It’s curious that Bethesda has chosen such a NASA-inspired aesthetic for Starfield, one of the most anticipated upcoming games of the year. Traditionally, Bethesda games have directed the imaginations of their players towards less grounded themes, with the high fantasy of The Elder Scrolls and the pulpy wackiness of post-apocalyptic Fallout encouraging all sorts of flights of fancy.
Starfield, however, seeks to appear more rooted in our own reality than Bethesda’s previous offerings - at least judging by the preview material. By simply using the phrase “NASA-punk” to describe the game’s appearance in the Starfield Direct back in June, Bethesda harkens to a kind of realism not usually seen in its games, hinting at a move towards ‘hard sci-fi’. Though the extent to which Starfield could be considered “punk” is debatable, there’s no doubt that the game’s look and feel are meant to conjure the futuristic aspirations of the 60s and 70s. Known as cassette futurism, this sci-fi aesthetic prizes tactile, analog consoles, practical, sturdy shapes, and, almost always, a sense of grounded realism.
