Bethesda fans still have many questions about the developer's upcoming science-fiction RPG Starfield. Little has been shown of the game beyond a cinematic trailer that showcased a ship and some of Starfield's environments. However, there is a lot of attention on Starfield to see how a brand new IP from Bethesda will turn out. Fans largely have an idea of what to expect from a new Elder Scrolls or Fallout title, but an entirely new IP is a world of possibilities.
This has led many fans to speculate about what features Starfield will borrow from other games like Fallout or Star Citizen. The wishlist for an open-world science fiction game like Starfield is quite long for many players, especially with how expansive Bethesda's RPGs are known to be. However, one game that Starfield should look at that many might not expect is Halo Infinite. Of course, Halo Infinite is a very different type of game from Starfield, but its promises of a detailed world and open encounter design could give Starfield some great lessons in how it approaches combat.
Halo Infinite's Promises for its Open World Design
Halo Infinite's ringworld is not entirely open world, but the developers have promised that it is much larger than any Halo game before. Developers at 343 Industries stated that the game has a new emphasis on exploration, in search of secrets, equipment, and lore about the game's universe. As players play through the campaign they will continuously unlock new sections of the ring to explore and complete missions, but they will reportedly be able to backtrack to other areas whenever they want to.
The developers have also affirmed that the world still offers the similar detail and interesting combat encounters that Halo fans have come to know and love over the years. According to 343, the more open design of the game's world is meant to encourage players to approach the challenges of the game in whatever way they choose. If the player finds a sniper rifle during one encounter, they can take that with them as they progress through the game, which will influence how they approach subsequent missions. The same also applies to Halo Infinite's various vehicles, which will also have a large impact on how players approach objectives.
How Starfield Could Borrow From Halo Infinite's World
A standout feature of Bethesda's RPGs are the open-ended worlds that players explore and come to know throughout each playthrough. Players have become intimately familiar with cities like Winterhold or the wastelands surrounding post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh because of all the detail and care that went into crafting them. Starfield has the challenge of expanding this detailed and engaging design to multiple planets. However, this also means that Starfield will have to ensure its planets stand out not only from one another, but from other science fiction games like The Outer Worlds.
To do this, Starfield may want to look at the promises made by Halo Infinite regarding its world design. With the ringworld in Halo Infinite slowly unlocking for the player, each region will have to be different enough from the others to emphasize diversity in different biomes and locations. Traveling to different zones will also have to have enough detail and differences for players to find to make backtracking through familiar areas interesting.
Starfield will want to replicate this design to encourage players to continue exploring the various planets. This will be especially true for Starfield's spaceflight. Spaceflight will be a big challenge for Starfield, as it being too boring could make the game lose the attention of players. To avoid this, Starfield should borrow from Halo Infinite's detailed world design and interesting locations to visit even in space, so that players don't get sick of traveling from one planet to another repeatedly.
How Starfield Could Borrow From Halo Infinite's Enemy Encounters
Another big aspect of Starfield that could be challenging for Bethesda is how many options they give players. A full science fiction setting like Starfield's should give players options for what equipment and abilities they want their characters to have. Whether it be hacking robots, using melee weapons up close, or using a sniper rifle from the hills, Starfield should give players more options than a setting like The Elder Scrolls or Fallout do, simply because of the sheer amount of technology present.
Starfield should also borrow from Halo Infinite's approach in this respect, as the developers at 343 Infinite have described their dedication to letting players approach all of the game's fights in whatever way they want. It would be great to be able to handle fights in Starfield in a variety of ways, whether the player wants to run bombing runs with their starship, or sneak in with an invisibility cloak and silenced weapon. Starfield needs to embrace Bethesda's love for freedom in design, and that freedom needs to also be present in the game's combat encounters if it wants to give players a unique planet-hopping experience.
It will be very interesting to see how Starfield approaches its worlds and combat encounters when it launches next year. Bethesda will have a very difficult balancing act in keeping the freedom that players expect, while also delivering a memorable new universe and a captivating story to go with it. Bethesda can definitely pull it off, so it will be very interesting to see what final form the game ends up taking. There is an incredible amount of excitement surrounding the game, and it will hopefully be great to explore Starfield's cities and wilderness locations like it has been in previous Bethesda titles.
Starfield is scheduled to release on November 11, 2022 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.