Starfield is one of the most anticipated games of 2023, promising to deliver a massive open-world RPG set in a realistic and immersive sci-fi universe. Developed by Bethesda, the creators of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, Starfield will let players create their own character and embark on a journey across the stars, discovering new planets, factions, and mysteries along the way.
Also read: Starfield Direct: Everything you need to know about the upcoming sci-fi RPG
But while Starfield is still months away from release, there are plenty of other games that can satisfy your craving for space exploration and sci-fi storytelling. Whether you prefer action-packed shooters, story-driven adventures, or grand strategy games, there is something for everyone in this list of games like Starfield.
The Outer Worlds
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds is a sci-fi RPG that takes place in a dystopian future where corporations have colonized and exploited the outer reaches of the galaxy. Players can create their own character and customize their skills, perks, and companions as they explore various planets and interact with different factions. The game features a branching story with multiple endings, depending on the player’s choices and actions.
The Outer Worlds is similar to Starfield in its setting, humor, and gameplay mechanics, but it also has its own unique style and tone. The game is more colorful and satirical than Starfield, poking fun at the absurdities of capitalism and consumerism. The game also has a smaller scope than Starfield, focusing on a handful of planets rather than an entire galaxy.
Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds is a game about curiosity and discovery, where players take on the role of an astronaut who is stuck in a 22-minute time loop. Every time the loop resets, the player can explore a solar system filled with secrets, mysteries, and surprises. The game challenges players to uncover the history and fate of an ancient civilization that once inhabited the planets, as well as the cause of the time loop and the impending supernova that will destroy everything.
Outer Wilds is different from Starfield in its gameplay and presentation, but it shares a similar sense of wonder and awe. The game is a non-linear adventure that lets players explore at their own pace and direction, finding clues and solving puzzles along the way. The game also has a beautiful art style and soundtrack that create a captivating atmosphere.
The Mass Effect Trilogy
The Mass Effect trilogy is one of the most acclaimed sci-fi RPGs of all time, telling an epic story of galactic war and survival against a race of ancient machines called the Reapers. Players take on the role of Commander Shepard, a human soldier who becomes the leader of an elite team of aliens from different races and backgrounds. The trilogy features a rich and diverse universe with hundreds of characters, locations, and lore to discover. The game also features a branching story with multiple choices and consequences that affect the outcome of the trilogy.
The Mass Effect trilogy is similar to Starfield in its genre, scope, and ambition, but it also has its own distinctive identity and style. The trilogy is more focused on combat and action than Starfield, featuring various weapons, abilities, and classes to choose from. The trilogy also has a more cinematic and linear narrative than Starfield, with predefined characters and relationships.
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky is a game about exploration and survival in an infinite procedurally generated universe. Players can travel to any planet they see in the sky, land on its surface, and discover its flora, fauna, resources, and dangers. Players can also craft items, upgrade their equipment, trade with other players or aliens, build bases, join factions, and participate in missions. The game features a dynamic online multiplayer mode that allows players to encounter each other randomly or join together in groups.
No Man’s Sky is similar to Starfield in its premise, scale, and variety, but it also has its own unique features and challenges. The game is more sandbox-like than Starfield, giving players more freedom and creativity to shape their own experience. The game also has a more stylized and colorful art style than Starfield, creating a contrast between the beauty and harshness of space.
Elite Dangerous
Elite Dangerous is a game about living in a vast and complex galaxy that is constantly evolving and changing. Players can choose their own role and path in the game, whether it is trading, fighting, mining, exploring, or anything in between. Players can also join or create factions, alliances, or corporations, and influence the political, economic, and social landscape of the galaxy. The game features a realistic simulation of the Milky Way galaxy, with over 400 billion star systems to visit.
Elite Dangerous is similar to Starfield in its setting, realism, and complexity, but it also has its own unique challenges and opportunities. The game is more simulation-like than Starfield, requiring players to master various skills and systems to succeed. The game also has a more dynamic and emergent gameplay than Starfield, with player actions having a direct impact on the galaxy.
Star Citizen
Star Citizen is a game about living in a massive and persistent online universe that is shaped by the players. Players can create their own character and customize their appearance, skills, and equipment. Players can also own and pilot various ships, ranging from small fighters to huge capital ships, and use them for combat, exploration, trade, or piracy. The game features a realistic simulation of space flight, with realistic physics, damage, and fuel consumption. The game also features a single-player campaign mode called Squadron 42, which stars famous actors such as Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, and Gillian Anderson.
Star Citizen is similar to Starfield in its genre, scope, and ambition, but it also has its own unique features and challenges. The game is more online and multiplayer-focused than Starfield, with players being able to interact with each other in various ways. The game also has a more modular and crowdfunded development than Starfield, with players being able to purchase and test various features and modules before they are fully integrated into the game.
Starfield is scheduled to be released on September 6, 2023, for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It will be an Xbox exclusive, meaning it will not be available on PlayStation or Nintendo platforms.
