Starfield: We've Finally Seen Gameplay

ign.com:

Starfield finally showed off its first true gameplay today.

While we've seen multiple in-engine shots, we've never seem what the moment-to-moment experience of playing Starfield will be, until today's Xbox-Bethesda showcase where the show ended on an extended look. After opening on a gorgeous moon landscape, we looked at exploration of the world, including examining local creatures, mining for resources and invading a hostile base.

The gameplay then showcased some of the shooter combat, with the player fighting off a group of pirates and swapping between first- and third-person gameplay. Later, we saw space exploration, including the ability to fly your own ship, space combat, land anywhere on an entire planet and explore multiple star systems, each with numerous planets making them up. As Todd Howard told us, there will be 100 systems to explore, and 1000 planets.

There was a lot more. We saw a bit of story, some gorgeous vistas, cool giant dinosaur-like creatures, and an emphasis on choice-based narrative and decision making. Then there was the detailed character creator, with in-depth customization of appearances, classes, and skills. Plus, there's deep spaceship customization, both for utility and appearance. There's a lot going on here: the space and planet exploration gives off big No Man's Sky vibes, while the story and combat are more obviously descended from Bethesda games like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls franchise.

After being all set for a November release, Starfield was delayed to the first half of 2023 last month. Having been rumoured for many years, and announced in 2018, it extends a very long wait for Bethesda fans. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer promised the company would do better after the delay.

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