Ever since the weirdness of Morrowind, Bethesda has crafted increasingly cozy worlds. Even the nuclear wastelands of Fallout 3 and 4 offered a wholesome slice of 1950s Americana when compared to Interplay and Black Isle's nihilistic originals, and the same seems true of Starfield. We might not yet know exactly what the cyberpunk-themed Neon city will hold for us, nor which of the 1,000 Starfield planets will prove the parallel to Skyrim's terrifyingly vast Blackreach, but the summer's 45-minute showcase demonstrated a world that seems to be premised on starry-eyed optimism. Bethesda might be calling it "NASA-punk," but, aside from ESRB warnings of substance abuse and swearing, I find it hard to see past the homely spaceship quarters and VASCO, the friendly robot companion.
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