Kitsch science fiction stuffed with abuse of language and completely disconnected from reality exasperates you? Bethesda too, and that’s good news for Starfield.
The more time passes, the more fans of role-playing games are impatient while waiting for the future blockbuster signed Bethesda. Even if this one is not expected before the fall, the studio is currently distilling a few details here and there in order to keep the counter of hype at most. Very recently, the studio gave us some new details on the style and the universe of the game and reaffirmed its desire not to fall into excessive “kitsch” science fiction.
In a post published on the Microsoft newsline and spotted by Rock Paper Shotgunartistic director Istvan Pely reaffirmed his desire to offer “a very realistic approach” of science fiction. “There is a connection between current space technology and extrapolating from there”, he explains. A way to give substance to a universe “a bit more down-to-earth and easier to identify with” than a lot of sci-fi out of nowhere.
From a gamer’s perspective, this is pretty exciting news, as it suggests that Bethesda will be devoting extra attention to the series’ tech lore. Certainly a good point, insofar as many works are content to make cookie-cutter science fiction by trying as best they can to legitimize a wobbly scenario with great “quantum” blows and other sleight of hand. linguistic passes without imagination.
The “NASA-Punk” as a foundation
To illustrate this idea of a futuristic atmosphere, but nevertheless anchored in reality, concrete, the animation director Rick Vickens introduced a visual concept with a rather apt name: the “NASA-Punk”. Admittedly, the term is particularly evocative; it is enough on its own to build a mental image of the title, even for those who have not watched any trailer or artwork so far. And apparently this is an element that has been fundamental in the development of the identity of the title.
“When we first used the term, the art team could immediately take those two words and do something with them.”, rejoices the artist. “It was just the perfect term for our art direction and to keep everyone on the same page, to have them working with a consistent style.”, he adds.
In the end, it’s a small interview that would probably have been just anecdotal in another context. But in the case of Starfield, these are all the more interesting elements as they seem to show a real investment on the part of Bethesda. Will this be enough to convince players to pre-order the game after the real affront of the Fallout76 episode? The future will tell. But what is certain is that the troops of Todd Howard have once again set the bar very high, and that it will be necessary to assume this status from the first day of the release. The least we can say is that Starfield and Bethesda will be expected at the turn!
