Starfield, the long-awaited new IP from Bethesda Game Studios, is coming to Xbox PC in 2023 and it seems set to take us on an epic sci-fi journey.
Starfield particulars stay fairly skinny on the bottom in the mean time however thanks to a couple of temporary teaser trailers we do no less than lastly have some really feel for what the sport goes to be like. Bethesda's first new IP in 25 years, the single-player RPG will take gamers into the longer term and outer house permitting them, in accordance to studio boss Todd Howard, to participate in an epic about “hope and humanity" that he's described as being "like Skyrim in space".
With its November 2023 release date, it's still a while before we'll get our hands on Starfield. Regardless of the wait, that hasn't stopped us from boarding the Starfield hype train with a first-class ticket. There's nothing more exciting than whetting your appetite for a new game by future-gazing (or star gazing in this case). So, in that spirit, we've searched the galaxy to bring you the latest news and rumors on Starfield. Here's everything you need to know.
[Update: Three new videos have given us an insight into some of the cities you'll visit in Starfield. Watch them for yourself below.]
Starfield: what you need to know
- What is it? A single-player RPG in outer space from the makers of Fallout and The Elder Scrolls
- What can I play it on? PC and Xbox Series X, headed to Xbox Game Pass on the day of its release. It will be a console exclusive on Xbox systems
- When can I play it? November 11, 2023
Starfield release date
At E3 2021, Bethesda confirmed Starfield will release on November 11, 2023 – so quite a while to wait still. In an interview with the Washington Post, Todd Howard said the studio is "confident in the date".
What's perhaps even more interesting is that it's now looking to be an Xbox / PC exclusive, with the trailer and Xbox spokespeople making no mention of a PS5 release. With Microsoft now owners of developer Bethesda, this could be indicative of the future of titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 going forward.
Starfield trailers
Location teasers
In August 2021, Bethesda revealed three brief videos which give an overview of cities that will feature in Starfield. The three locations are pretty distinct, comprising the metropolitan capital of the United Colonies, New Atlantis; the freedom-driven capital of the Freestar Collective, Akila; and the vice-drenched pleasure city, Neon.
Each video (all below) gives a description of the locations and a look at some of the concept art, offering a good sense of the overall atmosphere you can expect.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2io6xFD1VY[/embed]
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_wrs9NlEfI[/embed]
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoZAAebhnxs[/embed]
Teaser trailer
The first proper Starfield trailer was revealed at E3 2021, showing off Bethesda's more realistic approach to sci-fi than the likes of Outer Worlds or No Man's Sky:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYqyVpCV-3c[/embed]
We're shown a very NASA-like astronaut exploring the rocky surface of a Moon-like location, complete with a blue-sky atmosphere, preparing for take-off. We're shown drones, a cool mech-like buddy robot, and the promise of uncovering the "key to unlocking everything."
Into the Starfield
E3 2021 also brought a more behind-the-scenes style video for Starfield called Into the Starfield. In this clip that's just under 2 minutes, Bethesda gives an overview of Starfield and what it's aiming to achieve with the game.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wun9up_M87E[/embed]
Announcement teaser
Other than that, we previously saw our first glimpse of the game during E3 2018 where we got little more than a title, a setting and a glimpse of an unnamed planet, a floating satellite or space station, and some sort of... glowing wormhole?
Check out the teaser trailer below:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUobbpHERh8[/embed]
Starfield gameplay, news and rumors
Composer confirmed
Starfield’s composer has been confirmed as Inon Zur, the composer behind multiple games in the Fallout series, including 3, 4, 76 and New Vegas, as well as Dragon Age and Prince of Persia.
On his website, Zur explains that he’s been on the “epic new musical journey” of making music for Starfield “for the past several years”. Zur additionally expresses his “admiration and appreciation to the incomparable creative visionary Todd Howard, audio director extraordinaire Mark Lampert, and the entire BGS family”, not just for their “daring artistic ambition” however for “the honor of entrusting me with scoring their next groundbreaking RPG experience.”
"Skyrim in house" and "Han Solo simulator"
In an interview with the Washington Post, Todd Howard has described Starfield as being "like Skyrim in house", with the caveat that technological advancements since Skyrim's release will allow Starfield to be a much more robust experience.
Bethesda Managing Director, Ashley Cheng, on the other hand, described the game as “the Han Solo simulator. Get in a ship, explore the galaxy, do fun stuff."
“We struggled at first at discovering ‘Starfield’s’ id,“ Howard instructed the Washington Post. ”We knew the type of recreation we wished. But there’s a lot science fiction, we didn’t have this present franchise really feel. We had to create that from scratch. What do the spaceships appear like? What’s the tech degree? What do folks imagine? What yr is it actually set in?”
