First Episode of 'Into The Starfield' Shows Off Robots, Concept Art

The first episode of Bethesda Softworks' documentary series Into the Starfield has debuted, showing off robots and concept art while also talking about how it's applying its design philosophy to its upcoming sci-fi RPG.


Published: November 30, 2021 11:49 AM /

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Into the Starfield Episode 1 cover.jpg

The first episode of Bethesda Softworks' documentary series Into the Starfield has debuted, showing off robots and concept art while also talking about how it's applying its design philosophy to its upcoming sci-fi RPG.

Starfield is a mysterious sci-fi RPG that has been in development over at Bethesda Softworks for some time. First revealed at E3 2018, this game will feature the largest-ever overhaul for Bethesda's game engine. There's still a lot we don't yet know about this game, however, and that's probably why Bethesda Softworks has kicked off a documentary series called Into the Starfield that will tell us about the world and the development process that is bringing it to life.

What We Learned from Into the Starfield Episode 1

Into the Starfield Episode 1 largely focuses on Bethesda Softworks' design philosophy for games; Game Director Todd Howard, Studio Director Angela Browder, and Art Director Matt Carofano spend roughly 7 minutes talking about the way they make games and how that will apply to their new sci-fi adventure. One critical aspect that was covered is how Bethesda has an eye for longevity, noting that people are still playing the decade-old The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim today.

"I feel like our games sort of have two lives, right?" Art Director Matt Carofano said. "Like, we create this game and we put everything we can possibly put into it, and tell the stories we want to tell, and build this world that's sort of a setup that when we hand it off to the players, they play it -- but then they take it and make it their own. They tell their own stories and then they make their own stories with our tools."

Part of that storytelling comes down to background scenery and all of the little touches that longtime Bethesda fans love. For example, Todd Howard insinuated that you'll still be able to pick up individual objects such as cups in Starfield, although there's no word about whether or not you can put a bucket on a shopkeeper's head and clean them out.

Into the Starfield Episode 1 concept and screenshots
Left: a man, a cat, and a young girl are walking in what appears to be a spaceship or space station. Top right: a walker robot that was shown in-engine. Bottom right: A piece of concept art that suggests some kind of ground rover may be in the game.

Design philosophy aside, Into the Starfield Episode 1 also showed a mix of in-game footage, cinematics, and concept art that gives us a better sense of the world. Much of the food and drink appears to be vacuum-sealed products -- exactly the sort of stuff that you would expect an astronaut to be eating.

That's not to say the world of Starfield won't be without its comforts, though; one of the concept art pieces shows a person standing outside of a massive metropolis. Another piece of concept art shows a man in a spacesuit, a little girl in loungewear, and a cat, the latter of which implies that there may be some kind of pets in the game.

Pets or not, it does look like there will be robots; we see a 3D model of a robot showcased in the video. Shortly afterward, that same robot is shown walking outside of a landed spaceship. Several pieces of concept art show other types of robots, too.

There's still a lot we don't yet know about Starfield, but it looks like this upcoming game is going to continue Bethesda's tradition of packing as much detail and fun as it can into its worlds. You can learn more about Starfield on its official website, and you can probably expect it to launch on November 11, 2022.

Do you think Starfield will be able to deliver on its ambitious vision? What are you hoping to see in the game? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N