Starfield is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated games this year. Releasing on September 6th, 2023, it will be Bethesda’s most ambitious release yet. At the end of the recent Xbox Showcase, they dedicated almost an hour to talking about nothing except Starfield. Here’s everything we learned from the Starfield Direct about Xbox’s flagship game in 2023.
Gameplay
Starfield is an expansive open-world release from the minds of Bethesda Game Studios. With that level of ambition comes an immense level of freedom in gameplay. Starfield has the most expansive gunplay and combat that Bethesda has ever done. The Direct showcased a wide variety of weapons, modding, and gameplay styles. For example, there are many typical shotguns, rifles, and pistols. But each gun can be customized in a wide variety of ways depending on the situation. A pistol can be fitted with a suppressor, a sniper with a thermal scope, etc.
And with the different systems on each planet, such as different gravity levels and jetpacks(or boost packs as they’re called) for traversal, no two encounters are the same. All weapons work differently depending on the gravity levels. Normal ballistic weapons, for instance, push back the player upon firing.
With such an expansive game based around space, there is, of course, space combat as well. Players can customize their ships to be more or less efficient in space combat. Faster movement and targeting computers, for instance, are just a few of the tools that a player can implement to make combat easier. You can also infiltrate ships and steal them right under your enemy’s nose.
Customization
Speaking of which, customization is yet another staple of Bethesda games. Starfield is no different, as it features the most expansive customization options that Bethesda has ever done. Like with prior games, you begin customization by picking one of forty presets. An indicator in the bottom corner mentions that “customizations can be changed later by visiting a genetics facility.” From there, players can customize their characters however they want. For example, they can adjust walk cycles, body types, skin color, and even age.
After that, the player can decide their character’s background. There are dozens of backgrounds with unique backstories and different skills. The different backstories each have a different impact on quests and dialogue. For example, an NPC may look upon you more favorably if you’re a beast hunter and may choose to hire you for a job.
Players can also choose three optional traits that also have different impacts. The Kid Stuff trait, for instance, gives your player character parents. You lose money because you’re providing funds to your parents, but in exchange, you can visit them from time to time. There are, of course, many skills that the player can invest in for further customization.
As previously stated by Bethesda, there is ship customization as well. Players can first buy their ship at a spaceport. From there, they can convert their ships almost entirely, making them bigger and into almost any shape. There are color options, equipment options, and interior options. Bethesda has done everything possible to give players more customization options than ever before.
Companions
Like previous Bethesda games, Starfield has a wide array of different companions that can accompany players on their journey. The story begins with a group called Constellation. They are descendants of many of the greatest explorers in history and are now looking to understand the wide reaches of space. You join them on their quest, as they believe that you have seen something that could answer many of their greatest mysteries.
Companions can join you on your ship. Each has a different questline, and every companion can be romanced. There are also other NPCs you can find out in the galaxy. Some can become a part of your ship’s crew, and some can directly join your team and also have their own stories. There is also a robot companion, Vasco, who can join you in the field. He can also say the player’s name. It likely works similarly to Fallout 4‘s name system, where there are a certain amount of names that are pre-programmed into the dialogue.
The Many Worlds of Starfield
There are over a thousand worlds out there in Starfield. Each location has its own stories, its own characters, and its own design. From the expansive city of New Atlantis to the seedy underbellies of Neon to the many space stations that players can visit across the galaxy. There are hundreds of different factions and characters that span the many worlds of Starfield. Some are friendly, and some are openly hostile towards you.
While there don’t seem to be many aliens in the galaxy, there is still a unique art direction to the galaxy and the many characters that inhabit it. Much of the architecture is said to be based on something called NASAPunk. Rather than relying on typical sci-fi tropes, it instead grounds the art direction in reality, basing it on real-world space programs and their design. Everything, from the art direction to the worlds, to the characters that inhabit those worlds, is designed to make Starfield the most lived-in and expansive Bethesda universe to date.
Release Information
Starfield will release on September 6th, 2023. It will be available on Day One on Game Pass for the Xbox Series X and S. Upon launch; there will be a base edition, a digital deluxe edition, and a collector’s edition that features the Constellation Watch and more in-game goodies. Check out the Starfield Direct below and stay tuned to Final Weapon for more of our coverage of Starfield.
