Starfield was nearly a Fallout sequel from Bethesda
While the MCU has shown us how it's done, others like the DCEU and Dark Universe have proved that just because you can make an expanded universe of IPs, doesn't mean you should. Splinter Cell and Rainbow Six are happy sharing the same air like Manhunt and GTA, but apparently, Starfield and Fallout can't be friends.
As Bethesda's first new IP in over 25 years, there are a lot of eyes on Starfield - especially considering the developer is known for juggernauts like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. The mystery of Starfield's Earth was one that was hyped during its pre-release, and in some alternate reality, it would've been tied to Fallout.
SPOILER WARNING: This could contain minor spoilers for the Starfield storyline
Starfield was nearly a Fallout sequel
Click to enlargeWith Starfield being set in 2330 and Fallout: New Vegas' Mr. House guessing he'd be able to begin orbital flights in 2331, it would've been easy for these two worlds to combine. According to Bethesda, it nixed the idea and decided to make Starfield its own entity.
Speaking to The Washington Post, (via PC Gamer) Creative Director Todd Howard explained how Starifeld's ruined Earth could've been the same as the apocalyptic Wasteland of Fallout. "We talked about it," said Howard, but admitted that it was nixed among "hundreds" of other ideas.
Howard doesn't expand on why he stopped Starfield effectively being a Fallout sequel, and while there are sure to be those who lambast the situation, others will be glad it carved its own path. In Starfield, the destruction of Earth is down to the Grav Drive that lets ships cross the galaxy in seconds.
Also, with the events of Fallout 4 taking place in the year 2287 (40 years before Starfield) and humanity still trapped in the '50s America of the Great War, it would've been quite the leap to have sent us to the stars and colonised the likes of New Atlantis in that time.
Starfield has plenty of clever Bethesda Easter eggs
Click to enlargeEven though we can't fully connect the dots between Starfield and Fallout, that doesn't mean there aren't some clever Easter eggs hiding out in the cosmos. We see The Elder Scrolls' Adoring Fan in all his spiky-haired glory, and elsewhere, the Crippling skill references Skyrim's arrow in the knee.
In terms of Fallout, there's the return of Nick Valentine voice actor Stephen Russell, as well as a Boston baseball being a nod to Fallout 4's Diamond City. You might be able to spot more obscure references to Breaking Bad's yellow suits and Lord of the Rings' po-tay-toe, with more surely on the horizon.
Now that Starfield has left the hangar, work will presumably ramp up on The Elder Scrolls 6. After this, it's over to Fallout 5 and a long-awaited return to the Wasteland. By then, Howard has hopefully changed his mind on making the Bethesdaverse a reality.
