Bethesda is known for creating in-depth, story-heavy RPGs with a vast world to explore. Fans have enjoyed the likes ofElder ScrollsandFalloutfor years. A few years ago, the company announced it was working on a new IP calledStarfield, which will be set in the depths of outer space.
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Sadly, the game is still many months away and will be an Xbox exclusive when it does finally arrive. That said, there are a few solid story-heavy sci-fi games likeStarfieldthat can serve as a great distraction for PlayStation and Switch players.
Updated June 21, 2025, by Chris Birsner:AfterStarfieldwas revealed back in 2018, it was initially set for release in 2022. However, the game was delayed and is now set to release in the fall of 2023. Luckily,Starfieldfans have not necessarily been starved for information as there have been plenty of updates, including a gameplay reveal and a deep dive into some of the systems by director Todd Howard. For those who just can’t wait though, there are even more games likeStarfieldthat have come out over the last few years that will certainly keep any player busy before the big Bethesda title finally drops.
15Deus Ex
Set in 2052,Deus Exputs players in control of JC Denton, who has supernatural abilities thanks to nanotechnology and serves as an agent for a fictional anti-terrorist organization called UNATCO. Players must face off against hostile forces in a world that has beenhammered with a deadly plague.
In addition, Denton gets put in the middle of conspiracy theories that have him targeted by the likes of Majestic 12 and the Illuminati.Deus Exgives players multiple ways to complete missions, leading to different outcomes.
14Stellaris
Straying from a typical action RPG isStellaris, a Grand Strategy game set in space. Much likeStarfield,Stellarisis about going out and exploring the galaxy and interacting with various new species. The goal of the game is to grow the empire, with each playthrough being different from the last.
While the base version ofStellarisisn’t as story-driven as games likeStarfield, Paradox Interactive did release a DLC for the game that allows players to add to their backstory, as well as add some story for various different colonies that the player comes across. This makes it a much richer story experience on top of the strategic gameplay.
13Fallout: New Vegas
In the case that players haven’t moved outside the mainlineFalloutgames,Fallout: New Vegasis the perfect spin-off for capturing what makes Bethesda’s open-world RPGs great despite it being developed by Obsidian Entertainment. Players take on the role ofthe Courierwho is delivering a package across the Mojave Desert to New Vegas.
After they survived an attack that led to the package being stolen,New Vegas' main storyline revolves around finding the attempted murderer and retrieving the package. There are tons of side quests to follow as well.
12Horizon Zero Dawn
Recent Playstation exclusives have centered around massive single-player campaigns that involve deep stories ready to be explored. One of the most successful titles in the last five years isHorizon Zero Dawn, which centers around a hunter named Aloy living in a post-apocalyptic land with creature-like machines running rampant.
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Made by Guerilla Games,Horizon Zero Dawnrevolves around Aloy’s personal mission to find out what happened to the world for it to be in the shape that it is in and her connection to it while also dealing with the dangerous machines and people around her.
11The Outer Worlds
Speaking of Obsidian, one ofthe most recent Obsidian gamesputs players in the middle of an outer space-based RPG.The Outer Worldsis set in an alternative reality where William McKinley isn’t assassinated and Theodore Roosevelt doesn’t succeed him, leading to mega-corporations taking over society and beginning to colonize space.
After landing on the solar system Halcyon, players are tasked with reviving members of their colony ship “Hope” by a mad scientist, Phineas Welles.The Outer Worldsincludes a recruiting mechanic that dives deep into the stories of NPCs.
10Cyberpunk 2077
While isn’t necessarily based in space,Cyberpunk 2077is a western RPG for those who want games likeStarfieldthat are set further in the future. While the game wasn’t well received out of the gate, CD Projekt Red has since worked to get the title in better shape after numerous updates.
The setting ofCyberpunk 2077is Night City: a city where the player must get jobs and attempt to survive as numerous people will be looking to take them down. Along the way, players will be able to customize their looks and upgrade their bodies with cybernetic enhancements as well as explore a world filled with various characters and unique locations.
9Nier: Automata
There’s no game quite likeNier: Automataas it requires multiple playthroughs to unlock the full story. A battle between man-made robots and machines beyond this world, the story revolves around an android made by humans and her trials in combat.
Nicknamed 2B, she, along with her male scanner companion 9S and a fugitive android named A2, begin to learn about what happened to humanity in this post-apocalyptic world. Like the otherNiergames,Nier: Automatabegins to take on many different genres as it tells its story.
8Outer Wilds
One of the most fascinating indie games to come out in recent years isOuter Wilds, a game that could be boiled down to being an exploration puzzle game. However, there is so much depth to the story ofOuter Wildsthat it could rival some of the biggest games likeStarfieldout there.
The open-world mystery game has players attempting to figure out why the world seems to end and then restart from a specific point. The goal is to hop into a spaceship and fly around the solar system, visiting various planets, and attempting to unravel the various mysteries that have been left unsolved.
7Bioshock
The entireBioshockseries is worth checking out for those looking for astory-heavy sci-fi RPGto check out, but the most critically acclaimed game of the bunch is the one that came out first. The 2007 installment ofBioshocktakes place in 1960 in an underwater city called Rapture, a once-thriving utopia that came crashing down thanks to a genetic material that could give people psychokinetic powers.
The player is Jack, who arrives at Rapture after his airplane crashes into the ocean. The goal is for him to escape the humans who have been morphed by this scientific discovery. With a newBioshockgame currently in development, there’s never been a better time to check out the original, particularly for those looking for great story-heavy games likeStarfield.
Those that are fascinated by a story-driven space game likeStarfieldbut also enjoy a horror experience should check out the remake of the EA classicDead Space. For anyone unaware, it’s a sci-fi survival horror thriller that was recently remade for next-generation hardware to look visually stunning.
InDead Space, players take on the role of engineer Isaac Clarke as the crew that he works for is slaughtered by unknown creatures while his partner Nicole is missing. The focus of the game is to wander around its environments and take on the various monsters that stand in Isaac’s way.
