Imagine exploring a galaxy filled with planets, each offering its own unique wonders. That’s what Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield promises to gamers. From underground industrial colonies on Mars to the enigmatic aquatic world of Volii Alpha, this sci-fi action RPG, created by the team behind The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and the Fallout series, is a treasure trove of uncharted realms.
Regardless of your choice, one of the first destinations you’ll visit is Jemison, an Earth-like planet within the Alpha Centauri system, home to New Atlantis, the capital of the United Colonies republic.
A Glimpse of Starfield’s Optimistic Future
New Atlantis captures the optimistic spirit of Starfield. This gleaming city boasts mid-century modernist architecture, exotic acacia flat-top trees, and vibrant banners waving in the breeze. Interestingly, the design of this major hub world reminds us of something from real life: Walt Disney’s Epcot.
In the 1960s, Walt Disney envisioned Epcot, short for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow,” as a futuristic, eco-friendly city housed under a massive climate-controlled dome. It aimed to blend urban planning with suburban convenience, showcasing American industry, research, education, and culture.
Disney’s vision even included no land ownership, no slums, and no retirees. However, this utopian dream remained unrealized due to its impracticality.
Over time, Epcot’s plans evolved into a theme park resembling a perpetual world’s fair, preserving the optimistic future-focused ideals of the original project. At Epcot, the iconic Spaceship Earth, an indoor ride within a giant geodesic sphere co-designed by sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury, became a symbol of this vision.
Starfield’s Ode to Epcot
In Starfield, the spirit of Epcot thrives within the layout of New Atlantis. The city features dazzling glass structures, neon billboards, a comprehensive monorail system, and public art installations doubling as playgrounds and communal spaces. It’s a futuristic vision rooted in humanity’s past—a dream that predates the memories of its citizens.
New Atlantis is a captivating and oddly familiar yet alien place—a better world with a complex history, embodied by “The Well,” an undercity constructed from the remains of the colony ships that first landed on Jemison centuries ago.
Envisioning the aesthetics of the far-off future from our present vantage point is always a challenge. Still, for Starfield’s New Atlantis, the building blocks of that future draw inspiration from our own past.
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