Highlights
- Starfield, the highly anticipated game from Bethesda, is said to have more similarities to Oblivion than to Skyrim, according to Head of Xbox Phil Spencer.
- Starfield adopts the Bethesda formula established in The Elder Scrolls and Fallout games and applies it to a sci-fi, outer-space setting.
- While Spencer didn't go into detail about his comparison, fans speculate that Starfield may have deeper RPG mechanics and potentially more memorable quests and storylines, similar to Oblivion.
Starfield will apparently have more in common with The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion than Skyrim, according to Head of Xbox Phil Spencer. Starfield has often been described as Skyrim in space, and for good reason. The game is clearly taking the Bethesda formula established in The Elder Scrolls and Fallout games and applying it to a sci-fi, outer-space setting.
Starfield gameplay videos have shown a game that should be very familiar to fans of Bethesda's previous work. There are definitely major ways in which Starfield stands out from its predecessors, but there's no denying that it has taken a lot from Elder Scrolls and Fallout. While it has most commonly been compared to Skyrim, Phil Spencer seems to think that Starfield is more comparable to Oblivion.
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer recently spoke to IGN at Gamescom 2023. During the interview, Spencer revealed that he has about 200 hours in Starfield so far, and his assessment of the game is that it is "more Oblivion than Skyrim." Spencer didn't expand on what exactly he meant by that comment, but he did add that Starfield is an "epic, epic game."
While Spencer himself did not expand on Starfield being more comparable to Oblivion than Skyrim, one could take a guess as to what he means. Oblivion is known for having deeper, more complex RPG mechanics than Skyrim, with Skyrim being more streamlined to appeal to a wider audience. Some fans have made the argument that Oblivion also has more memorable quests and storylines, so it's possible Spencer could be hinting at that, though that's entirely subjective.
Whatever Spencer meant by his comparison to Oblivion, Bethesda fans will soon be able to play the game for themselves to find out. Starfield's release times have been released by Bethesda, with the game going live on September 5 at 5pm PT. However, those that spring for early access will be able to play Starfield much earlier than that. Starfield early access will be available on August 31 or September 1, depending on where one lives.
For those that can't wait to play Starfield and want to pay for early access, all they need to do is either buy the Premium Edition ($99.99) or Premium Edition Upgrade ($34.99). Those that plan on playing Starfield through Xbox Game Pass but want early access should get the Premium Edition Upgrade as it will allow them to play early without actually paying for the base game.
Starfield launches September 6 for PC and Xbox Series X.