Bethesda has given Todd Howard’s next big project, the Starfield (a brand new IP, and one that hasn’t been done in decades!) a rather unusual yet unique description.

What we’ve seen of Starfield so far has seemed far more primitive than, say, the Mass Effect trilogy (or even Mass Effect: Andromeda!) from BioWare. It doesn’t have that serious futuristic clarity, and it turns out that’s on purpose. Earlier, Howard, the game’s director, had said, not coincidentally, that it would be “a more grounded game and a more grounded setting about exploration” than The Elder Scrolls series (TES VI follows Starfield, by the way!).

Starfield’s lead artist Istvan Pely wrote on Xbox Wire: “Early on in this project when we were trying to establish the overall aesthetic of this game, we sort of coined the term ‘NASA-Punk’ to describe a sci-fi universe that’s a little more grounded and relatable. We wanted a very realistic take. You can draw a line from current-day space technology and extrapolate from there into the future, so it’s believable and relatable.”

Rick Vicens, the head of the animation, added: “When you said NASA-Punk, the Art team could instantly take those two words and make them work. It was just the perfect term for our art direction and keeping everyone in [the] same flow and working with a consistent style. For me, it just clicked. At the start of the project, I think that term was critical for us.”

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the quality and reception of Starfield could be decisive for Microsoft. If it hits Xbox Series and PC players on November 11 with the buggy quality typical of Bethesda Game Studios, it could cause Xbox boss Phil Spencer a few embarrassing moments. And if the reviews don’t shine, Redmond could be in for some unpleasant moments at the end of the year…

Source: PCGamer