The recreation, Howard revealed, is about 300 years sooner or later when "man is living amongst the stars".
Coming to Xbox One in an sudden method
Starfield is about to be an enormous hit for Xbox Series X/S however Xbox One gamers gained’t be completely left behind. In a put up to the Xbox Wire weblog, Microsoft says that will probably be utilizing its cloud streaming know-how to serve up video games that require the Xbox Series X/S’s energy so as to ship them to the ageing last-gen Xbox One.
“You'll see many games this holiday, including Forza Horizon 5, which will boast DirectX ray-tracing on both Xbox Series X and S, and Battlefield 2042, which will run at 60fps while supporting 128 players on Xbox Series X/S.
“Some games launching next year from our first party studios and partners, such as Starfield, Redfall, and Stalker 2 require the speed, performance, and technology of Xbox Series X/S.
“We're excited to see developers realise their visions in ways that only next-gen hardware will allow them to do. For the millions of people who play on Xbox One consoles today, we are looking forward to sharing more about how we will bring many of these next-gen games, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, to your console through Xbox Cloud Gaming, just like we do with mobile devices, tablets, and browsers.”
‘Better’ with out PS5?
Bethesda’s govt producer Todd Howard has stated that the corporate can create higher video games now that it’s growing solely for Xbox and PC.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Howard stated: “You don’t ever want to leave people out, right? But at the end of the day, your ability to focus and say, this is the game I want to make, these are the platforms I want to make it on, and being able to really lean in on those is going to make for a better product. By focusing on those platforms, you really get to lean in a lot on making it the best it can be for those systems“.
Though PS5 players won’t have access to Starfield, Howard says Microsoft is working to get its games to more people than ever before.
“...we’re big believers in all of the avenues that Xbox and Microsoft are doing to get games to more people,“ Howard explained. ”Whether that’s the mixing with the PC, which is big for us, the cloud streaming and all these issues. So I feel it’s about taking a long-term view. And our perception that these issues are actually basically good. So we see it truly opening up extra and extra and extra so that folks’s skill to play our video games - through GamePass and different issues - their skill to play our video games doesn’t go down. It goes up dramatically.
“And I can say I’m proud to be part of Xbox. I think it’s great for the community of gamers.”
Both third particular person and first particular person viewpoints are in Starfield
Whether you like staring down the barrel of a gun, or at your participant character's cool new house threads, Starfield will provide up each first and third particular person factors of view for gamers to take pleasure in. "First person for us is still our prime way of playing. So you can see the world and touch all those things," Todd Howard revealed in an interview with the Telegraph.
There might be "hardcore" function enjoying components
If you've felt that earlier Bethesda function enjoying video games have dumbed down the RPG components of the sport in favor of motion components, relaxation assured that Starfield is not going to be scrimping on the stats and rolls. The recreation may have "great character systems" and the power to select your background, "things that we used to do in games long ago," says director Todd Howard.
NASA and Elon Musk's Space X supplied inspiration
Rather than the house opera histrionics of the likes of Star Wars or Star Trek, Bethesda is aiming for a extra real looking method with Starfield. While there'll nonetheless be lasers and robots and cool issues like that, the aesthetic of the sport relies on imagining the place the house program of right this moment might be in 300 years time. In truth, the workforce at Bethesda had discussions with Elon Musk's Space X workforce to be certain that it was getting the small print proper.
Starfield may have alien races and a number of planets to discover
It could also be a extra critical method to house exploration than the likes of No Man's Sky or Mass Effect, however relaxation assured – there might be aliens to work together with. In fairly what capability, Bethesda is not but revealing. But with the information that the sport can even characteristic Skyrim type cities and settlements throughout a number of planets, we're hoping that we'll run into a good few alien habitats, too.
Skipping PS5
Rumors that Starfield may skip the PS5 totally, sourced by the Xbox Two Podcast, now are seemingly confirmed.
Reported by KitGuru, Xbox Two Podcast host Rand Al Thor 19 acknowledged: “I’ve been told, by very reliable people, that Starfield was 100% an Xbox exclusive. I’ve even made bets about it, and I don’t bet unless I know I’m willing to bet. So I’m really, really confident that Starfield is only releasing on Xbox when it does.”
These rumors turned out to be appropriate, as Starfield was confirmed to be an Xbox console unique through the Xbox & Bethesda E3 2021 presentation. PC gamers should not fear, although, as Starfield is touchdown on their platform, too.
Starfield companion recreation "unlikely"
While the anticipate Starfield is undoubtedly an extended one, it seems like we can't be getting any ancillary materials for the sport earlier than its huge launch late subsequent yr.
