After being kept in the dark for over three years, Bethesda's highly mysterious sci-fi epic Starfield finally got plenty of interesting details at this year's E3 2021 showcase. Starfield's official teaser trailer that premiered at the beginning of Bethesda and Xbox E3 2021 showcase, alongside the Into the Starfield Documentary trailer that released a few hours later, doesn't reveal how this next-gen RPG plays. Rather, it does reveal how it might feel to play.
Bethesda's Todd Howard has previously talked how about space traveling in Starfield would be a more realistic affair, calling it as dangerous as the "flight in the '40s." Howard's statement and the overall vibe of Starfield's E3 2018 reveal trailer set an impression that Starfield is aiming towards the hard sci-fi genre. And while there are plenty of incredible novels and movies Starfield could be similar to, one surprising resemblance is to 1982's Blade Runner.
Starfield Could be Embracing the Tone of Blade Runner
The original Blade Runner is regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies ever made. One of the reasons why Blade Runner stands out among so many incredible sci-fi experiences is its aesthetics and overall tone. There is an inexplicable serenity to be found in the world of Blade Runner. Its futuristic depiction of LA feels both alienating and comforting.
Unlike most sci-fi pieces of entertainment, Blade Runner's best moments are not stylish over-the-top action sequences but the introspective and quiet moments that leave more questions than answers. Neon-drenched rainy city streets are a sight to behold, bustling with chaos as the protagonist struggles to maintain his composure. Blade Runner often paints a picture where humanity strives in its bleak neon-soaked environments rather than humans themselves.
Many video games have tried to recapitulate the sense of scale and being in a universe akin to Blade Runner though very few have nailed the tone right. Last year's Cyberpunk 2077 comes close to capturing the appropriate scale and beauty of the world of Blade Runner. Although based on the 1988's tabletop game Cyberpunk, the similarities between Blade Runner and Cyberpunk 2077 are plentiful.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a perfect example of what a Blade Runner video game should look like. The verticality, the superficiality, the sketchy characters, the weapons, and the vehicles are some of the aspects that Cyberpunk 2077 does capture quite well. Where it flusters, however, is when it comes to capturing Blade Runner's overall vibe and tone.
Cyberpunk 2077's world feels more chaotic and glamorous, focused on capturing the superficiality of a dystopian world. There is rarely a quiet moment in between. Even while traversing the megalopolis of Night City at the odd hours of the night, the game seldom generates a sense of serenity, which is the heart of Blade Runner. It's weird because Cyberpunk 2077 does everything except capturing the essence of Blade Runner. This includes multiple easter eggs and references throughout Night City. While Cyberpunk 2077 opted for the style over substance, it still feels disappointing to people who expected Cyberpunk 2077 to be the video game version of Blade Runner.
Surprisingly, Bethesda's Starfield has more in common with Blade Runner than Cyberpunk 2077. The comparison seems absurd because Starfield is not set in some futuristic cyberpunk city on earth, rather it takes place outside of earth. However, the vibe of every Starfield trailer seems to resonate with that of Blade Runner. A sense of serenity that comes from traversing alienating frontiers in a retro-futuristic world that is scientifically correct is what Starfield seems to be opting for and is also precisely what is most striking about Blade Runner.
What makes this seemingly coincidental comparison more interesting is the fact that one of Starfield's concept art seems straight out of the Blade Runner movie. Creating a Blade Runner style architectures isn't rare but capturing its essence is, and Starfield seems to be doing exactly that. The world-building, exploration, and environmental storytelling are few things at which Bethesda Game Studios is really good at, and it's exciting to imagine the prospect of exploring a Starfield city that not only recapitulates the sense and style of Blade Runner but also its tone and themes.
Starfield Could be Embracing the Philosophical Nature of Blade Runner
Blade Runner has a multi-layered story full of philosophical and religious statements that are not for everyone. It's also a big reason why the movie didn't fare well at the box office. Action-packed sci-fi movies and video games where protecting humanity from alien species is the protagonist's primary goal is more favorable and easily accessible, rather than deeply philosophical ones that question the mere existence of humans and humanity.
Interestingly, Starfield seems headed in the same direction as Blade Runner did with its themes and depictions. According to Todd Howard, Starfield is about "hope, shared humanity, and searching for the answers to life's greatest mystery." While the description is ambiguous, perhaps the goal is to explore and understand the depths of humanity by traversing the vast array of planets and moons.
Bethesda titles haven't shied away from depicting various facets of politics and regions in its games through multiple factions, and Starfield should be no different. Starfield is confirmed to have multiple factions in the game that players could join. Interestingly, there is also a book stacked on the shelf of the protagonist's ship in the recent trailed named Omega: The Last Days of the World. The book apparently deals with the "philosophy and political consequences of the end world." The books and audio logs in The Elder Scrolls and Fallout games tend to flesh out the game's lore, and this book in Starfield's teaser trailer could be hinting the same.
It's refreshing to see Starfield take a more retro-futuristic take on the sci-fi genre and explore themes that ain't usually touched by mainstream video games. Fans have gotten a look at the game's NASA-Punk style through one of the game's concept art in which the player character is wearing a torn down trench coat definitely suited for a bounty hunter. Starfield is more than a year away from release, and future reveals should solidify whether these Blade Runner resemblances are purely coincidental or intentional.
Starfield launches November 11, 2022, on PC and Xbox Series X/S.