"Realistic and grounded" is how Bethesda has described its approach to Starfield's aesthetic. Much of the look of its technology, spaceships, and even fashion is influenced by the look of present day space travel, an approach the developer has dubbed "NASApunk."
For the most part, it really works. It's a little dry and stuffy for my tastes—I'd prefer a more welcoming and colourful galaxy—but it's a coherent aesthetic that sets clear expectations of the kind of sci-fi stories Starfield is telling. Space travel looks weighty and convincing, and even its aliens feel like plausible extraterrestrial wildlife, rather than just monsters to fight. This is a sci-fi adventure where you'll discover strange and wonderful things, but with a loose foundation of real science and a clear throughline from the present day into this future.
