Starfield and The Outer Worlds: Separated at Birth or Cosmic Cousins?

Are Starfield and The Outer Worlds similar? The short answer is: yes and no. Both are first-person, open-world, space-faring RPGs with a focus on player choice and exploration. However, beneath the surface, they represent vastly different approaches to gameplay, narrative, and overall design philosophy. Starfield strives for a sprawling, realistic-ish, grand-scale universe brimming with possibilities, while The Outer Worlds delivers a more focused, satirical, and deliberately crafted experience. Starfield offers 1000 planets and The Outer Worlds offers few planets but instantly clicks on a button. Therefore, while sharing a genre and some surface-level mechanics, they cater to different preferences within the RPG spectrum. One is like an endless space playset, while the other is a cynical space opera.

Diving Deeper: Key Differences and Commonalities

Let’s break down the key areas where these two games overlap and diverge, giving you a clearer picture of their individual identities.

Scope and Scale

This is perhaps the most significant differentiator. Starfield aims for a truly massive scale, boasting over 1,000 planets spread across numerous star systems. While many of these planets are procedurally generated, Bethesda promises a blend of handcrafted and procedurally generated content to ensure variety and intrigue. This sheer scope allows for unparalleled exploration, resource gathering, and outpost building.

The Outer Worlds, on the other hand, is a much more contained experience. It features a handful of planets and space stations, each meticulously designed with distinct environments and storylines. This smaller scope allows for a greater level of detail and narrative focus on each location. You are not wandering aimlessly; you are engaging with tightly woven narratives.

Narrative and Tone

Starfield, while still offering player choice and moral ambiguity, generally aims for a more grounded and serious tone. The narrative focuses on humanity’s exploration of the galaxy, the challenges of colonization, and the search for answers to existential questions. The inspiration is 80s NASA promotional material.

The Outer Worlds revels in satire and dark humor. The game paints a bleak picture of a dystopian future dominated by corporate greed and unchecked capitalism. The narrative is filled with witty dialogue, quirky characters, and choices that often highlight the absurdity of the world.

Gameplay Mechanics

Both games feature familiar RPG mechanics such as character customization, skill progression, dialogue options, and companion systems. However, there are key distinctions.

• Starfield emphasizes exploration, ship customization, and combat. You can build and pilot your own spaceships, engage in dogfights, and explore vast planetary landscapes. There is combat in this game. Settlements are also a feature in this game.

• The Outer Worlds places a greater emphasis on dialogue, skill-based solutions, and companion interactions. While combat is present, it often feels secondary to the rich narrative and character development. The skills and perks system is quite flexible.

Level Design

The level design reinforces the overall philosophy of each game.

• Starfield’s levels, particularly on the procedurally generated planets, can feel vast and open, encouraging exploration and discovery. However, this can also lead to moments of repetition and a feeling of emptiness.

• The Outer Worlds’ levels are more tightly designed and focused, with each area serving a specific narrative purpose. This results in a more curated and engaging experience, but it also limits the sense of freedom and exploration.

Engine and Development

Starfield uses a modified version of the Creation Engine, the same engine that powered previous Bethesda titles like Fallout 4 and Skyrim. This engine allows for large open worlds, detailed environments, and a high degree of modding support.

The Outer Worlds was built using Unreal Engine 4, known for its visual fidelity and ease of use. This allowed Obsidian Entertainment to create a visually appealing game with a distinct art style, despite its smaller scale.

The Verdict: Different Strokes for Different Folks

Ultimately, whether you prefer Starfield or The Outer Worlds comes down to personal preference. If you’re looking for a massive, open-ended space adventure with unparalleled freedom and customization, Starfield might be your game. But if you prefer a more focused, narrative-driven experience with sharp writing and a cynical sense of humor, The Outer Worlds could be a better fit. Neither game is a direct clone of the other; they simply share a genre and a few common inspirations. The best approach is to consider what aspects of space RPGs appeal to you most and choose accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the similarities and differences between Starfield and The Outer Worlds:

1. Is Starfield an Outer Worlds clone?

No, Starfield is not an Outer Worlds clone. While both are first-person space RPGs, they differ significantly in scope, tone, and gameplay. The Outer Worlds is more focused and satirical, while Starfield is much larger in scale with a more serious tone.

2. What is Starfield most similar to?

Starfield shares similarities with other Bethesda RPGs like Fallout 4 and Skyrim, especially in its open-world exploration and settlement-building mechanics. Other comparable games include No Man’s Sky and Mass Effect.

3. Are The Outer Worlds and Starfield connected?

No, The Outer Worlds and Starfield are not connected in any way. They are separate franchises developed by different studios (Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda Game Studios, respectively) with their own unique universes and storylines.

4. What game is similar to The Outer Worlds?

The Outer Worlds is similar to Fallout: New Vegas (also developed by Obsidian), BioShock, and Mass Effect in terms of its RPG mechanics, narrative style, and retro-futuristic aesthetic.

5. Is The Outer Worlds basically Fallout?

The Outer Worlds shares similarities with the Fallout series, particularly Fallout: New Vegas, due to its RPG elements, retro-futuristic setting, and dark humor. However, it’s a distinct franchise with its own unique storyline and world.

6. Is The Outer Worlds a Bethesda game?

No, The Outer Worlds is not a Bethesda game. It was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, known for games like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity.

7. Are there cities in Starfield?

Yes, Starfield has four major cities: New Atlantis, Akila, Neon, and The Key. Each city is unique, with its own culture, factions, and quests.

8. How many planets can you go to in Starfield?

Starfield features over 1,000 planets across 100 star systems. While many are procedurally generated, some are handcrafted to provide unique experiences.

9. Will Starfield actually have 1,000 planets?

Yes, Bethesda has confirmed that Starfield will feature over 1,000 planets. However, not all of them are habitable or filled with content.

10. What happened to Earth in Starfield?

In Starfield lore, Earth’s atmosphere was damaged by an experimental Grav Drive, rendering the planet uninhabitable and forcing humanity to abandon it.

11. Can you build settlements in Starfield?

Yes, Starfield features a settlement-building system called Outposts, allowing players to create and customize their own bases on various planets.

12. Is The Outer Worlds better than Starfield?

There’s no definitive answer to this. The Outer Worlds and Starfield cater to different preferences. The Outer Worlds excels in narrative and satire, while Starfield offers a vast and open-ended exploration experience.

13. What year is The Outer Worlds set in?

The Outer Worlds is set in the year 2355.

14. Will Starfield be bigger than No Man’s Sky?

While Starfield boasts a large number of planets, No Man’s Sky has an astronomically larger universe with over 18 quintillion planets. Starfield is larger than The Outer Worlds but not No Man’s Sky.

15. Why did The Outer Worlds fail?

The Outer Worlds didn’t necessarily fail. It was well-received by critics and sold well. However, some criticisms included the smaller scale compared to other open-world RPGs and a lack of enemy variety.

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