Beauty School : Starfield Will Be ‘More Grounded’ Than Previous Bethesda Games

A featurette on Bethesda’s highly anticipated upcoming game Starfield has been released, diving into new concept art for the game and how the team is looking to approach the realm of sci-fi.

In the video, Director of Bethesda Game Studios Todd Howard was joined by Art Director Matt Carofano and Studio Director Angela Browder to discuss the upcoming title. Howard noted that it was important to remember how long players likely will be playing Starfield, using The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as an example of players still going through a title up to 10 years later.

Howard also touched on the living world aspect of their games, going back through their history of titles like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and the world of Fallout. Howard said a sci-fi world has always been something that they’ve wanted to try and tackle, and after diving into the worlds of fantasy epics and post-apocalyptic stories, now was their chance. “Going to space, I think there’s a magic in just defying gravity and taking off from a planet,” Howard said. “It’s an extremely difficult human endeavor.”

Carofano then touched on Starfield, saying that the game has “more realistic, science-based backing to it,” and noted the difference in approach the studio has when it comes to their past games and Starfield. “Whereas Skyrim is sort of an epic fantasy, this is a more grounded game and a grounded setting about exploration.”

Howard also noted that the mechanics of the world of Starfield will be unlike anything they’ve done before, but it will still have the staples of a Bethesda game, including playing in first-person, having small personal touches like coffee cups and other items littered about, and more. “Being able to watch the sunset and nighttime come, and just sit there and watch the world go by seems like it’s not gameplay,” explained Howard. “But it is vital to how you feel through the rest of it.”

Alongside the history of the studio and the discussion on Starfield, some concept art for the game was also included in the video, as well as some shots showcasing some of the other planets and worlds players will get to visit when it launches next year.