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We'll be honest: Bethesda Game Studios' Starfield looks incredibly promising. No, actually, that doesn't quite summarize the totality of its hype: even in a year as game-rich as 2023, it looks like the most realistic Game Of The Year candidate yet. That's no small feat, and if you were watching the Xbox Showcase alongside us, the sheer scope of the game might have led to some Starfield details you missed during the show.
And, with the game set to launch as a mainline PC title (via Steam) and as a flagship Xbox Game Pass experience, we're absolutely positive everyone and their mum will be talking about this sci-fi successor to Elder Scrolls for times to come. Whether you'll be enjoying this game offline or via Xbox Game Pass, though, your experience will be the same, and today, we aim to discuss some of the bits and pieces that haven't really been highlighted all that much.
Our epic journey through the Sol system is about to kick off on September 6, launching on Steam, Xbox, and - of course- the Microsoft Store! Are you ready to join Constellation?
READ MORE: Could 2023 Be The Best Year for Gamers?
Awesome Starfield Demo Details You Missed While Watching the Preview
It should be obvious, of course, that some of you will have caught many of these things during the Starfield preview. Still, we felt that many of these are important enough to highlight them in a separate feature, as it does seem that the game is far bigger than what many of us will have expected! Quite simply, we're in for quite an epic journey, in true Bethesda Softworks fashion.
From strange, one-off blink-and-you'll-miss-it showpieces to massive (but only implied!) features, there's lots of goodness here. So, let's start poring over the most minute details of Bethesda Game Studios' upcoming flagship!
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#15: You May Turn Into a Proprietor
This is a fun one that might not be all that big of a deal, but it's interesting all the same. One of the game's perks, Commerce, may allow the player character to "open and run a successful business." What this means, exactly, remains to be seen, but some amount of extra spending money is obviously implied. Will that help you answer humanity's greatest mystery - whether we are alone in the universe? Likely not, but it sure does tickle our inner capitalist!
#14: Bots Will Pronounce Player Names Properly
Another fun bit of flavor present in Starfield is that the game's resident helper bot, Vasco, will be able to say the player's name out loud. In the demo, Vasco referred to "Captain Howard," referencing Todd Howard himself. The extent of this feature, too, remains unknown at this time, but it may well be that Bethesda Game Studios has used an AI voice synthesizer to basically ready any old name the player gives it. We'll see!
#13: Starfield Draws Inspiration From So Many Games
Naturally, Starfield was always going to draw from its many space-faring predecessors, but the 45-minute demo highlighted two standout inspirations: Faster Than Light and No Man's Sky. FTL, specifically, has been translated into full and proper 3D in Starfield, with in-depth ship customization and real-time power management mid-combat. Exciting stuff! No Man's Sky, on the other hand, appears to have finally realized its full potential... in an entirely different game.
We're being half-cheeky, of course. But only to an extent! Since both games are available via the Xbox Game Pass, you will be able to give either a fair shake before settling down. Neat!
#12: It's a True Bethesda RPG, From Start to Bottom
Look, we're going to be honest here: Starfield is, really, Skyrim in space. We've long held this suspicion here at 2Game, and they've only been underlined by the new gameplay demo. All the classic tropes are present and accounted for, upgraded to unprecedented levels. We're still getting a massive interlocked sandbox that's designed to keep us engaged for hundreds of hours on end. Except, now it's set in space. There's no single feature that points this out to the viewer, either: it's the feel of it, and we can't wait to see it in practice.
#11: Ship Cockpits Are Fun
Kudos to ninjasaid13 for spotting this one, but it seems that Starfield's many ship cockpits will have a few special easter eggs to them! The Rage Quit button up top, for example, appears to be featured in the starting ship's cockpit as a sweet little bonus for those who really delve deep into the detailing of their vessels. Hardly a big deal, but it's neat to look at.
#10: A Mysterious (Alien?) Figure Appeared During the Demo
As there's been no mention of actual sentient life in any of Starfield's trailers up until now, the obvious conclusion is that this is a human universe first and foremost. The most we've gotten so far are the strange alien artifacts that the game's main plot is centered around, so the obvious conclusion is that no one else but humanity is around. Except, some screenshots show a mysterious silhouette appearing in the distance with no protective suit to speak of. Mysterious indeed!
#9: Procedural Generation Isn't As Drastic As You'd Think
Bethesda Game Studios' handling of proc-gen territories is, obviously, needed to properly populate over 1,000 planets that are featured in the game... but the important part is that each of these planets will draw upon an immense pool of hand-crafted experiences, dungeons, and encounters peppered throughout. And, since the planets have been generated ahead of time, they will be the same in each and every playthrough, for each and every player. The things you encounter on them, though, will change every time!
