2023's video game calendar is already looking very crowded and the new year is still a month away. One of the bigger titles launching next year will be Starfield. A much-needed console exclusive for Xbox that boasts more than 1,000 planets to explore, and apparently, it could have been even bigger.
The reveal that the 1,000-planet-strong game could have had even more worlds to explore was made by Bethesda's Todd Howard during an interview with Lex Fridman (via ResetEra). Howard admitted that there could have been way more than 1,000 planets in Starfield. The only thing preventing the studio from including more was the somewhat arduous process of giving them names and adding details that made each of those planets feel distinct.
As for how Starfield's planets have been created, as is the case with other Bethesda games, its worlds will be made up of tiles. The only difference with Starfield is that once those tiles are pieced together, they are then wrapped around a planet. Howard also hinted that planets can be mined for fuel, and revealed that they will actually move across the sky and have their own orbits.
Players will also need different spacesuits and attire depending on the planets they plan to visit. Certain suits will have particular buffs better suited to certain atmospheres and environments than others. For example, one might be made of a material better equipped to handle a planet with a searing temperature, while another will protect you from a toxic atmosphere. A lot of planets, and a lot to consider before you start to visit them willy-nilly.
When Bethesda first revealed Starfield's universe will be made up of more than 1,000 planets, initial reactions were mixed. There was, and likely still is, a fear that the studio has opted for quantity over quality, and that even though there are hundreds of planets, the bulk of them won't be worth visiting. The good news is you won't be stranded between planets as you hop between them as Howard previously confirmed you can't run out of fuel.