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Starfield will be out for Premium Edition owners in just two days, so maybe you’re looking for games like Starfield to hold you over until the game finally releases. Starfield is entering a rather populated genre of space-based games, but it is looking to take that bar and raise it to a whole new level. We’re going to explore games that hit that genre but also similar games that emphasize choice, consequence, and freedom in an open-world RPG. Here are five games like Starfield if you’re looking for something similar.
5 Games Like Starfield
Here is our list of games like Starfield, ranked from least to most like it.
5. The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds was made by Obsidian, who has had plenty of crossover with Bethesda in the past. While it didn’t have the astronomical budget Starfield has, it gave us an interesting slice of what a Bethesda-style space RPG would look like. The Outer Worlds has you exploring various space settlements, making game-changing choices, and collecting companions throughout your journey.
Sound familiar? It’s also got first-person shooting and melee combat, complete with skill trees. It’s a condensed trip through the galaxy for sure, and the somewhat hokey tone it goes for won’t click with everyone. However, suppose you’re open to an adventure based around corporations dominating the galaxy and commercializing planets the way they do cities, excellent companions with their own stories and side missions, and sharp combat that has a ton of weapons to find. In that case, you will find plenty to keep you occupied here.
4. Elite Dangerous
Elite Dangerous may be the closest game like Starfield out there. A massive, space-faring adventure full of intrigue, tons of quests, and space combat mixed with on-the-ground combat and exploration, all the same things are there. In fact, Elite Dangerous might have a leg up on Starfield in the MMO aspect. This game, if you want, can be completely online at all times. That means you and 1000s of other players persist in the same universe. That universe, by the way, is 400 billion galaxies large. Did that number break your brain? Here’s some more. 150,000 planets are based on real-world astronomical mapping.
There are tons of corporations, factions, and pirates you’ll be interacting with during your time with the game, and it is essentially infinite in its scope. There is on-foot combat, too, with some of the best missions being tracking down your targets and taking them out on planets they have retreated to. Space travel is intensive, to say the least, so get ready to write down some instructions in the real world, as it’s a complex task just getting your ship off the ground. All of the above is also available in VR, so if you’ve got a headset, the sky is no longer the limit. If you’re looking for a truly immersive space sim in every sense of the word, Elite Dangerous has got you covered.
3. Outer Wilds
Consistently confused with The Outer Worlds, Outer Wilds is a totally different beast. The idea of this game is to use the time allotted per cycle to explore the galaxy and slowly unravel one of the most interesting and original stories that gaming has to offer. Your ship is a small one, allowing you incredible maneuverability. You will interact with bizarre aliens, encounter some truly chilling and wondrous moments, and slowly solve the puzzle of what is going on in this universe.
It’s a much different type of game, with no RPG elements and no combat, but instead, it fulfills a different role. This is for gamers who love experiences like Myst or Firewatch, enjoying the mystery and unraveling a thread while being wowed constantly by your environment. It’s also completely in VR, making for one of the best VR experiences around as well. The exploration aspect will feel a lot like the game experience that Starfield is going for.
2: Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Mass Effect is one of the greatest trilogies of all time. It also happens to be the best space RPG ever made as well as a lot like Starfield. Mass Effect puts you in the shoes of Commander Sheppard, a SPECTRE, who is essentially an elite agent tasked with tracking down a rogue agent. Shortly, you discover the stakes are much higher, and a long-gone species known as the Reapers have returned to harvest all of civilization. It’s a brilliant story that has so many twists and turns and incredible characters that it makes other games feel low effort by comparison. Along for the ride are your companions, who each have their own backstory and engaging side quests to discover. The galaxy is explored via an overworld map, so there is no immersive space travel here.
What is immersive are the many different cities and civilizations you’ll explore. They are filled with incredibly imaginative aliens, each with their own lore. The gameplay is based around a third-person cover shooter, but you also get powers to use, which change up the experience considerably. You can freeze enemies, possess them, burn their armor, use singularity fields, a force power like push and pull, and so much more. The best part of the combat is the ability to command your part mid-battle to create explosive combos that have a ton of variety. With 3 games packed into one here, you are going to have 150 hours’ worth of sci-fi, space-exploring bliss. As far as a game like Starfield goes, Mass Effect is a perfect choice.
1. No Man’s Sky
People joked when Starfield was announced that it was going to be “No Man‘s Skyrim,” and after seeing Starfield’s gameplay, it turns out they were right, but that’s not a bad thing. After a rocky launch, No Man’s Sky has rebounded into one of the best immersive sims available in gaming today. The amount of content here is staggering, and whether you want to engage in fast space battles, meet alien races, or just explore the galaxy at your own pace, there is something here for you.
The graphic style is hyper-realized, with bright colors and bizarre scenery, and the breadcrumb trail you follow to discover the mysteries of the universe is just a fantastic experience. You spend your time fighting pirates and aliens, mining, collecting resources, and building your own base, which can be shared with other players. The whole experience is online if you want it to be, and exploring the galaxy with a friend or just going to visit other players’ custom bases is a gaming experience you just don’t find often. Starfield is likely going to be special, but it will succeed because No Man’s Sky laid the groundwork for what a sprawling space adventure should feel like.
Starfield comes out on September 6th for Xbox Series X/S and PC.
