Everything We Know about Bethesda’s Starfield
Chances are good that people with an interest in Bethesda will have heard of Starfield to some extent. Primarily, this is because the upcoming title is supposed to be Bethesda’s next big release. However, it is important to note that there are some other things that stand out about it. For example, Starfield is the first time that Bethesda is making a new RPG franchise in more than two decades, meaning that its performance will be seen as a indicator of the studio’s current state of health. Likewise, the timing of Starfield’s release means that it has the unenviable task of carrying Bethesda for the near future, meaning that there are a lot of expectations placed upon it. Here are some examples of the other things that we know about Starfield:
It Is Set in Space
For starters, Starfield is set in space. It is unclear what this means because so little information has been released about the upcoming title. However, there are some indications that Starfield won’t be just a RPG set in a sci-fi setting but rather a RPG that will focus upon space travel as well as other space-related matters to a considerable extent in a sci-fi setting. Some people have seen this as a reason to be concerned. After all, while Bethesda has experience with making RPGs, it has no experience with making RPGs set in space whatsoever. Moreover, there aren’t exactly a lot of prominent RPGs set in space that can be found out there, meaning that some interested individuals find it difficult to envision what the upcoming title would even look like. Something that has never been a basis for confidence.
Years of Effort Have Gone Into It
Regardless, the claim is that the people at Bethesda have been thinking about this one for years and years. To be exact, they started making the game as soon as they had finished up Fallout 4, though they were putting things on paper well before that point. Time will tell whether this time has been put to productive use or not.
Mix of Old and New Mechanics
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the promise is that Starfield will be a mix of old and new mechanics. In fact, it will be recognizable as a RPG made by Bethesda, which has a pretty distinctive style when it comes to its RPG gams. However, it will also incorporate new mechanics in new systems, which are absolutely necessary because Starfield is supposed to b so different from Bethesda’s more conventional products.
Space Travel Will Be Dangerous
One of the very few details that have been revealed about Starfield’s setting is that space travel still comes with a very real element of danger. This is interesting because this is something that should shape the entire setting. For example, potentially dangerous space travel means that there should be a serious limit on how much control the relevant authorities can have over more far-flung regions. Likewise, potentially dangerous space travel means that there must be fantastic profits to be made from completing such journeys, thus explaining why people continue to do it in the setting in spite of the risks. Having said that, this is nothing but speculation, meaning that interested individuals shouldn’t put too much thought into them.
Leans Towards a Realistic Rather than an Unrealistic Look
In spite of the name, science fiction isn’t necessarily very scientific. Sometimes, this is because science fiction can be rooted in scientific speculation that can be very, very far from the truth of things. However, it should also be noted that there are plenty of science fiction works that care little about the science but instead use such trappings for the look rather than the substance. There is nothing wrong with either approach, but suffice to say that they can turn out very different products. In any case, while it is still much too soon to say which one Starfield will be, what has been revealed suggests that it is taking a more realistic approach to its presentation for the time being.
Much Is Riding on Starfield
There is a lot riding upon Starfield. This was always going to be the case because of its status as the first new RPG franchise that Bethesda has launched in more than two decades, meaning that it will be seen as a test of the studio’s capabilities. However, it should also be noted that the poor performance of Fallout 76 has had a negative effect on how Bethesda is perceived by both its current fan base and its potential fan base. Thanks to this, Starfield is going to be facing a bit of an uphill struggle because it will have to win over those alienated by Fallout 76 as well as stand on its own merits. On top of this, we know that Bethesda is planning to make the next Elder Scrolls game once they finish up Starfield, meaning that the latter title is responsible for building momentum for the much-anticipated follow-up to Skyrim as well. Even under normal circumstances, this would be a very daunting task. However, there have been rumors of even worse circumstances.
There Are Rumors of a Troubled Development
In short, there are unconfirmed rumors that the development of Starfield has run into some serious problems. For instance, there is a rumor that the game director Todd Howard has become “absent” on Starfield because his attention has been split between multiple games being made at the moment. This is a huge problem because the leader of a project is the one responsible for the central vision of what it is supposed to be, meaning that this absence could lead to problematic complications throughout the entire project. Second, there are now apparently multiple teams at multiple locations working on Starfield, which is the kind of setup that makes internal communication and thus internal coordination a nightmare. Telecommunications might have come a long way in recent decades, but for the time being, there is still no replacement for the communication efficiency and effectiveness of face-to-face interaction. Both of these issues have been known to ruin projects in the past, so the rumors of both have spooked a fair number of people out there. Still, it is important to remember that rumors are nothing but rumors, meaning that interested individuals might not want to get too panicked for the time being.
