Starfield has two ‘special step out into the world moments’, Todd Howard teases

Bethesda Game Studios has released the first in a new series of Starfield behind the scenes videos.

Titled ‘Into the Starfield: The Endless Pursuit’, the seven-minute video below features insight into the development process from Bethesda game director Todd Howard, studio director Angela Browder and art director Matt Carofano.

In it, they discuss how the game is more grounded and realistic than the studio’s fantasy titles, but still equally capable of providing awe inspiring moments.

“It’s got a more realistic science-based backing to it,” says Carofano. “Whereas Skyrim is an epic fantasy, this is a more grounded game and a grounded setting about exploration, and I think that gives us a different take on how we make everything, so that’s sort of the thing you latch onto when we’re making new areas, making environments, making characters.”

Howard says: “The mechanics of the world are entirely different. But there are similarities. And I think that those are things we like. We like playing first person. We like having all the coffee cups. We like being able to touch everything. Those moments make the whole thing believable.

“Being able to watch the sun set and nighttime come, and just sit there and watch the world go by, seems like it’s not gameplay, but it is vital to how you feel through the rest of it.”

Howard also discussed the feeling players get when they first step into a new game world.

“We always have that ‘step out’ moment into the world, so to say. Technology has changed, we’ve all changed, so our expectations when loading up a game are like, ‘Ok, I’m going to step out and there’s going to be this moment’.

“Us being able to do that and have it feel new every generation, every game, is something that is really special about what we do. I like to say that Starfield has two ‘step out’ moments. It’s cryptic.”

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Bethesda offers a sneak peek at its new sci-fi universe

The next big RPG from the creators of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series was announced in June 2018 with a teaser trailer.

It next appeared at this June’s Xbox and Bethesda Showcase, when an in-engine trailer confirmed a November 2022 release date for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

“In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom,” Bethesda said. “Harnessing the power of next-gen technology and built on the all-new Creation Engine 2, Starfield takes you on a journey through space as you strive to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.”

Howard recently suggested players may have to wait until the summer of 2022 for the next major Starfield reveal.