Starfield, Bethesda's first new IP in 25 years, continues to gain momentum as more details about its story, world, and setting are shared with audiences. Described by the director and executive producer Todd Howard as "Skyrim in Space" Starfield occurs 300 years in the future, set in a region of space light-years from Earth called the Settled Systems. A member of Constellation, the player character will confront a vast open-world rife for exploration.
Exploration lies at the heart of Starfield, and Howard has often stated the game will contain two "step out" moments, or incidents where the player will confront the awe and wonder about the surrounding universe. Starfield is anchored in realism to capture what the future of space travel may look like, and Howard toured SpaceX for further inspiration. Being set in the future will bring new designs and concept art; Howard has been sure to emphasize that the game is not meant to entail flashy, futuristic, exotic tech, preferring to look more natural and evolved from today's standards. While much remains unknown, Bethesda has shared a breadth of details and information squarely aimed at piquing players' interests, driving further speculation.
Starfield's Development
The game was first teased at E3 2018 with an atmospheric trailer, and later clarified to have been in the ideas stage for at least a decade. E3 2021 revealed a more layered trailer with an astronaut entering their ship while a robot loiters outside, focusing on the former's journey having "found the key to unlocking everything." It wasn't until five years ago when development on paper began, with active development starting a few years after. Described as "NASA punk," the theme of Starfield is to understand what's out there and the meaning of human life living among the stars.
Through Twitter, Bethesda unveiled a developer diary combined with its "Into the Starfield" series of YouTube videos that focus on behind-the-scenes development. Howard has stressed player agency will be more important than following a linear path, indicating that every playthrough yields different outcomes in significant ways. Perhaps the most telling of Starfield's developmental ideas is Howard wanting the player to inquire about humanity's next step.
Starfield's Setting and World
Located within fifty light-years of Earth, the Settled Worlds feature expansive planets and cities rivaling the size of Skyrim's map. In the game's lore, two major factions - the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective - are in the midst of a Cold War. While the player is independent of these factions at first, instead part of a group that aims to explore and understand the Milky Way, sides will have to be chosen. Little has been disclosed regarding locations outside of New Atlantis, the capital of the United Colonies; and Akila, the capital of the Freestar Collective. A third city, known as Neon, will also feature prominently as a pleasure center.
Dispersed throughout the solar systems of Starfield are other factions exert their ambitions and dangers that can entice players to join and rise through the ranks. It isn't known how these other factions tie directly into the story of Starfield, but their roles - augmented by the push for player choice and consequences - can provide fans with countless activities and bounties to fulfill. Bethesda has named a few, but there's no way to tell if more are planned.
- Constellation
- Crimson Fleet
- Freestar Collective
- House Va'Ruun
- Ryujin Industries
- SysDef
- United Colonies
- Vanguard
- Xenofresh Corporation
Starfield's Story
Not much has been revealed about the story's scope, as Bethesda has kept its cards close to the chest. Set in the year 2310, a strenuous relationship exists between the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective after the Colony War 20 years prior. While the player can continue exploring the mysteries of the Cosmos, their paths will ultimately lead them to the Settled Worlds, forcing them to make decisions that will lead to differentiating consequences.
It's not a lot to go on, but rumors of exotic alien worlds, factions, mysteries, and turmoil create an atmosphere of possibilities and ideas. Combined with the themes that Howard has expressed to fans already, players can expect the story's grandeur to be expansive and all-encompassing, especially since its questions ponder the meaning of human existence and reason. The game reportedly has double the lines of dialogue of Skyrim, further indicating the massiveness of the project and heavy choice options.
Starfield's Gameplay
Confirmed to be a single-player RPG, Starfield will allow players to switch between first and third-person views, a hallmark of the gameplay styles in Skyrim and Fallout. Players can create their own levels of immersion rather than shoehorning them into a restrictive space. Understanding the freedom, exploration, and choice at the heart of Starfield, it makes sense that Bethesda would choose to continue the trend.
In terms of actual gameplay, nothing has been shown to audiences, which means conjecture and comparison to Skyrim and Fallout are all players have to go on. Based on the scant information released, players can assume exploration of alien worlds, space stations, ships, planets, and cities will be at the forefront. Space flight may be an option, including customization of weaponry, armor, upgrades, ship combat, and more featured in similar games.
Starfield is ramping up to be a beast of a game that explores important themes of humanity's purpose. With a release set for the first half of 2023, players are growing excited as Bethesda parses out more information through Twitter and YouTube. While little is known about its gameplay mechanics or story, exploration will be a core element, along with player agency and consequences of choices. If successful, Starfield may earn a top spot as a premier sci-fi RPG.
Starfield releases in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.