Bethesda's upcoming sci-fi RPG Starfield has been referred to as "Skyrim in space" by the studio itself, which should hopefully mean that it'll take lots of inspiration from its open world. Information on Starfield has come few and far between, but from the trailers and screenshots released so far it's shaping up to be just as visually beautiful as its inspiration. Bethesda's next game has a lot to live up to when it comes to visuals, but with the power of current gen hardware at its disposal, it should be the studio's most visually arresting product yet.
A big part of what makes The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim so great is its stunning visuals. From verdant forests to frozen tundra, the world of Skyrim looks amazing even by today's standards, which is impressive given the fact that it first came out in 2011. The art that Bethesda has revealed for Starfield so far paints a vivid picture, and one that should be a great improvement on its recent efforts. Since Starfield has been compared to Skyrim so much by its developers, players will hopefully be able to see landscapes and environments that are just as good, if not better. The fact that these landscapes are on other planets means that they have the potential to be breathtaking in ways that Skyrim wasn't.
Skyrim has a wide variety of environments for players to explore, and there's even more added along with the game's DLC. With all of the advances made in visual technology since its release and the vast potential that Starfield has in terms of biomes, it will hopefully be able to carry on Skyrim's legacy of beautiful and diverse environments for players to take in. The game could even be a signifier of what fans can expect from Elder Scrolls 6 once Bethesda finishes with Starfield. Exactly what kind of environments Starfield will have is too early to say definitively, but if they even improve on Skyrim's by half, then players should get a real treat.
Since Starfield is set in space, the potential number of environments that players could explore in it is literally infinite. There's no telling what kind of biomes that Bethesda will design for the game until it releases, but there are a few that are likely to make an appearance. Skyrim boasts an impressive amount of different biomes for players to walk through given the fact that it's all contained within a single country, so given the fact that Starfield will encompass multiple planets, it would appear that Bethesda has its work cut out for it. The factions in Starfield's Settled Systems and the many locations that players will be able to explore will hopefully be on par with past Bethesda games.
Skyrim is comprised primarily of forests, tundra, and mountainous regions, with some swampy areas, and the DLC adds volcanic ashlands and stunning gorges teeming with life. Environments similar to these would likely make a reappearance in Starfield given how much it seems to take inspiration from Skyrim, and it's also likely that it would even improve upon them. The fact that they would be on alien planets means that there's even more potential when it comes to geographical configurations. Towering cliffs in strange shapes, toxic swamps full of caustic sulfur, and even three-dimensional landscapes of floating terrain are all possibilities for new and exciting biomes. Deserts, buttes, and tropical jungles were absent in Skyrim, but could appear in Starfield, among other environments. Starfield takes place far from Earth in an unexplored corner of the Milky Way, so there's no telling what the developers will choose to put in The Settled Systems.
Of course, biomes need flora and fauna to inhabit them. Plants and animals are a big part of any environment, and Starfield will likely be no different. Skyrim's wildlife is just as stunning as its world, from the rabbits and deer to the various flowers and berries that players can harvest for alchemical ingredients. Starfield's alien wildlife will likely be vastly different, but no less fantastic. Seeing alien creatures, big and small, in the various biomes and environments that players will eventually see in the game could be even more breathtaking than anything Skyrim has to offer. Some alien species, such as psychotropic fish and a vicious creature described as a cross between a velociraptor and a wolf, called the Ashta, have already been confirmed. These are found in some of the major locations in Starfield that Bethesda has revealed so far.
Skyrim's many cave systems and Nordic ruins are another major part of its appeal, and Starfield will hopefully have its own equivalent. Ruins of alien civilizations full of forgotten technology, logs from ancient species, and cultural and historical stories would be a sight to see for players. Being able to dive deep below the surface of the alien worlds that Starfield has to offer would also be an exciting part of the game, especially so if those planets had sentient subterranean species.
The Nordic ruins found within Skyrim are filled with traps, treasure, draugr, and history. Although the undead are unlikely to be in Starfield, its ruins could be no less impressive without them. Some of the latest news hints that Starfield may take some inspiration from Fallout's vaults, so seeing hyper-futuristic emergency shelters are not outside the realm of possibility. Depending on whether or not the ruins would be below ground or if players would be exploring abandoned buildings left behind by alien species, metal would likely replace stone and traps could consist more of electricity or neurotoxin than spikes or swinging blades. Hostile drones could replace draugr and other dangerous species, and treasure would likely consist of technology and firearms instead of enchanted boots. Starfield has the potential to show players how entire an entire species rose and fell through the ruins they left behind.
Although it might seem like caves aren't exciting, Starfield's could be just as good as Skyrim's. Whether they're mines or natural caves, the game could show players fantastic things, such as bioluminescent moss and fungi, subterranean species, mysterious alien ores and gems, or the remnants of ancient underground cities and civilizations. Depending on how far Bethesda chooses to go and where the caves and systems are set, Starfield even has the potential to show cosmic horror on a Lovecraftian scale.
