Summary
Starfieldseems to have snuck in a cheeky reference to one of the most famous cold opens fromThe Officein one of the New Atlantis buildings. Bethesda titles are no strangers to pop culture references, asFallout 4’s Super Mutants famously misquote a line said by Gothmog fromThe Return of the King. In a similar vein,Starfieldis littered with easter eggs, with some even alluding to other Bethesda games such asSkyrim.
ThoughThe Officewas popular during its initial run in the United States, it gained newfound popularity during the era of streaming services, when people had convenient access to all of its episodes on platforms like Netflix.The Officewas filmed with a cinéma vérité single-camera setup, and this style, evocative of documentaries, became its defining quality and the foundation of the show’s deadpan humor. WhileStarfieldis thematically and conceptually different fromThe Office, it seems that Bethesda wanted to pay homage to one of its most humorous scenes.
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Namely, a player named Surpluhss couldn’t help but notice a reference to Kevin’s Famous Chili in aNew Atlantis building inStarfield, sharing the discovery on the game’s official subreddit. The spilled chili, the blue oven mitts, the metal bucket – these three items put together made a possible reference into an obvious one. Coupled with the Triangular Organizer that looks an awful lot like the Saber Pyramid, it would seem that some Bethesda developers are huge fans ofThe Office.
While a character like Dwight Schrute wouldn’t feel out of place amongStarfield’s NPCs, Easter eggs and references have largely stayed in the background.Starfieldseems far more interested in casting a wide net on the sci-fi genre and its visuals, offering players a tailor-fit experience based on which locations, andfactions inStarfieldthey choose to engage with. Akila City and the Freestar Collective scratch thatFireflyitch, the United Colonies and New Atlantis are reminiscent ofStar Trek, whileBlade Runnerfans would feel right at home in Neon and its Ryujin Industries.
Ultimately, pop culture references not covered by Bethesda are no doubt going to be added by modders onceStarfieldreceives official mod supportin early 2024. Unlike with official content, modders won’t be constrained by keeping characters and references lore-friendly, as theSkyrimmod that turn its dragons into Thomas the Tank Engine has so eloquently showcased. With the rise of AI voice modulation in Bethesda game mods, seeing a Dwight Schrute or Kevin Malone companion inStarfieldmay well be an inevitability.
Starfieldis available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
