Starfield, Bethesda’s new space adventure, has players exploring the countless planets and stars that make up this expansive RPG. To celebrate its launch, IGN presents a tour of Starfield’s digital solar system, showing all the major planets around Earth’s star, as well as some of the most notable moons along the way.
Starfield’s depiction of our small part of the Milky Way is surprisingly lifelike, with planets with realistic textures and models based on key geological features observed by the Cassini and Juno spacecraft.
Although Bethesda’s interpretation of the solar system is not an exact replica of the one we know today. In the Starfield universe, Earth has undergone a transformation and has become a lifeless shell, with ancient oceans that have dried up and continental landmasses that are barely recognizable.
In the year 2330, when “Starfield” takes place, major changes occurred in Earth’s atmosphere, causing humanity to leave the planet and travel towards the Starfield.
Despite the changes on Earth, the rest of the solar system appears to have continued its course. From the majestic rings of Saturn to the fainter ring systems around Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus, developers have captured the magnificence of these celestial phenomena.
Special attention has been paid to scientific accuracy throughout the Starfield model. In reality, for example, Uranus is the only planet that orbits at a nearly perpendicular angle to the others, possibly due to a previous collision with a protoplanet.
This detail is also reflected in the Bethesda replica, as are the rusty spots on Pluto’s surface, which are believed to be due to the presence of organic compounds called tholines. The icy moons of Enceladus and Europa are also impressively depicted, with their surfaces cracked and stressed by strong gravitational influences and the subterranean oceans underneath.
Visit the gallery above to see the full slide-by-slide tour of the solar system, and be sure to check out IGN’s comprehensive guides and interactive maps to make the most of your adventure through these established star systems.
