companion, Vasco, to players’ in-game meal kits, these images served as an introduction to the “NASA Punk” aesthetic Bethesda sought to infuse the game with. It’s easy to see from recent glimpses of Starfield just how much of an influence this concept art had on the finished product, and nowhere is this more visible than with the game’s cities and ships.
Starfield’s Cities Stay True to Their Roots
When looking at the screenshots and videos that have been released of Starfield’s cities, it’s clear how much of an impact the game’s concept art had on their final designs. These similarities are particularly noticeable in the Old West-influenced Akila City, capital of the Freestar Collective and home of potential Starfield love interest Sam Coe. The latest footage of Akila City, revealed during June’s Starfield Direct presentation, shows a locale with the same weathered, worn-down look visible in the animated concept art of the city released by Bethesda in early 2022.
While the rough and rowdy streets of Akila City bear a strong resemblance to the concept art that inspired them, the similarities are even stronger with New Atlantis. The capital of the United Colonies, New Atlantis’ futuristic skyscape has been the subject of several pieces of Starfield concept art. Though it’s possible to spot small changes made to the overall layout since the first sketches were revealed, the concept art for New Atlantis features many of the same design elements visible in recent previews. One impossible-to-miss example of this is the massive United Colonies building dominating the skyline in both early concept art and recent trailers.
Spaceships in Starfield Capture the Concept Art’s NASA Punk Aesthetic
The impressively detailed concept art released over the years for Bethesda’s sci-fi RPG also gave players a good idea of what to expect from Starfield’s customizable ships. Reflecting the variety of ways in which players can modify their ships to suit their specific needs, Starfield’s concept art featured multiple ship types with varying configurations. Whether depicted floating in space or parked on some of the game’s many planets, these images closely match some of the numerous possible ship layouts shown off during Starfield Direct.
Players’ starting ship in Starfield, The Frontier, is a prime example of this. Taking center stage during the ship customization portion of Starfield Direct, the ship’s distinctive silhouette remains relatively unchanged from its appearance in several pieces of concept art for the game. With its extended cockpit and almost animal-like frame, concept art of The Frontier being worked on by robot companion Vasco shows a ship that is virtually indistinguishable from its appearance during Starfield Direct.
From the food in ships’ pantries to the surfaces of the planets waiting to be explored, Bethesda went to great lengths to sketch out the world of Starfield before putting it all together for the finished product. Gamers still have to wait a few more weeks until they can compare Starfield’s concept art to the real thing for themselves but, based on the footage released so far, it’s likely they’ll see similarities nearly everywhere they look.
Starfield launches September 6 on PC and Xbox Series X/S.