Summary
With its dusty streets and Stetson-sporting citizens,Starfield’s Akila City feels almost anachronistic amidst the advanced outposts dotting the game’s galaxy. The capital city of theFreestar Collective faction, Akila City’s antiquated appearance makes it an outlier among the mostly futuristic locales found in Bethesda Game Studio’s latest release. Rather than toning down the Old West aesthetic to make what serves as one ofStarfield’s most prominent locations blend in better with its sci-fi setting, Bethesda chose to fully embrace space cowboy cliches when designing Akila City. This unique blend of old and new makes Akila City one ofStarfield’s most eye-catching and entertaining locations to visit.
By leaning into the tropes of the genre with the dangerous and dusty Akila City, Bethesda gives gamers a more fully realized locale than can be found in even some ofthe best Space Western games. This attention to detail can be seen in everything from the timber-fort-style walls surrounding the city to the simple signs adorning stores along its streets. What makes Akila City an especially entertaining diversion from the straightforward sci-fi stylings found throughout most ofStarfield, though,is that its Old West influences aren’t just set dressing, they pervade every inch of the Freestar Collective capital.
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The Design of Akila City Embraces Some Space Western Standards
Birthplace of space cowboy andStarfieldConstellation companionSam Coe, players visit Akila City fairly early on in the main quest line. Having already explored futuristic outposts and the gleaming United Colonies city of New Atlantis, players’ first trip to the dusty Freestar Collective capital feels like stepping back in time. The first sign that this isn’t a standard sci-fi setting comes before entering the town, when players spy the massive walls along its perimeter. Resembling the frontier forts of the Old West, the walls protect Akila citizens from the predatory Ashta roaming the wilds.
Once players make their way into the city proper, the nods to the Space Western genre become even more apparent. As they wander through streets filled with buildings made from a mash-up of futuristic tech and antiquated architecture, players could be forgiven for thinking they found themselves in an episode ofJoss Whedon’sFirefly. This distinctive blend of old and new is present throughout Akila City, even in the town’s run-down cowboy dive bar where high-tech terminals offering quests sit side-by-side with the otherwise rugged surroundings.
Akila City’s Old West Influences Are More Than Skin Deep
Akila City’s Old West influences aren’t just surface level; they carry over into the missions players can find there. The first time that players make their way to Akila City, they’ll find themselves immediately wrapped up in trying to thwart a bank robbery as part ofStarfield’s The Empty Nest mission. Just as one would expect given the setting, the robbery is being perpetrated by a gang of outlaws trying to escape the town’s stoic sheriff and players can choose between talking them down or going in with guns blazing.
Other missions that can be found in the city see players taking on the role of the heroic cowboy helping to feed the town’s poor or getting to the bottom of a mysterious caper at Akila City’s firearms factory. Nearly all theactivities in Akila Cityand its outskirts play on cowboy tropes and are likely to feel familiar to anyone familiar with Westerns of any sort, and they help sell its unusual identity as a town out of step with time on the edge of explored space.
By delivering a futuristic frontier outpost that not only looks like the perfect place for a space cowboy to hang their hat but also incorporates Old West influences into every element of its design, Akila City is a space cowboy cliche done right. Even though it makes an odd partner to the otherwise-advanced civilizations found inStarfield,once players step foot onto its dusty streets, it’s impossible to ignore Akila City’s charms.
Starfieldis available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
