Starfield remains one of the most anticipated video games currently announced, despite Bethesda's upcoming RPG having been delayed into late 2022. This summer saw Bethesda share some early information about Starfield during Xbox's E3 2021 showcase, but the universe of Starfield remains largely secreted away. It seems Bethesda's ready to pull back the curtain a little more now, however. Three short Starfield videos, each introducing a location within the game, have been released.
Each trailer introduces a specific location that will be found within Starfield, showing concept art of the location and providing commentary delving into each city's lore. While that sounds like a relatively simple and interesting thing to do, for Starfield it's particularly shocking. That's because Bethesda has yet to truly introduce the idea that players will be visiting and interacting with aliens and other civilizations in Starfield. These videos are the first official introduction to other living beings in Starfield.
The first location is named New Atlantis, which is perhaps a foreboding name. New Atlantis is described as the capital city of the United Colonies. The U.C. is Starfield's "most powerful" political and military faction. Bethesda describes New Atlantis as a "true reflection" of the future of Earth, as it's a melting pot of "every race, creed, and ethnicity." The animated concept art shown in the video shows a huge, futuristic spaceport full of bright lights and skyscrapers.
The remaining two videos introduce two significantly different Starfield locations, Neon and Akila. Neon isn't a capital city, but it is a destination. It's a "pleasure city" where visitors seek out an escape from reality. Specifically, Neon is a fishing platform known for the drug Aurora, which is farmed from the fish in the waters around the city. Contrasting Neon is Akila, which is the capital city of the Freestar Collective that governs three different star systems. Unlike New Atlantis, Akila appears as a muddy outpost with squat buildings and bazaar-like market stalls. It's emblematic of the beliefs of the Freestar Collective's people, which embraces personal freedom and individuality.
One other interesting detail worth mentioning is the Akila video hints at some Starfield gameplay. It notes that the city is surrounded by a wall and that beyond the wall is the deadly Ashta. The Ashta are predators most akin to a cross between velociraptors and wolves. In other words, Starfield players will assuredly be able to explore beyond each of these cities and into at least their surrounding areas.
The message conveyed by these three videos is that Starfield isn't just a space exploration game. It's a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or Mass Effect-like experience filled with alien civilizations, unique alien species, worlds to explore, and sci-fi stories to tell. Expect Bethesda to continue sharing deeper looks into the universe of Starfield in the months to come.
Starfield releases November 11, 2022, on PC and Xbox Series X/S.