Talking to the Washington Post, Todd Howard acknowledged {that a} companion recreation to Starfield (comparable to the Fallout Shelter cellular recreation) is "unlikely." However, Howard did not rule out the opportunity of a film or TV present in future.
Starfield’s map goes to be huge thanks to procedural era
Bethesda’s Todd Howard has stated that the map in Starfield might be “much larger” than something seen in earlier Bethesda video games—sure, even Fallout 76.
Speaking on the Develop: Brighton convention, Howard stated that the sport will use procedural era, which can also be utilized in No Man’s Sky, which means that the sport’s world might be constructed by a randomised algorithm as opposed to devs having to manually curate each space. According to Howard, procedural era will permit the builders to enhance the size of the map total.
As thrilling as all of this sounds, Howard additionally reiterated through the convention that “It’s going to be a while until people hear about it,” and that Bethesda gained'r present previews till it’s quite a bit nearer to launch and they will exhibit one thing substantial.
A recreation engine overhaul
Bethesda's Todd Howard has revealed that partnering with Microsoft has "led to our largest engine overhaul since Oblivion, with all new technologies powering our first new IP in 25 years, Starfield, as well as The Elder Scrolls 6.“
Speaking at the Develop: Brighton conference, Howard gave more information on the overhauled Creation Engine, saying it’s been “a significant overhaul,” adding that “It’s taken us longer than we would have liked, but it’s going to power everything we’re doing with Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6. When people see the results, they’ll hopefully be as happy as we are with what’s on the screen and also how we can go about making our games.”
A Starfield 'leak'?
There's a chance some 'leaked' images have given us a new look at Starfield. Four images have surfaced on Imgur (through GamesRadar) that are allegedly from the upcoming recreation.
The photographs present an area ship, two situations of a third-person perspective of a personality standing beside the ship in astronaut apparel (with a stealth and stamina bar within the nook), and a type of oxygen and carbon dioxide gauge which additionally seems within the nook of the third-person perspective photographs.
Take with a grain of salt however some photographs of Starfield might have simply leaked pic.twitter.com/CUcj7lWccrSeptember 26, 2020
Of course, there's been no confirmation that these images are actually from Starfield so we can't be sure what we're seeing is from the in-progress game. If they are real, though, which they certainly appear to be given the trailers we've now seen, it looks like Bethesda could be going a little more hard on the sci-fi than in previous space games like Mass Effect.
Starfield is Bethesda's focus
In an interview with IGN, Todd Howard revealed that fans will be waiting some time for The Elder Scrolls 6 as Bethesda is focusing on Starfield.
"We're creatives, and it is like, we've got to make this recreation, and that is the time, and so Elder Scrolls 6 goes to have to wait somewhat bit," Howard said. "And once more, Elder Scrolls Online is doing so properly, it is so vibrant, that that is the time [for Starfield], each for us creatively, and our viewers."
A whole new world
Bethesda has reportedly been talking about making Starfield for years now.
There have been rumors flying around about the game since Bethesda publisher Zenimax filed a trademark for the name as far back as 2013.
Given how much mileage Bethesda has achieved out of its other tentpole IPs – Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, which have both seen various spin-off entries and MMO variants – it is presumably hoping to make Starfield a far-reaching franchise in the same vein.
...and whole new systems
The idea behind Starfield has been floating around as far back as 2004, and Howard has said it has the recognisable Bethesda DNA to it – so expect deep character customisation and open exploration. But also expect all new ideas entering into the mix – this won't just be Fallout or Skyrim in space. Speaking to Eurogamer, Howard stated "[...] it has loads of new methods we have been desirous about for some time that match that type of recreation rather well." So do not be shocked if there's some type of on-theme house flight ingredient concerned too.
Bigger than ever earlier than
Both the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series have shared an identical character development system and open-world backdrop, partially rooted of their sharing of the identical gaming engine.
While we have not heard specifics on gameplay, Starfield seems set to observe in the identical vein, albeit in a extra galactic setting. But the ultimate frontier may maintain a lot bigger potential for exploration, permitting gamers to journey throughout numerous planets and encounter unknown civilizations.
There's an enormous hole out there for sci-fi RPGs
With the way forward for the space-opera RPG series Mass Effect trying unsure, and the unfulfilled promise of the planet-hopping exploration recreation No Man's Sky, Starfield might be coming into a gaming market hungry for a sci-fi RPG finished proper. With the confirmed success of Bethesda's different franchises, may the developer have the subsequent Mass Effect up its sleeves?
(Image credit: Bethesda)
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