Bethesda’s Starfield is finally out in the wild and, while not perfect, still seems like one of the best RPG games out there right now. In any case, as one of the most-hyped upcoming Xbox games for a long time, it thankfully sounds like the long wait has paid off. If you’re a long-time fan of this studio’s other games though, you’ll be particularly pleased to know that there are quite a few Starfield Skyrim easter eggs scattered throughout this new release – and we’re really only scratching the surface.
We know Starfield is quite-literally four times bigger than Skyrim, but eagle-eyed Spacers are already spotting more references to the iconic RPG than we were expecting. After the theory that a clever Skyrim easter egg was hiding in this Starfield space rock, Redditor ‘Kinevi1‘ has shared a rather more obvious one online ahead of the full Starfield release date.
As you can see for yourself below, while speaking to a seemingly random Colonist NPC, a player can hear the following voice line:
“I used to be an explorer too, but then I – No, never mind. It’s a long story.”
If you’re not sure what this is a reference to, you can see for yourself below. One of the most iconic Skyrim voice lines, and one that has been memed quite a lot since 2011, is one that refers to an NPC being an adventurer and taking an arrow to the knee. This is an obvious homage to that, and we love that this joke has survived so long.
The best part of this is that this isn’t even the only reference to the Skyrim gag, if you can believe it. Checking out some of the Starfield skills you can unlock, you’ll spot one with a patch showing an arrow absolutely obliterating a kneecap. It’s not only a nasty way to lose your leg – probably – but also something that would stop you becoming an adventurer. Or, you know, a space explorer.
If these aren’t quite enough for you, it’s worth remembering that Starfield early access has only just started. Starfield is a huge game and we have no doubt that there will be more easter eggs to other Bethesda games – and other IPs – throughout. It’s just about uncovering them. We expect the internet to be flooded with them in a matter of days.
Is Starfield really one of the best games of all time, though, after all of the hype? We know this might not quite be enough to convince you of that, as funny as these easter eggs are, but you can find out more about what the first Starfield reviews say about Bethesda’s behemoth right here. This should give you a good range of opinions to check out, but trying it yourself is still the best course of action.
If you don’t really need convincing, though, and you’re just looking forward to the full Starfield release date with Xbox Game Pass, you can read up on how Starfield calls upon a Fallout writer-turned-priest for its religions here and the full Starfield cast of voice actors right here. We also have a list of the best games like Starfield for you to check out, if you’re on PlayStation – or you just don’t like Bethesda games.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.