Bethesda’s upcoming titleStarfieldhas a certain air of mystery about it. Although it announced the game in 2018, it took quite some time to actually get a sense for what the game was about. Even now,Starfieldfans don’t have a very clear picture of what it’s like to playStarfield; Todd Howard says the studio looks forward to showing off gameplay in summer 2022. Though fans have a pretty limited picture of gameplay, the actual world ofStarfieldgrows more familiar by the day thanks to a steady stream of concept art.
This year has been rich withinsights intoStarfield’s art direction. Between venues like E3 2021 and the 10th anniversary celebration forThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim,Bethesda has offered peeks behind the curtain of its spacefaring sci-fi game. Thanks to the concept art, fans have a sense of everything from the game’s most important cities to the untamed alien wilderness of distant planets. Odds are that early 2022 could be filled with even more art, helping Bethesda build up to theStarfieldgameplay reveal, but 2021 already offers plenty to see.
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Glimpses at the World of Starfield
The revealedStarfieldart covers a broad spectrum of concepts, highlighting both the universe’s smallest details and its broad settings. Lots of artfocuses onStarfield’s planets, and what’s been seen so far inspires some hope for the game’s future with everything from frozen wastelands to vibrant jungle planets. Aside from confirming that alien life exists inStarfieldto some extent, the planets seen so far suggest players will never want for diversity. Bethesda seems determined to capture as many unique biospheres and topographies inStarfieldas possible.
The concept art also sheds a lot of light onStarfield’s technology. Bethesda has explained that it wantsStarfieldtechnology tohave a “NASA-punk” feel, meaning it’s heavily based on real spacefaring technology and more grounded than sci-fi universes likeStar Wars.So far, it looks likeStarfieldwill capture that feeling, as spaceships and other vehicles are large and practical rather than streamlined and idealistic, meanwhile spacefarers wear thick suits that are very reminiscent of real astronaut gear.Starfield’s technology gives it a very distinct look that goes a long way to make it stand out.
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Bethesda hasn’t revealed much information about thegameplay and plot inStarfield,but concept art hints at a lot of information that should shape the game’s cast. Just like its diverse planets, there’s a lot of different locationsStarfieldNPCs might hail from. Drug dealers from Neon will serve as a strong contrast to government authorities working in New Atlantis, and eachStarfieldplanet can inspire unique explorer characters charting the edges of the known universe.
Starfield’s Reveals Draw Closer
Even ifStarfieldgameplay takes a few more months to come out, it seems likely there’s more concept art on the way. At the end of November, Bethesda released a YouTube video in which Howarddiscussed the vision forStarfieldwith developers working on the game. Odds seem good that it was only the first video of several.Starfieldis the first new Bethesda IP in years, so the studio probably has a lot more to say about its new direction. Once it’s released,Starfieldwill supposedly be a game that can grip players for hundreds of hours, so even though Bethesda has shared quite a bit of concept art, there’s likely far more out there.
Starfieldreleases July 02, 2025 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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