During the Xbox Showcase, the Bethesda studio acquired by Microsoft broadcast a long video to present Starfield, a spectacular space game, which should be a huge success on Xbox as on PC.
Starfield is arguably one of the most anticipated games for Xbox gamers. And their patience should soon be rewarded! The Bethesda studio, recently acquired by Microsoft, indeed released a 15-minute video of its future blockbuster during the major conference. Xbox – Bethesda Showcase which was held a few days ago – and which remains visible on the Xbox YouTube channel. Starfield is all the more anticipated as it represents a huge bet for Bethesda, to which we owe legendary titles such as Skyrim or Fallout 4. Initially expected for the end of 2022, it was unfortunately delayed to the first half of 2023, where it will be available on both Xbox Series X/S and PC, via Microsoft’s famous Xbox Game Pass. Needless to say how eager fans were to see the first footage revealing his gameplay…
Starfield: a very ambitious RPG
In this epic space RPG, you are a member of a group of explorers searching for unique artifacts scattered across the galaxy, the discovery of which will change humanity forever. To complete this mission, you will be able to explore around 1,000 different procedurally generated planets spread across dozens of solar systems. A perspective that has something to seduce as much as to frighten, when we remember the promise not kept by No Man’s Sky, which promised us the same type of exploration. Unfortunately, we had to wait for many updates for the game to be finally complete.
The video first takes us to a mysterious moon named Kreet, in 2330. In this deserted place, we collect some resources before finding an abandoned research laboratory, where we will have to face pirates. There is a minimum of information on the screen in order to facilitate immersion: a compass to find your bearings, the health bar, the weapon used, the number of ammunition and grenades. The confrontations shown are made using several firearms and a jet pack that allows us to move. If the environments keep us alert – we never know what or who we’re going to run into – the movements seem to lack a bit of fluidity for the moment. The presentation also reveals the large and lively metropolis New Atlantis, which can be visited. Always concerning the environments precisely, the developers offer us a quick overview of the decorations of different planets … whose artistic direction seems to lack a little creativity. Hopefully that’s just a bad impression.
The presentation also emphasizes an important point of the game: shaping your character. Bethesda’s tagline: “Be who you want and go where you want“. As a result, your character’s editor seems a priori rather complete. You can customize his appearance very extensively, but also choose a past and three character traits for him, which will influence your way of playing but also the development of your character. There are also many skill trees that will be at your disposal to shape your experience as you see fit. Your character will, however, be mute, which can complicate the storytelling, and you will be able to alternate between a view at will. first and third person.
The game promises exploration on foot, in vehicles, quests as well as combat on the ground and in space. A few points were briefly presented. Thus, the weapons can be modified at will thanks to the craft and the resources found on the planets, while it will be possible to build outposts on remote planets. You can also create his spaceship from A to Z, via a special editor: design, performance, on-board weapons, crew… You can choose every single part.
But what would an RPG be without its story? Tom Howard, the director of the game, promises us a main quest of between 30 and 40 hours of play, and this, without doing any side missions. The main story therefore promises to be around 20% longer than in the studio’s previous games. Your choices will have an impact on the course of the story and the missions, especially since many groups each defend their interests and it is sometimes necessary to go through them to find the artefacts.
In conclusion, Starfield promises to be extremely ambitious and fulfills many very enticing promises. It remains to be seen whether Bethesda will be able to hold them and not have eyes bigger than their stomachs… If the game is successful, there is no doubt that it will be a strong argument for Microsoft in order to attract more players to their console and Xbox Game Pass.