Starfield Lead Artist Describes Game's "NASA-Punk" Universe
Bethesda Game Studio's upcoming RPG project Starfield has been described by two of its developers as being set in a "NASA punk universe," teasing what fans can expect when the game launches on November 11. Starfield has quickly become one of Xbox's most anticipated games due to its mysterious science-fiction plot as well as its lush art style. Back in spring 2021, a number of images of Starfield's gameplay were leaked online creating even more excitement amongst future players.
Starfield is the first all-new IP from Bethesda in over 20 years, and as one of the biggest names in RPG development, hopes are high for the sci-fi game. Starfield is set around 300 years in the future, around 50 light-years from Earth's Solar System, in a place known as the Settled Systems. Players will take on the role of a member of the Constellation, one of the few remaining explorers setting out to explore the Milky Way and uncover its mysteries. Despite being an Xbox exclusive, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has already expressed his motivation to see Starfield become the most played Bethesda game ever, even outranking RPG cult-favorite, Skyrim.
In a new Xbox blog post and accompanying Xbox video, Starfield’s lead artist Istvan Pely explores some of the creative decisions made for the game, while offering a look at the creation of Starfield's cover art. Describing the game's aesthetic as "NASA-Punk," Pely notes the whole art team agreed that they wished to create realistic settings and characters throughout the entirety of the game. This will lead the players to feel as if they are truly exploring space. Lead animator, Rick Vicens, has also confirmed that the entirety of the creative team was able to latch onto that term, "NASA-Punk," and use it as inspiration as they all work together towards a common goal and art style. Vicens explains:
"It was just the perfect term for our art direction and keeping everyone in same flow and working with a consistent style. For me, it just clicked. At the start of the project, I think that term was critical for us."
The art style of Starfield seen in promotional materials is akin to retro sci-fi, and brings to mind classic movie posters such as Star Wars and the original 1982 version of Tron. The use of traditional art mediums combined with the dreamy far-off expressions on the characters' faces gives that sense of retro-punk combined with scientific exploration. Playing over the video is JFK's famous "Moon speech" invoking a sense of nostalgia and pride for humanity when NASA launched the Apollo 11 mission which successfully landed on the Moon back in 1969. JFK's inspiring words not only ignite excitement but also create more curiosity in future players as to what discoveries in space they will make when playing Starfield.
Despite PlayStation being the world's biggest console market, and releasing other big and competitive titles in 2022 such as Horizon Forbidden West and God of War: Ragnarok, Microsoft is confident that Starfield will exceed both sales and players' expectations. More news about Starfield's gameplay, art, and plot is expected to be revealed at this year's E3 conference in summer 2022. While players have had to eagerly await this game's release since its announcement in 2018, that wait is quickly coming to an end.
Source: Xbox, Xbox/YouTube