Summary
Among the great many details inStarfieldthat players have been uncovering over the last two weeks, one discovered that the game features solar eclipses. While flying through space inBethesda’s new cosmic RPG, it’s possible for players to see the shadows of celestial objects on the surfaces of nearby planets, a testament to all of the small nuances that makeStarfield’s virtual universe feel so immersive.
The first new IP from the renowned game developer in 25 years,Starfieldhas been proving quite a success for Bethesda. Following a week of early access that drew in over 2 million players,Starfieldfinally launched on September 6 and that number has since passed 6 million, a record launch for a Bethesda title. Much of that can be chalked up to the classic Bethesda gameplay seen in titles likeThe Elder Scrolls 5: SkyrimandFallout 4, and themany waysStarfieldevolves that formulafor a vast space adventure set across hundreds of planets in dozens of solar systems.
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A fan known as UsernameIWontRegret on Reddit highlightedone ofStarfield’s neat detailswith a screenshot of a solar eclipse happening in their game. As they explain, they initially thought they were looking at a graphical glitch when they spotted a large dark spot on the surface of the planet they were flying towards, only to then realize what they were looking at was the shadow of a nearby celestial body.
It’s a fairly small detail, yet its discovery by UsernameIWontRegret has been met with plenty of excitement among fans, with some wondering if it’s possible to see an eclipse from the ground. Unfortunately, given the limitations ofStarfield’s space exploration, such as the inability to seamlessly enter a planet from space, it may be harder to find out than one may initially expect.
Comparisons betweenStarfieldandNo Man’s Sky, another popular game about wandering a vast virtual universe, have been rampant since fans first got a look at Bethesda’s game. However, while the latter title emphasizes mostly seamless exploration between planets and space,Starfield, with its greater focus on narrative-driven quests and interactions with a distinct cast of characters, places more restrictions on where players can go and how they can get there.
The argument could certainly be made thatStarfieldcould stand to improve its exploration. All in all, though, these limitations haven’t done much to put a damper on the game’s overall favorable reception among critics and players, so odds are fans like UsernameIWontRegret will continue to keep at it and uncover neat new details for a good long while to come.
Starfieldis available for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
