The Elder Scrolls is Bethesda Game Studios' staple franchise. While the company went on to own and make successful Fallout games, it didn't have to start from scratch as it did with The Elder Scrolls. Starfield has more in common with The Elder Scrolls in this regard. Hence, comparing both these franchises seems fair to some extent as Starfield is the studios' first new IP after The Elder Scrolls.
However, Starfield belongs to a different genre from The Elder Scrolls and can't be referred to as a spiritual successor to the latter. That doesn't mean Starfield won't carry over the DNA of past Bethesda titles, especially The Elder Scrolls. Starfield doesn't have to be Skyrim in space, but it could still borrow some of the elements that made Skyrim and past The Elder Scrolls titles so successful.
Ambiance
The universe of The Elder Scrolls games has always been incredibly serene. Whether it's the dense meadows of Cyrodiil or the beautiful mountain passes of Skyrim, there is always an unprecedented calmness found in every facet of these worlds. There is always an imposing threat lurking in the background that would present itself from time to time, but the overall atmosphere is often surprisingly serene. Such serenity makes these worlds easy to embrace and is one such reason why players keep coming back to these games.
Starfield takes place in a sci-fi universe and could feature multiple planets, each having varying locales. Although it isn't clear how the tone of the game would be, it would make sense if it is as ambient as The Elder Scrolls games. In Starfield, players might have to traverse alien planets brimming with nothing but solitude. If Starfield manages to recapitulate the serenity of The Elder Scrolls franchise, then exploring its universe could turn out to be an immensely gratifying affair.
Similar Skill Tree and Leveling
The Elder Scrolls games feature some of the most elaborate and extensive skill progression in RPGs with plenty of attributes to max out. The addition of such an overwhelming number of skill attributes gives players several replayability options as well. In Skyrim, players have 18 such skills ranging from the Mage skills like Destruction, Conjuration, Restoration, to Thief skills like Sneak, Speech, Pickpocket, etc. Starfield could feature a similarly intricate skill tree with a wide array of attributes suited to different playstyles instead of the perk system from Fallout 4.
The leveling system in The Elder Scrolls games also feels more organic compared to most modern RPGs, including Fallout 4. In The Elder Scrolls games, the player character gains experience points by using various skills instead of completing quests. Tying progression to skills usage rather than quests completion gives players the freedom to explore the game's world without relying on the main questline to make progress. Starfield should take a similar approach to progression since it could feature a vast array of intriguing planets that players would want to explore right away.
Non-Intertwining Faction Quests
The Elder Scrolls series has some of the most carefully curated faction questlines ever in a fantasy RPG. Some of these factions are exclusive to particular titles, whereas others have appeared in multiple entries. For instance, The Blades have appeared in every The Elder Scrolls game, though they do not have a dedicated questline in every game.
What's interesting about the faction quests in The Elder Scrolls is that they work independently from the main quests. It's also important to acknowledge that the questline of one faction, for instance, The Dark Brotherhood, doesn't coincide with that of the Thieves Guild. Hence, players don't have to worry about betraying one to finish another. In Fallout 4, however, faction quests intertwine at some point, which means players can't finish one without interrupting the other.
Recent Starfield leaks and rumors seem to suggest that it has a total of five in-game factions. Although nothing is confirmed yet, they could feature their own questline for players to undertake. It would be interesting to see if they remain autonomous as they are in The Elder Scrolls series, or feature intertwining questlines similar to Fallout 4. The former would give players the option to finish all the faction questlines in the same playthrough without hindering one another.
Time Traveling
The flow of time has always been an intriguing concept in The Elder Scrolls universe. The scroll prophesizes forbidding events that only a hero could resolve. The true nature of The Elder Scrolls is very ambiguous though they act as a time portal in Skyrim. The player character goes back in time with the help of an Elder Scroll to learn the Dragonrend Shout and defeat Alduin for good.
Todd Howard revealed at E3 2019 that space-traveling in Starfield would be like the flight in the 40s. It would be a dangerous affair though people would still be doing it. Given its sci-fi nature and that it features space traveling, the flow of time or even time traveling in one form or another seems feasible in Starfield's universe.
Living a Normal Life
Many open world games shove players into universes affected by catastrophes where it's the player character's job to make things right. In most of such worlds, danger lies around every corner, death and disparity are common, and the game does a fine job of motivating players to tackle the main questline that would undo the calamity.
The Elder Scrolls games feature similar premises, but it doesn't impose such urgency like many other titles in the genre. Whether it's Morrowind, Cyrodiil, or Skyrim, these places feel like an alternate reality where players would want to spend the rest of their lives. These games do a fine job of making players feel like they are living a normal life despite the looming disaster in the background. Players can buy a house, adopt children, get married, and so forth. Not every open-world RPGs strive for such an experience, and it's one of the reasons why The Elder Scrolls is so special.
While it's too early to predict the nature of Starfield's open world, it would be interesting to see if it takes the more laid-back approach of The Elder Scrolls games, where players spend more time exploring and adapting to the games' world rather than rushing around to finish the main storyline. Whereas the Mass Effect games strive for that Hollywood melodramatic sci-fi experiences, Starfield could take a note out of No Man Sky's and The Elder Scrolls franchise to make mundanity an integral part of its universe.
Starfield is currently in development.