Bethesda's ambitious new IP, Starfield, is almost exactly a year away. Although the reveal trailer was vague and gameplay hasn't been shown yet, more details have started to surface about the highly-anticipated title. Starfield has been described multiple times as Skyrim in space, which automatically sets a high bar for worldbuilding and lore. As Bethesda's first next-gen, Xbox console-exclusive RPG, there is a lot riding on Starfield.
Precious few details are available about the world and story of Starfield, but there is already a lot of variety in the locations, cultures, and types of people players can expect to encounter. The entire game takes place in a world called the Settled Systems, which represents a pocket of the Milky Way filled with different factions and communities. As a member of Constellation, the player will get to explore them all as they seek the truth behind "humanity's greatest mystery."
Starfield: The Settled Systems Explained
The entirety of Starfield takes place in the Settled Systems, which is a section of the Milky Way about 50 light-years from Earth's solar system. The year is 2330, a little over three hundred years from now. It's not clear when humans began to settle space and form the factions that make up the Settled Systems, but 20 years prior to the start of the game, all was not particularly well.
In 2310, the Freestar Collective and the United Colonies had a massive conflict that came to be known as the Colony Wars. This conflict has been loosely compared to the war between the Imperials and Stormcloaks in Skyrim; although the Colony Wars are in the past, the Settled Systems is still feeling the repercussions. When the game begins, the game world is in a period of tentative peace, but it's probably safe to assume that this won't last for long.
It's unclear what the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective were fighting over, but the Colony Wars are one of the biggest pieces of Starfield lore so far. The world's history will have a huge impact on how characters from different factions interact with each other and in most cases, probably don't trust one another.
Revealed Starfield Locations
A few months ago, Bethesda released some insight into a few of the specific locations in Starfield. One of those locations is New Atlantis, the capital of the United Colonies. The United Colonies is described as being the most powerful faction in Starfield, with the strongest military and political influence. Because it's such a central location for one of the biggest factions in the Settled Systems, New Atlantis is an incredibly diverse city. According to Emil Pagliarulo, Design Director for Bethesda, New Atlantis is the city that most closely resembles what Earth could look like in the future.
The second revealed location is Neon, a city established by the Xenofresh Corporation. The corporation settled on a relatively barren, water-covered planet and intended to start a fishing business- which they somewhat accomplished. Settlers found that the planet was home to a unique fish with psychotropic properties.
Rather than establish Neon as a fishing port, the settlers used the fish to develop a psychoactive drug called Aurora. Predictably, it was a huge financial success, and while it's illegal everywhere except Neon, people travel there for the sole purpose of experiencing it. While there, Neon has a lot of other pleasurable activities for its drugged inhabitants to take place in, making it feel like the Las Vegas of Starfield.
The final location is Akila City, the capital of the Freestar Collective. The Freestar Collective is described as a confederation of three individual star systems. While the United Colonies seems like a more rigid military group, the Freestar Collective, and those in Akila City, are united because they share similar ideologies. Akila City is also diverse, but its inhabitants believe in freedom and individuality. It's probably fair to guess that the United Colonies support more stringent regulation.
Akila City is surrounded by walls that keep out the Ashta, aggressive alien life forms that resemble wolves crossed with velociraptors. Akila City is also surrounded by a beautiful mountain range in the concept art, showcasing the natural environment more than crowded cities like Neon and New Atlantis.
Starfield Character Types
With many factions and planets to explore, players can expect to encounter a lot of different groups in Starfield. So far, all of those groups are human, but there is a lot od diversity. Players may encounter Ecliptic mercenaries, dangerous assassins covered head to toe in dark armor. Actually, the concept art of the Ecliptic mercenaries looks a lot like Star Wars' Captain Phasma. Players will also encounter pirates from the Crimson Fleet and Spacers, human enemies described only as "violent."
To round it all off, a group known as House Va'ruun fills the religious zealot role in Starfield, although its members haven't been seen yet and the religion they practice is unknown. These groups will inhabit a variety of different locations and star systems, including Alpha Centauri, Narion, and Kryx. Other factions have been hinted at such as MAST, SysDef, and Vanguard, but there isn't much confirmed information about them yet.
And of course, it goes without saying that players will likely encounter the Ashta prowling the perimeter of Akila City. The Ashta's existence confirms that players will encounter both human and alien threats in Starfield as they explore the many different locations in the Settled Systems. With so many different factions and types of individuals, players can expect to uncover a wealth of lore everywhere they go.
The Player's Role in Starfield
The Settled Systems is a huge game world with a lot of potential for deep and exciting lore. But where does the player fit in? Players will assume the role of a new member of Constellation, a group in the Settled Systems that is dedicated to exploration and discovery. Constellation wishes to uncover the mysteries of the galaxy, and the player will certainly play a big part in that. Because there's so much to explore in Starfield, having the player assume the role of an explorer only makes sense.
Bethesda hasn't revealed what mystery Constellation is trying to solve or how the player becomes a part of the organization, but all will be revealed in time. Little by little, more will be revealed about Starfield and by this time next year, players will be discovering the rest of the lore for themselves as they explore the starfield.
Starfield will be released November 11, 2022, for PC and Xbox Series X/S.