In a recent interview with the New York Times, Todd Howard, the game director for Starfield, and Ashley Cheng, Bethesda’s managing director, shed light on one of the game’s defining features: its expansive galaxy and the ability to explore numerous planets. Addressing the concern of empty or barren planets within the game, they emphasized that not every celestial body in Starfield is meant to be a bustling hub of activity.
Cheng stated, “The point of the vastness of space is you should feel small. It should feel overwhelming. Everyone’s concerned that empty planets are going to be boring. But when the astronauts went to the moon, there was nothing there. They certainly weren’t bored.” Cheng pointed out that the goal is to create a sense of scale and immersion, where players can experience the solitude and emptiness of space.
Howard further elaborated on the team’s approach, noting, “All of us, I think, at some point look to the sky and say, ‘Man, I wonder what it would be like to blast off and land on the moon?’ We needed the scale [of Starfield] to have that feeling.” He emphasized that the decision to include empty planets was intentional, allowing players to experience moments of solitude and isolation during their spacefaring adventures.
Starfield, which recently entered early access and officially launched on September 6, is available on Xbox Series X|S and PC, with inclusion in the Xbox Game Pass lineup. Despite the vastness of the game’s universe, one player notably completed the main campaign in under three hours, showcasing the diversity of experiences players can encounter in the game’s galaxy.
