Bethesda Game Studios’ ambitious sci-fi RPG Starfield has received its Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating, revealing some… interesting details ahead of its September launch on PC and Xbox Series X | S. Surprising absolutely no one, Starfield is officially rated “M for Mature.” Similarly unsurprising is the news that it will prominently feature blood, strong language, violence, suggestive themes, and drugs.
The really juicy details lie in the more detailed ESRB description. Specifically, the summary calls attention to those suggestive themes, which apparently include lines of dialogue such as, “Life is a sexually transmitted disease that’s a hundred percent fatal,” and “Talk about seeing stars, whew… that was amazing.” There’s even a line that seems to reference jetpack sex… so there’s that.
The Starfield ESRB rating also points to a fictional drug called “Aurora.” Bethesda isn’t new to giving players access to fake drugs, though Starfield will apparently feature a mission that sees players working around a drug lab. All in all, Starfield sounds like it will be right at home with games like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. You can read the ESRB description in its entirety below:
This is an open-world role-playing game in which players assume the role of a miner tasked with finding Artifacts across the galaxy. From first-/third-person perspectives, players interact with various characters, complete quests, and search for supplies while battling enemies (e.g., humans, robots, alien creatures). Players use futuristic guns, lasers, axes, and explosives to kill enemies. Combat is fast-paced, with frequent gunfire, cries of pain, and explosions. Attacks on some enemies can result in blood-splatter effects; several environments depict blood stains on the ground around corpses. The game contains some suggestive material in the dialogue, and after sharing a bed with characters (e.g., “Life is a sexually transmitted disease that’s a hundred percent fatal”; “I’m all for getting a little wild, but next time let’s try it without the jetpacks”; “Talk about seeing stars, whew… that was amazing.”). A fictional drug (Aurora) is prominent in the game, with a section involving players’ characters working in an illicit drug lab; players can also obtain Aurora by stealing or buying it from vendors (consuming Aurora results in a distortion effect on the screen). The words “f**k” and “bullsh*t” appear in the game.
After some major delays, Starfield will finally launch for PC and Xbox Series X | S on September 6, 2023. Expect to learn more about how it will be Bethesda’s next big step when a special Starfield presentation airs on June 11.
