'Starfield' is positioned to be Xbox's killer app, and we got a first look at the game last night at the Xbox and Bethesda gameplay showcase.
Despite being delayed until 2023, the game still looks fairly deep into development, and players finally got a look at what the gameplay entails for Bethesda's new RPG.
The game is Bethesda's first project that isn't an 'Elder Scrolls' or 'Fallout' game since the 1990s, and with the game first teased at E3 2018, a gameplay demo has been a long time coming.
As is the case with Bethesda showcase demos, the game looks breathtaking, but we've been down this road many times.
The effortlessly cool Todd Howard makes grand, sweeping promises only for the game to fall short of expectations, but 'Starfield' is working hard to avoid the classic trap Bethesda games fall into.
We've been promised the opportunity to visit over 1000 planets across 100 different star systems, and we also got a brief story outline.
"In the year 2330, Starfield’s players are allied with Constellation, described as “the last group of space explorers,” who are on a quest to recover lost artifacts of alien origin."
"The cast comprises a multigenerational, multicultural crew, and the story could also ponder or attempt to prove the existence of true divinity."
It wouldn't be much of an RPG without being able to customise your character, and players will be able to create a character unique to them.
Most interestingly, players can even choose their religious background, which implies the themes of science being compatible with faith will be present in the game.
The highlight of the presentation was the ship customisation, and we are very much looking forward to spending dozens of hours fretting over what our ship looks like.
The ship customisation options are incredibly in-depth, and ships can be tailored to what the player wants.
Players can also hire NPC's they run into in the game world to act as their crew, meaning we can finally re-enact our favourite episodes of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'.
Players can step behind the wheel of the ship, and are fully flyable in first or third-person.
It wouldn't be a Todd Howard presentation without the patented "just one more thing" reveal, and the final reveal told us that players can land anywhere on any of the 1000 planets in the game.
The original 'Mass Effect' promised this back in 2007, and while the actual planets were sparse and had roughly one thing to do, 'Starfield' might be the game that fulfills that promise.
The resource management and building system from 'Fallout 4' also makes a comeback, and players will be able to set up shop on planets to mine resources.
Comparisons to 'No Man's Sky' have been thrown around since the reveal, but 'Starfield' looks to combine the typical in-depth character creation and memorable characters of Bethesda games with the open-world chops of 'No Man's Sky'.
'Starfield' will debut in early 2023, and most notably, will be available on Game Pass.
Microsoft bought out Bethesda in 2021 for $7.5 billion dollars, and based on what we saw last night, 'Starfield' may be worth every penny and then some to Microsoft.
The full 15-minute presentation is available for your viewing pleasure below.
