Bethesda Game Studios has earned a reputation for crafting some of the finest action RPGs ever made – thanks to its sublime work on The Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises, the development house is recognized for its commitment to highly immersive games with tons of content to enjoy. While the studio has had its fair share of misses in the past and has gotten flack for buggy releases at launch, Bethesda Game Studios has gone out of its way to remedy its mistakes and refine its massive games to appease its massive audience. Now the studio is finally ready to send players into the vast expanses of space in an all-new IP that has been dubbed by many as “Skyrim in space.” Join us as we take a deep look at what you can expect to see and do in the upcoming release of Starfield.
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Starfield is finally set to take orbit on September 1, 2023, for the Digital Premium Edition, Premium Edition, and Constellation Edition (Early Access). Everyone else will get to play the game on September 6, 2023, for the Standard Edition. It’s also worth noting that Starfield will be available on Xbox Series X|S and PC – Steam. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be able to access the game on its standard launch day, by the way.
The Standard Edition comes with the physical base game and pre-order bonuses in the form of bonus skins for the “Old Mars Skin Pack,” which includes the following – the “Laser Cutter,” a “Deep Mining Helmet,” and a “Deep Mining Pack.” The Digital Premium Edition also comes with the digital base game, the Old Mars Skin Pack, access to the “Shattered Space” story expansion upon release, the “Constellation Skin Pack” (which comes with the “Equinox Laser Rifle,” a Spacesuit, Helmet, and “Boost Pack”), and access to the Starfield digital artbook & original soundtrack (which is also digital).
The Premium Edition comes with everything the Digital Premium Edition features (except the base game, which is sold separately for some odd reason…), plus physical bonuses in the form of a steelbook display case and a constellation patch. And finally, the extra special Constellation Edition (THANKFULLY!) comes with the digital base game, the pre-order bonus featured with every other edition, a Credit Stick with Laser-Etched Game Code, the “Shattered Space” story expansion upon release, the Constellation Skin Pack, the digital artbook & original soundtrack, the steelbook display case, the constellation patch, and a special Starfield Chronomark watch & case.
While this game is a massive interplanetary adventure that looks like it would be perfect for multiple players to hop into and play alongside each other, Bethesda Game Studios has confirmed that Starfield will be a strictly single-player release.
Starfield is an action RPG that lets players play from either a first- or third-person perspective (which can be instantly switched between at a moment’s notice). Players will embark on a vast journey that will transport them to more than 1,000 explorable planets via spaceship travel, which all have procedurally generated elements that impact the appearance of their landscapes, alien flora & fauna, and local wildlife. As you make your way across those planets, you can extract and harvest its natural resources for crafting purposes. You can also create temporary homes there via outposts, which play a huge part in the advancement of your resource tasks. Once you’ve installed laboratories into your outposts, you can use them to craft items and upgrades from the following groups – Pharmacology, Food & Drink, Outpost Development, Equipment, and Weaponry.
You’ll also traverse to moons, space stations, and a massive hub city called “New Atlantis.” As you make your way around the Milky Way galaxy, you’ll run into NPCs – depending on your interactions with them, they can become a crew member that may aid you during combat, carry items for you, speak to other NPCs on your behalf, and offer their opinions on the major decisions you’ll make along the way. Mass Effect fans will be happy to know that you can romance any of the NPCs you’ve recruited.
Heavy customization features are attached to the creation of your custom avatar (who is a silent protagonist, by the way). While making your male or female avatar, you can determine their three starting skills based on their character background. And over time, your character will unlock additional traits that will improve certain aspects of their skillset. The game’s skill trees are split up into the following attributes (which can be ranked up by completing assorted challenges) – Physical, Combat, Science, Tech, and Social. During combat, you can rely on plenty of ranged firearms, melee weapons, and explosives to get the job done. Certain attachments can improve aspects of your favorite weapons, such as a telescopic sight that can improve a gun’s down-the-sight accuracy. Strong mobility also comes into play during combat since you can use a jetpack (which is referred to as a “boostpack”) to get the jump on your enemies. Boostpacks can also be used to traverse the varied environments you’ll find yourself in.