The upcoming Bethesda RPG Starfield is massively anticipated by fans, and it's no secret why. Being the first new IP to come from Bethesda in almost 30 years, the title is set to have a level of scale the company has not yet been able to capture with older hardware.
With how expansive Starfield is set to be, many fans are already excited at the thought of discovering potential references and Easter eggs to other beloved franchises that fall under the Bethesda umbrella. Of these franchises, the dystopian Fallout is perfect to receive nods within Starfield, as the two IPs share a lot of similarities beyond coming from the same developer.
The Themes and Scale of Starfield
Starfield was originally announced at E3 2018, and is aiming for a release window of 2023. Starfield is set to bring Bethesda's longstanding and successful RPG formula to the ambitious scale of planetary exploration in outer space, in which the player can freely travel between over 1,000 planets set across 100 unique systems.
Because of this core element of the game, Starfield has drawn the attention of many eager fans. With some already being dedicated fans of other Bethesda RPG franchises such as Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, many are hoping for subtle nods and references within Starfield. While it is important that Starfield maintains its own unique identity, the sheer scale of the title fosters a perfect environment for Easter eggs, and space travel is much more in-keeping with the futuristic setting of Fallout as opposed to the fantastical one of The Elder Scrolls.
The Potential For Fallout Easter Eggs in Starfield
A consistently recurring theme of Fallout titles is space travel and aliens, with the franchise leaning heavily into the retro aesthetics of the 1950s. For example, one of the most outlandish expansions to the well-received Fallout 3 was its final Mothership Zeta DLC. In Mothership Zeta, the protagonist is abducted by an alien spaceship roaming earth, with players then having to work with other abductees to successfully escape captivity. The aliens aboard this ship are known as Zetans, a highly advanced race conducting tests on humans.
Introducing Zetans to Starfield seems to be one of the most obvious ways for the upcoming title to reference Fallout, potentially even adding the homeworld of the Zetans as one its may explorable planets. Another Easter egg could be featuring the Ghouls from New Vegas' fan-favorite "Come Fly With Me" quest. With the New Vegas player character helping a cult of Ghouls escape Earth via a rocket, a reference to the fate of these adventurers would be a fantastic way to reference some of the best moments from the Fallout franchise.
Given the huge range of content that Starfield is set to bring, it seems likely that nods and references to other Bethesda titles will be hard to miss. If Starfield is to implement the aforementioned Fallout Easter eggs and more, it will serve the dual purpose of exciting long-term fans of developer while providing a tangible link between the two franchises that could flesh out the lore of a more expanded Bethesda universe.
Starfield is in development for 2023 on PC and Xbox Series X/S.