Summary
With the long-awaited launch ofStarfieldnow a little over a month away, players will soon get the chance to see how the in-game graphics compare to the stunning concept art released for the title over the years. Although there’s been a flood of screenshots and videos released in recent months in the lead-up toStarfield’s September launch, for years all potential players had to go on were the occasional pieces of concept art put out by Bethesda to promote the game. And while it’s rare for a finished game to look exactly like its earliest images,Starfield’s near-finished form hews closer to its concept art than many gamers were likely expecting.
EarlyStarfieldconcept artrevealed a sci-fi setting with its own distinct style, one that leaned heavily into realism rather than the more fantastical trappings typically associated with the genre. Featuring scientifically grounded depictions of everything from the robot companion, Vasco, to players’ in-game meal kits, these images served as an introduction to the “NASA Punk” aesthetic Bethesda sought to infuse the game with. It’s easy to see from recent glimpses ofStarfieldjust how much of an influence this concept art had on the finished product, and nowhere is this more visible than with the game’s cities and ships.
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Starfield’s Cities Stay True to Their Roots
When looking at the screenshots and videos that have been released ofStarfield’s cities, it’s clear how much of an impact the game’s concept art had on their final designs. These similarities are particularly noticeable in the Old West-influenced Akila City, capital of the Freestar Collective and home of potentialStarfieldlove interestSam Coe. The latest footage of Akila City, revealed during June’sStarfieldDirect presentation, shows a locale with the same weathered, worn-down look visible in the animated concept art of the city released by Bethesda in early 2022.
While the rough and rowdy streets of Akila City bear a strong resemblance to the concept art that inspired them, the similarities are even stronger with New Atlantis. The capital of the United Colonies, New Atlantis’ futuristic skyscape has been the subject of several pieces ofStarfieldconcept art. Though it’s possible to spot small changes made to the overall layout since the first sketches were revealed, theconcept art for New Atlantisfeatures many of the same design elements visible in recent previews. One impossible-to-miss example of this is the massive United Colonies building dominating the skyline in both early concept art and recent trailers.
Spaceships in Starfield Capture the Concept Art’s NASA Punk Aesthetic
The impressively detailedconcept art released over the years for Bethesda’s sci-fi RPG also gave players a good idea of what to expect fromStarfield’s customizable ships. Reflecting the variety of ways in which players can modify their ships to suit their specific needs,Starfield’sconcept art featured multiple ship types with varying configurations. Whether depicted floating in space or parked on some of the game’s many planets, these images closely match some of the numerous possible ship layouts shown off duringStarfieldDirect.
Players’ starting ship inStarfield, The Frontier, is a prime example of this. Taking center stage during the ship customization portion ofStarfieldDirect, the ship’s distinctive silhouette remains relatively unchanged from its appearance in several pieces of concept art for the game. With its extended cockpit and almost animal-like frame, concept art of The Frontier being worked on byrobot companion Vascoshows a ship that is virtually indistinguishable from its appearance duringStarfieldDirect.
From the food in ships’ pantries to the surfaces of the planets waiting to be explored, Bethesda went to great lengths to sketch out the world ofStarfieldbefore putting it all together for the finished product. Gamers still have to wait a few more weeks until they can compareStarfield’s concept art to the real thing for themselves but, based on the footage released so far, it’s likely they’ll see similarities nearly everywhere they look.
Starfieldlaunches September 6 on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
