Starfield Design Director Lists Spider-Man, Cyberpunk As Inspirations
Emil Pagliarulo, a veteran Design Director at Bethesda Game Studios, has listed Cyberpunk 2077 and Marvel's Spider-Man as inspirations for the open-world design of Starfield. The upcoming sci-fi role-playing game, the studio's first new intellectual property in 25 years, will give gamers an entire galaxy of unique planets to explore. The "NASA-punk" universe of Starfield is expected to follow in the footsteps of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls and Fallout titles, but other open-world title will apparently have an influence too.
Contrasting the fantasy landscapes of The Elder Scrolls and the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Fallout, Bethesda's next RPG will let players travel the stars to explore a host of unique worlds. Starfield will introduce players to The Settled Systems, a large swath of planets that was ravaged by a bloody war between two rival factions. The Colony War was a clash between the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective, and Starfield will take place roughly 20 years after this epic event. While no gameplay has been shown yet, Starfield concept art has revealed a variety of locations like glowing caves, bustling city streets and truly alien landscapes.
A new Studio Spotlight from Bethesda Game Studios, focusing on Design Director Emil Pagliarulo, explains some of the games that have influenced the upcoming sci-fi epic. Pagliarulo's essential position has seen him guide the creation of Starfield from the very beginning, and games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Marvel's Spider-Man have apparently helped fuel the game's design. Both titles have created "giant, open-ended environments" for gamers to explore, and these feats have apparently inspired Pagliarulo's creation of the Settled Systems and the general Starfield experience.
While Starfield will reportedly borrow from other open-world titles, the sci-fi epic will also borrow mechanics from older Bethesda Game Software titles. For example, Starfield will adopt Oblivion's persuasion wheel to let gamers improve their standing with non-player characters. 2006's Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion allowed players to manipulate NPCs using a conversation wheel, but the studio's next release will apparently use a more immersive system. Conversations in Starfield will reportedly play out much more naturally than in past Bethesda RPGs, but the power of the persuasion wheel will be maintained for sneaky spy characters to wield.
Starfield promises to deliver an entire galaxy of worlds to explore, with the Settled Systems likely serving as Bethesda's largest open-world environment to date. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Marvel's Spider-Man were both able to create convincing and functional digital metropolises, so Starfield will likely emphasize urban areas too. For fans of past Bethesda Game Studios titles, the developer's next RPG plans to bring a truly immersive fantasy environment.
Starfield will release on November 11, 2022 for Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Source: Bethesda Game Studios