Starfield, Bethesda's upcoming space IP, is without a doubt one of the most highly anticipated titles of 2023, as not only fans of Bethesda but also the general gaming community are already expecting it to be a strong contender for Game of the Year. Starfield is the first new IP from Bethesda in 25 years, not to mention the first game from the developer that takes place in the vast openness of space.
Starfield has not been released yet, and it is already being compared to some of the best titles of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls franchise, primarily due to past comments made by the studio's director. However, while some of those comparisons might be justifiable, they may serve to damage Starfield's reputation ahead of its release if the upcoming sci-fi title can't live up to the expectations the comparisons create. In light of this, Bethesda's upcoming space adventure may not end up being the game fans of The Elder Scrolls expect (or want) it to be.
Starfield May Not Appeal to Fans of The Elder Scrolls
Starfield may be a Bethesda title, but it is certainly not The Elder Scrolls. Not only is Starfield set in space, as opposed to the medieval settings of The Elder Scrolls franchise, the latest showcase, Starfield Direct, revealed it to be largely driven by the thrill and mystery of space exploration and the excitement of creating a personalized in-game experience. However, Bethesda Game Studios' director Todd Howard has gone on record highlighting some similarities between Starfield and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. In an interview with the Washington Post, Howard succinctly said of Starfield, "It's like Skyrim in space."
Todd Howard goes on to say, "We struggled at first at finding ‘Starfield’s’ identity. We knew the style of game we wanted. But there’s so much science fiction, we didn’t have this existing franchise feel. We had to create that from scratch." While the developers at Bethesda certainly may have eventually found their stride with Starfield, Howard's statement is very telling of their difficulty in developing a game that is unlike anything they have made before, and a vulnerable statement such as this may present fans with enough reason to cautiously observe Starfield from a safe distance. After all, Howard's claim that Starfield is "Skyrim in space" is simply not realistic, considering the upcoming sci-fi adventure's drastically different setting and tone.
Speaking with The Telegraph in an interview from June 2021, Howard said that Starfield is only like Skyrim from a structural standpoint, and yet he has still been known to advertise the upcoming sci-fi sandbox as "Skyrim in space." Specifically, Starfield is "Skyrim in space" in terms of allowing players to "be who [they] want to be" by joining various factions and creating their own path. However, Bethesda's post-apocalyptic RPG Fallout has also been known to have factions for players to side with, as well as the opportunity for a somewhat customizable experience, so why isn't Howard calling Starfield "Fallout in space" instead?
The personalized experience that Fallout and The Elder Scrolls provide players with may be unique, but it is hardly a feature exclusive to Bethesda titles. Many non-Bethesda RPGs like Fable and Jade Empire are built around a morality system that allows players to choose their own path, and while some others may not implement it in the same style that The Elder Scrolls and Fallout do, the ability to choose a faction or "side" has been a key feature in the role-playing genre, especially within the last decade. Given that, are these features enough to justify equating Starfield with one of Bethesda's most successful titles to date?
Bethesda is known for its massively popular Elder Scrolls franchise, particularly Skyrim. And with the recent update from Phil Spencer during the FTC vs Microsoft hearing that The Elder Scrolls VI is still at least five years away, advertising Starfield as "Skyrim in space" is likely nothing more than a marketing ploy to draw more players to the game, including dedicated fans of The Elder Scrolls series who anxiously await the release of its sixth installment. In this way, Starfield might be viewed by fans as a temporary placeholder for The Elder Scrolls VI until it arrives. Advertising Starfield as "Skyrim in space" may also draw in those who aren't particularly interested in a game as science fiction-focused as Starfield needs to be.
In light of Todd Howard's remarks, it might make sense to expect Starfield to be a much larger Skyrim in a spacesuit. However, it is more than likely a highly misleading viewpoint, and one that could potentially disappoint many fans. It's important to keep such expectations in check, especially when it comes to new IPs from developers like Bethesda who are known to apply a trademark formula to every one of their games, one that a strong departure such as Starfield may not be capable of maintaining. If Howard's comments are indeed little more than a marketing scheme, Skyrim's adoring fans could be in for a rude awakening the moment they set foot on their first few planets in Starfield. However, this all remains to be seen, and it will, once Starfield releases on September 6.