Starfield developers aiming for a game with a "vision of a future that’s grounded in reality"
Expect a future that’s believable and, "while maybe not always the most welcoming," at least familiar.
When starting development on Starfield, Bethesda Game Studios had a specific vision in mind, and that vision is something called NASA-Punk.
Speaking with Xbox Wire, the game's lead artist Istvan Pely said when trying to establish an artistic vision for the game, the team wanted a realistic take. And one that was "believable and relatable."
“Early on in this project when we were trying to establish the overall aesthetic of this game, we sort of coined the term ‘NASA-Punk’ to describe a sci-fi universe that’s a little more grounded and relatable,” said Pely.
“We wanted a very realistic take. You can draw a line from current-day space technology and extrapolate from there into the future so it’s believable and relatable.”
“What’s really interesting is how much we all latched onto that concept,” added lead animator Rick Vicens. “When you said NASA-Punk, the Art team could instantly take those two words and make them work. It was just the perfect term for our art direction and keeping everyone in the 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.”
Sounds groovy.
If you are unfamiliar with the backstory for RPG, it is said to be set hundreds of years in the future and covers what humanity can do once it breaks free of the confines of the earth. It is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, and allows you to create any character you want and allows you to explore the game with lots of freedom as you strive to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.
Set in the year 2330, the game will feature three factions to interact with, and the focus of the game is on the Colony War waged in 2310 between the Freestar Collective and the United Colonies. Currently, peace prevails, but the uneasiness between the two factions may boil over. As far as enemies go, expect plenty of human threats out there including, pirates, mercenaries, spacers, and fanatical religious zealots.
One of our most anticipated games of 2022, Starfield is set to release on PC and Xbox Series X/S on November 11. It will also be available on day one through Xbox Game Pass.