European Space Agency praises Starfield's NASA-Punk aesthetic

Last year, Bethesda described Starfield as having a "NASA-Punk" aesthetic. This term was coined by the development team to describe "a sci-fi universe that's a little more grounded and relatable". Essentially, Bethesda wants its game to have a sense of realism meets grit, and it is doing this by combining the practicality of real-life space technology with the aesthetics of Punk culture.

Now, this design decision has got the European Space Agency's approval, with its head of branding and partnerships Emmet Fletcher telling me he believes Starfield's NASA-Punk aesthetic "humanises" the game.

"This is the aesthetic where you basically have worn and loved futuretech? Actually, if you look at some of the things we have, it's a little bit like that already," he told me from his office in Paris earlier this week. "We have things that if it works, it carries on working. And there's no need to change it. It's about reliability, and if it's reliable, it carries on."

Read more