Starfield had a massive showcase at the Xbox summer reveal livestream, so we’ve broken down everything we spotted while watching. As Starfield isn’t far off now, and Bethesda’s newest RPG game is set to be one of the biggest releases of 2023, you should keep it locked to the Starfield release date to know more.
There was a lot here, from the different editions you can pre-order to character creation, companions, shipbuilding, quests, exploration, and even the first Starfield expansion as well.
We learned about the first Starfield DLC and the Starfield Constellation Edition, so you’ll want to read up on those.
Starfield Direct details
- Realistically simulate the galaxy around you
- New animation system
- Data menu is your skills, inventory, and mission hub
- Robot companion Vasco can say your name
- Ship has a star map, shows you the planet you’re on with all its info, and lets you see solar systems and the whole galaxy to travel to
- Need to upgrade your ship to travel to distant systems
- New Atlantis is the biggest city Bethesda has ever made
- Your adventure with Constellation starts in New Atlantis
- The United Colonies are the most civilized part of Starfield’s universe, going outside of that it becomes more lawless
- The unclaimed areas of space are also home to the most hostile factions in the game
- Character creation has seen a massive overhaul: face scans for detail, and characters you see can be made yourself
- Simplest character creation system to use Bethesda has ever made
- You can select a character background, which gives you a backstory and three basic skills. They can come in handy at almost any point
- You can select up to three completely optional traits as well
- You get a skill point from every level up, which can be used to unlock new skills or empower others
- There are five skill trees and four ranks per skill as well
- You can buy a ship, customize and upgrade it, hire a crew to keep it up and running
- Every spaceport has a space technician where you can find and upgrade spaceships
- You can take apart the ship and move parts around, customize the paint job, and impact the ship’s interior and stats while making it all
- Each companion has unique questlines, states, and ship changes and perks
- You can hire more crew members at spaceports, or find them on planets
- Ship combat relies on a power allocation system: you can power up engines, grav drives for light jumps, move power to weapons and shields for combat
- The targeting Control Systems skill will let you lock on specific subsystems of enemy ships
- You can dock enemy ships and board them to take out the other crew, with the ship then a part of your own fleet
- You can commit acts of piracy on friendly ships
- Scan a planet before you land to see all the resources you can find for crafting and customizing before you land
- You can build outposts and get resources from the plants and animals in that space
- Light is calculated in real-time through the different in-universe atmospheres
- Similar base building is like Fallout 4, outposts can be built almost anywhere with habitat modules that come in all shapes and sizes, with each having a different purposes
- Extractors can farm resources at outposts, or companions can work at them, each with specific bonuses
- You can customize weapon ammo, sights, scopes, magazines, and suppressors, with a plethora of melee weapons as well
- Gravity is different on each planet, so jetpacks are essential
- Zero gravity environments are a challenge, as ballistic weapons will push you backward, while energy weapons won’t
- There’s a robust photo mode
- Starfield’s first story expansion is called Shattered Space
Don’t forget, there’s also going to be a Starfield Game Pass launch day and date with the full Bethesda game later this year, so subscribers can play the initial release at no extra cost over the subscription.
This is a breaking news story as part of PCGamesN’s coverage of the Xbox and Bethesda showcase alongside Summer Game Fest. This story will continue to be updated as more information about the breaking news comes to light, but you can check out our news hub for more breaking stories from the Xbox and Bethesda showcases, as well as any other big reveals from the summer of news too.
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If you want more on Bethesda’s newest universe in 25 years, be sure to check out our look at Starfield ship design, a breakdown of Starfield skills, and what we know about any and all of the Starfield planets as well.