Very little has been said in regards to upcoming Bethesda projects likeStarfield, but hype for the game is considerable. So too are the risks, especially as new Bethesda games are infamous for their bugs. However,Starfieldhas its own set of unique challenges as a Bethesda product. There is mounting hype, significant technical overhauls, and a huge scale all at work. To sayStarfieldis riskier than most new IPs, as all are, is an understatement.
Bethesda is in an interesting position with its original franchises. The company is in-between mainlineElder Scrollsgames. Moreover, it has two separate MMOs set in its two main series,Fallout 76andThe Elder Scrolls: Onlinecurrently running. In general, the company’s central focus seems to be on these live service versions of its prestige series. Arguably,Starfieldserves as an exciting jolt into creative space that is otherwise stagnant in terms of new IP. This new space-based RPG is risky in several ways, then. As Bethesda’s first original IP in over a decade, it needs to both differentiate itself and sate the appetite of a massive fandom. Furthermore,Starfieldis also the first showing of Bethesda’s new creation engine, while competing in an increasingly saturated space.
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The Skyrim Problem
Unfortunately, any game that Bethesda develops has to live up to one towering behemoth, asSkyrimis the 19th best-selling game of all time. It retains its immense popularity to this day, withSkyrimmodsplaying a huge part in its longevity. Since its release, games looking to enter the open world RPG market inevitably draw comparisons to Bethesda’s titanic title.Starfieldis an RPG of that scale (perhaps an even bigger one). The game is so similar toSkyrimthat it will use the same world generation technique as the 2011 title.The Elder Scrolls 5was built with procedural generation, and then illustrated later with lore and details. This allowed Bethesda to quickly create the shape of a huge world, and to spend much more time on the cities and settlements.
Starfielduses a similar technique to create its universe. While this is a smart way to fill out of a world with great speed, it will undoubtedly lead to direct comparisons withSkyrim. Although concerns thatThe Elder Scrolls 6might not be as good asSkyrimare worrying for Bethesda,Starfieldpresents an even greater risk. The game releasing, and not being as good asSkyrim, is a very real risk. This worst-case scenario might imply that as a developer of single-player RPGs, Bethesda peaked over ten years ago. Games likeFallout 4, although successful, never received the same acclaim as the 2011 title.
Starfield Is The Next Generation Of Bethesda IPs
Not being as good asStarfieldis not the only problem that Bethesda’s legacy bestows uponStarfield. As the first new IP from Bethesda in over two decades, the game will be a landmark for the company. In many ways, howStarfieldis received will set the tone for the entire next generation of Bethesda’s intellectual properties, especially whenStarfieldseems to be making a few drastic moves away from typical Bethesda stylings. When consideringhowStarfieldwill change Bethesda’s games,the information that has leaked so far is incredibly important.
From a lot of the intricate detail seen in some the allegedStarfieldscreenshots, the game seems to be aiming at a very different tone and aesthetic for its space RPG. Todd Howard even visited Elon Musk to develop the game, andconsulting with SpaceX forStarfielddemonstrates a focus on realistic sci-fi. Howard has confirmed this, and has discussed the focus on how difficult space travel will be in the game. While competing sci-fi RPGs likeThe Outer Worldsoften treat space flight like a form of fast travel, apparently Bethesda’s space outing will make the difficulty of such journeys a main focus.
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This move to a more hard sci-fi style of gameplay could be a huge move for the company, and it’ll be interesting to see if this philosophy has a longer lasting impact. The equivalent to “hard science fiction” for a franchise likeThe Elder Scrollswould be “low fantasy” - a style popularized recently byGame of Thrones. WithGeorge R.R. Martin working onElden Ring, it would not be a surprise for Bethesda to pivot to a similar style of storytelling. This would be a huge shift forStarfieldto make, and would unsurprisingly be a huge risk.
Will Starfield Be Worth It?
This is arguably the biggest concern for Bethesda’s newest IP. It not only has to prove itself within the company’s acclaimed backlog of titles, but also among the emergent set of science fiction exploration/RPG games that are taking the market by storm. While both Bethesda and Obsidian are owned by Microsoft,The Outer Worldsstill stands as the prevailing peer toStarfield.
Another, less well-received competitor could beNo Man’s Sky. While the game suffered from poor reception at launch due to a lackluster feature list, it has since been revitalized by Hello Games' continual support and updates to the game. IfStarfieldhopes to bring a focus to the enormity of space in its mechanics, it will have to differentiate itself enough from Hello Games' exploration of cosmic scale. Indeed,Starfieldcould learn a lot fromNo Man’s Skyand how it maintained its audience.
Although what scant information can be found aboutStarfielddoes seem promising, the game faces undeniable challenges. It remains to be seen if Bethesda’s newest IP in 20 years can make that gamble worth it. Beset on all sides, dealing with the weight of its creator’s legacy and competition from already popular games,Starfieldhas a lot of work to do. Of course, should the studio pull it off, it will be a very exciting change for Bethesda indeed.
Starfieldis still in development.
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