We don't know a whole lot about Bethesda's upcoming space-faring sci-fi game, Starfield, but new details are being teased. A video called Into The Starfield saw game director Todd Howard chat with studio director Angela Browder and art director Matt Carofano to discuss their process and the scope of Starfield.
For those of you expecting a wacky romp through alien planets akin to Borderlands, or the fantasy setting of Skyrim, we've got some news to break to you. "It's got a more realistic, science-based backing to it," says Carofano. "This is a more grounded game - and a grounded setting - about exploration."
The team has done everything they can to make the universe of Starfield feel believable. The little details Bethesda games are known for, like being able to pick up the clutter and watch the world go by, will all be in Starfield. "Being able to watch the sunset and nighttime come, and just sit there and watch the world go by, seems like it's not gameplay," says Howard. "But it is vital to how you feel."
Each member of the development team will be bringing their own passions into the game. "We have a lot of people on our team who are super into certain things like robotics or engineering," says Browder. "And they can use this lifetime of knowledge they have gathered and then use it in their work."
Howard seemed to be leaning into the idea of Starfield becoming Bethesda's next ten-year game, just as Skyrim is. But, by the sounds of it, Starfield will be hugely ambitious. The team acknowledged that part of what makes their games special is the ability for players to use the developer's tools to tell their own stories within the games, so hopefully, this means Bethesda will be supporting mods on Starfield right off the bat.
The team clearly put a lot of hard work and effort into creating this game. Although Bethesda titles are known for their bugs and quirks, they're also known for their impressive attention to detail.
"It starts feeling so real to us," Howard says. "Concepting everything they eat, or the toys the children play with, or what are their bedtime stories? What is their art; their history; their entertainment? It is a universe, not just a game."