#8: Planets Are Practically Limitless
One of the things that have been hotly contested about Starfield is whether its exploration might function like that of No Man's Sky, or perhaps of Mass Effect, instead. The difference between full free-form exploration and small, curated experiences, basically. Now, the new reveal has plainly shown: players can go anywhere, in any direction. More importantly, there's no artificial limitation around, say, the player's landing point.
It's a bit funny, but this is also one of the key reasons why you may wish to stick around Xbox Game Pass permanently if Bethesda Softworks' previous track record is anything to go by. As this is a first-party Xbox game, it won't leave Xbox Game Pass, and you'll be able to play it for years to come. Handy, if you're a bit of an explorer!
#7: You Can Land Anywhere on a Planet
And speaking of landing points, they're not pre-set either! Sure enough, you can select pre-made hand-picked drop sites, like the city of New Atlantis. But, you can also go your own way, and drop in wherever you like for effectively infinite exploration potential. Neat stuff!
It's also pretty neat that Bethesda Softworks would be the company to add a full-fledged, full-blooded open-world sci-fi RPG to the Xbox Game Pass. The company's previous mainline RPGs have all been fantasy and post-apocalypse games. Yet, everything Starfield-related suggests a living and breathing NASApunk sci-fi with unparalleled freedom to explore without pesky radiation getting in the way. You'd think Halo would've delivered on this front, eh?
#6: There Are Old Earth Weapons
This part surprised us well and good, as we didn't really anticipate seeing any current-tech weapons in Starfield's 2230 sci-fi future. Yet, it does seem that someone's taken the time to slightly modernize some real-world firearms and bring them up-to-par with the game's contemporary gear. So far, we've seen the VSS Vintorez, an upgraded 1911, and - of course - a spruced-up stockless AKM derivative. Delightful stuff, and we can't wait to see how this gear ties into the game's wider meta-progression!
One thing that's for sure is that this is no Elder Scrolls, with Bethesda Game Studios taking its cues from more practical, hardline technologies instead. After all, what better way to answer humanity's greatest mystery than with awesome guns?
#5: Funny (And Potentially Serious) Status Effects
This one we, too, would've missed without help from the good people over at the biggest Starfield subreddit. Redditor Wheelwheelwheeleh noticed that Starfield plays host to a downright incredible number of ridiculous status effects. Specifically, we've seen "Joint Pain," "Soreness," and "Cough," which is delightfully mundane. Will these play into the actual gameplay, or are they just a bit of extra flavor? Odds are that these are, essentially, passive status effects, much like Bethesda Game Studios' previous mainline RPGs, though.
#4: Base-Building Will Be Impressively Deep
Another thing that surprised us is how far Bethesda's taken all sorts of customization options in Starfield. Base building, in particular, offers a comprehensive upgrade to Fallout 4's homesteading options, with the overhead bird's eye view camera being a particularly useful feature. Bases will offer both grand hab-level upgrades and small-scale customizations, true to form for a Bethesda Game Studios RPG, and seeing them grow and evolve will be particularly exciting, we're sure.
#3: There's Space Magic
No comment on this bit, though it's bound to tie into the game's mysterious alien artifacts somehow. Just watch the final few seconds of the stream and you'll see what we mean! It's only a given that Bethesda Game Studios would pack in a bit surprise like this, we think.
#2: The Big Delay Was a Good Thing
After Starfield got delayed back in mid-2022, we were all a bit dismayed. Seeing the game get pushed back by more than a year was quite disheartening, but the truth is that it was clearly a good thing. On the 2023 Xbox Showcase, Starfield looked downright phenomenal, having improved on almost all the points of contention that the community had back in 2022. Now, Xbox execs claim that Starfield is being polished sky-high, and the implication is that this will be the smoothest Bethesda Game Studios launch we've seen yet!
#1: What Happened to Earth?
One last thing that's been hinted at during the showcase is that something happened to Earth in the Starfield universe. Not only is it possible to visit Sol willy-nilly, but players can also just jump to Earth and explore it to their heart's content. But... it's not the Earth we all know and love. Instead, the planet appears to have been thoroughly scorched, turning it into a deserted wasteland. No, this isn't the Fallout scenario, but it's bound to be an interesting reveal later this year!
September Can't Come Soon Enough!
Starfield is due to launch on PC on September 6, and the gaming industry is extremely excited to finally see the game in action. With just under two months to go, you can expect plenty more in-depth coverage right here at 2Game, and we're bound to have a few surprises in store as well. So, what else is there to do but - stay tuned? Bethesda Game Studios' flagship productions do not miss.
And remember: Starfield will be readily available via the Xbox Game Pass, too, so anyone interested in giving the game a shot at a low price will be able to do so! Heck, you can grab an Xbox Game Pass subscription right here at 2Game, if you are so inclined.
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