Summary
Contained withinStarfield’s massive galaxy are hundreds of planets and other explorable celestial locales. Developer Bethesda had stated that it wanted to go big for its newest IP, andStarfieldcertainly delivers on that front, offering a sometimes overwhelming number of possible places and settlements for players to check out. This is in contrast to CD Projekt Red’sCyberpunk 2077, which is set firmly in a single fleshed out region on a dystopian Earth. Both titles, though, depict a futuristic vision of humanity and how it has adapted to life in their respective universes.
Among its various locations, one of the notable, more elaborate and memorable hubs inStarfieldis the capital of Neon. Even a cursory glance at images of it could easily be mistaken forCyberpunk 2077’s Night City. Although Neon is just one of a number of major cites inStarfield, and not the focus of the entire world and story as inCP2077, both contain many strikingly similar elements, making for an interesting comparison between their respective depictions of iconic cyberpunk-styled cities.
Starfield’s upcoming Shattered Space DLClooks to be leaning towards a more alien or Eldritch-styled planet and city design.
Comparing Neon in Starfield to Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City
Starfield’s Neon is a Quintessential Cyberpunk Setting
Situated on the planet Volii Alpha, Neon was born from its fishing industry, which saw it grow from humble beginnings into the largest hub of commerce in the entire Settled Systems, turning it into a massive tourist destination in the process. This is in large part thanks to its manufacturing of Aurora, a mind-altering drug produced by one of its native creatures, the chasmbass.
Neon quickly cornered the rights to produce Aurora, and it became a banned substance everywhere else in the galaxy, essentially giving the city a monopoly and extremely lucrative position in the narcotics sector that serves to keep its wealth and influence going strong. Neon’s name could be said to be a little on the nose in terms of representing its specific style, as it is indeed plastered with therecognizable cyberpunk visualsand trappings that have long been associated with the genre, though it encapsulates these well in its presentation.
The planet’s climate conditions are also unique, as its constant lightning storms created an opportunity for an enterprising company, the Generdyne Corporation, to construct its Conduction Grid web over the entire city. Colloquially known as “The Span”, this setup allows the capturing of the electricity generated to be put towards powering the city, granting it another advantage and standing out among its competition and other major strongholds.
Starfield’s Neon is a Condensed Version of Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City in Many Ways
Following other genre conventions, Night City and Neon are also largely under the thumb of powerful and influential Japanese-styled corporations sitting at the center of their operations. Ryujin Industries inStarfield, andCyberpunk 2077’s Arasaka Corporationshare many traits, with each having their headquarters in heavily secured and opulent Towers naturally named after themselves. In true fashion, these entities employ private assassins and espionage tactics in their deadly games against other companies, and players are able to find themselves deeply embroiled in their respective conspiracies.
Going hand in hand with the above, Neon and Night City also contain the otherclassic cyberpunk aspectsof underhanded dealings and power-hungry gangs clashing with the corporations and each other for control of the scraps that remain after the big fish have taken their generous slice of the pie. Both cities are characterized by being divided into districts usually by social class, where the downtrodden struggle to make ends meet while the movers and shakers sit high atop their dominant positions, plotting and scheming.
While not everything between them is strictly a 1:1 ratio, the general functionality and flavor of the two show how they do resemble each other broadly, with Neon serving as essentially a sketch of Night City on a much smaller scale. Taken together, though, both highlight the popularity of the classic “cyberpunk city” in games, and capture that tone and vibe well.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
