Is Starfield Just No Man’s Sky? A Deep Dive into Space Exploration Games
The short and definitive answer is: No, Starfield is not just No Man’s Sky. While both games share the common thread of space exploration, they diverge significantly in their core gameplay, focus, and overall experience. To simply label Starfield as a clone or iteration of No Man’s Sky would be a disservice to both titles. Starfield is, at its heart, a Bethesda RPG experience – a spiritual successor to games like Skyrim and Fallout – while No Man’s Sky is a procedurally-generated exploration and survival game. Let’s delve deeper into the nuances to understand their key differences.
Core Gameplay Philosophies: RPG vs. Survival
Starfield: A Story-Driven RPG with Creative Freedom
Starfield places a strong emphasis on narrative, character development, and a traditional RPG experience. It’s a game filled with handcrafted quests, engaging stories, and a cast of memorable characters. Much like Bethesda’s previous titles, you’ll find yourself deeply invested in the main plot while simultaneously getting lost in the numerous side quests, faction storylines, and personal narratives that are offered. The ability to build outposts and customize your ship provides a taste of creative freedom, but these systems ultimately serve to enhance your main role as an RPG protagonist. Resource collection, power needs, and ship customization are incorporated to support the gameplay, not define it. It’s all about building your character’s legacy and affecting the world around you through dialogue, choices, and action.
No Man’s Sky: An Endless Galaxy of Exploration and Survival
No Man’s Sky, on the other hand, focuses on unfettered exploration and survival in a vast, procedurally generated universe. Its core loop revolves around discovering new planets, gathering resources, upgrading your gear, and engaging in some light combat and trading. There’s a story to be found, but the experience is primarily driven by the player’s own desire to explore and understand the universe. It boasts an astounding 18 quintillion planets, each with unique flora, fauna, and terrain. The procedural generation is the star of the show in this game; while there are quests and stories, they often function as more of a guiding hand than the major focus as found in Starfield. It’s a survival game at its core with a big focus on player agency and freedom within its very vast world.
Key Differences in Scope and Structure
Map Size and Exploration
While both games have large maps, their approach is vastly different. No Man’s Sky has a staggering number of planets, the scale of which far exceeds Starfield. Starfield features a map comprised of over 100 systems and over 1000 planets, but these are not interconnected like the vast galaxy in No Man’s Sky. Starfield’s planets are distinct and often designed with specific quests and locations in mind. Starfield’s map, despite being smaller in scope compared to No Man’s Sky, is still the biggest map in any Bethesda game ever.
Procedural Generation
Both games utilize procedural generation, but in different ways. No Man’s Sky relies almost entirely on it to generate its entire universe. In Starfield, procedural generation serves more as a tool to enhance map design and provide variety within hand-crafted regions. It ensures that each planet offers unique resources and biomes, but the layouts often have deliberate design considerations.
Storytelling and Quests
Starfield shines in this area, offering a rich, deep narrative with a multitude of quests, factions, and characters that feel engaging. This is something that No Man’s Sky lacks. Though No Man’s Sky does have stories, the focus remains on the exploration and survival elements.
Player Interaction and Communities
No Man’s Sky supports multiplayer and fosters a sense of community as players can explore together, build bases, and share their discoveries, even though it was not initially designed as such. Starfield is primarily a single-player experience, with the option to interact with NPCs and hire crew members but lacking the option of playing with friends.
Manual Landing and Seamless Travel
A major point of contention is the lack of manual landing in Starfield, which contrasts sharply with No Man’s Sky’s seamless transitions from space to planet surfaces. In Starfield, landing sequences are automated, which breaks the sense of immersion that some players seek. No Man’s Sky allows for players to fly seamlessly between planets, further enhancing the feeling of exploration.
Is Starfield Just “Skyrim in Space?”
The term “Skyrim in Space” is one that has been used around Starfield’s release, including by its own director. This comparison is much more apt than comparing it to No Man’s Sky. Starfield aims to deliver a familiar Bethesda RPG experience in a new, sci-fi setting. The game features similar mechanics such as base building (outposts), character development, and a strong emphasis on narrative storytelling that is also present in Skyrim and Fallout. However, while Starfield takes inspiration from these older titles, it also brings its own unique aspects and innovations.
Conclusion
Starfield and No Man’s Sky are both space games, but they target different player experiences. Starfield offers a rich, story-driven RPG adventure with open-world elements, while No Man’s Sky provides a boundless universe for exploration and survival. They both have their unique charms, strengths, and weaknesses and both should be recognized as very different games from each other. Instead of asking “Is Starfield just No Man’s Sky?”, perhaps a more relevant question is: “What type of space experience am I looking for?”. Whether you prefer a more directed RPG narrative or an endless universe to explore, there’s a game for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many major cities are in Starfield?
Starfield features four major cities: New Atlantis, Akila, Neon, and The Key. The Key serves as the headquarters for the Crimson Fleet.
2. Does Earth exist in Starfield?
Yes, Earth is a planet in the Sol system. It’s the original home of humanity, orbited by its moon, Luna.
3. Can you manually land your ship in Starfield?
No, you cannot manually land your ship in Starfield. Landing sequences are automated.
4. Why are people comparing Starfield to No Man’s Sky?
The primary reason is their shared space exploration concept. Both games involve traversing space and landing on planets, but they execute it differently.
5. Is Starfield bigger than Skyrim?
Yes, Starfield is much larger than Skyrim. It features 1,000 planets, each having a few square miles of explorable area, while Skyrim’s map is approximately 15 square miles.
6. Is Starfield just Skyrim in space?
Starfield is designed to deliver a similar experience to games like Skyrim, with many similar features, but the setting is vastly different. The director has even called the game “Skyrim in space,” however, this doesn’t do the game justice in terms of its innovations and unique identity.
7. What is the main goal in No Man’s Sky?
No Man’s Sky focuses on exploration, survival, combat, trading, and base building, with an overall goal of discovering and understanding the procedurally generated universe.
8. Is No Man’s Sky worth playing alone?
Yes, No Man’s Sky is enjoyable alone, but playing with others can enhance the experience and make it more fulfilling.
9. Can you sleep in your ship in Starfield?
Yes, you can sleep in your ship’s bed to restore your full health.
10. How long does it take to complete Starfield’s main story?
The main story is about 30 to 40 hours long, but can be completed in less time for those who focus only on the story. Side quests and exploration can increase playtime significantly.
11. Can you steal ships in Starfield?
Yes, you can steal enemy ships in Starfield by having at least one rank in the Targeting Control Systems skill.
12. How many planets are in Starfield?
Starfield features over 1,000 planets across more than 100 star systems.
13. Who can you romance in Starfield?
You can romance the following companions: Sarah Morgan, Barrett, Sam Coe, and Andreja.
14. Can you build a city in Starfield?
While you cannot build a city, you can build outposts, and some players have taken the base building concept to an ambitious scale, creating city-like environments.
15. Where is the first city you go to in Starfield?
New Atlantis is the first city you visit in Starfield, but other cities, like Neon, may be considered more exciting for some players.