Starfield promises an entertaining space expedition to ‘answer humanity’s greatest mystery.’ This space meets sci-fi RPG comes from Bethesda, the same creators as The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series, as its first new IP in 25 years.
Naturally, Bethesda fans are psyched. It doesn’t even matter that Starfield remains mostly a mystery. It’s apparently ‘a bit more hardcore of a role-playing game,’ which is really saying something after Skyrim. However, as Bethesda releases bytes of news here and there, the available information pieces together into a more cohesive picture of the story and gameplay.
Here’s everything you need to know about Starfield, including all recent news and leaks.
Starfield release date
Starfield releases on November 11, 2022 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. So, while Bethesda nailed down a release date early, fans still have quite the wait ahead of them.
Microsoft first teased Starfield at E3 2018, then kept quiet about it until it dropped the new trailer and exact release date at E3 2021. Starfield is currently set to release before The Elder Scrolls 6.
Is Starfield an Xbox exclusive?
Starfield is indeed an Xbox exclusive — or, more specifically, only PC and Xbox Series X|S. Microsoft has confirmed plans to allow Xbox One players to run the game via Xbox Cloud Gaming. Earlier in pre-production, there still seemed to be some hope for a multi-platform release even though reports claimed that Starfield wouldn’t come to the PlayStation 5. Unfortunately, official sources have since confirmed the rumors that Starfield would only be Xbox exclusive.
Microsoft has been redoubling its efforts to promote Xbox Game Pass over the last year and a half after the announcement and release of the Xbox Series X|S. One way to add value to the service is with exclusives, which the acquisition of an award-winning studio like Bethesda helped to do. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Starfield came out as an Xbox exclusive.
Sony fans weren’t happy about Bethesda releasing Microsoft exclusives. Bethesda VP Pete Hines seemed to sympathize, saying that he apologized but couldn’t do anything about it. On the bright side, Bethesda Executive Producer Todd Howard said it was ‘hard to imagine’ The Elder Scrolls 6 being an exclusive–but these things can change. All contracts that Bethesda had with competitors like Sony for Deathloop are also staying as is.
Starfield pre-orders
In the US, GameStop is taking Starfield pre-orders for $69.99. There are no other pre-orders available at the time of writing.
In the UK, standard Starfield pre-orders are available at Game and Base.No collector’s editions have been announced yet.
Remember: Xbox Game Pass members don’t need to pre-order. Microsoft has been promoting its Game Pass subscription, which seems like an increasingly valuable deal for many games you can download on either the Xbox or PC. Starfield is a confirmed first-day release Xbox Game Pass game, which means subscribers will have access to it starting on launch day just by having Xbox Game Pass.
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Starfield gameplay
At this time of writing, Starfield doesn’t have much information about its gameplay other than little hints from studio executives. In an interview with The Washington Post, Starfield director Todd Howard summarized it as “Skyrim in space.” Bethesda Managing Director Ashley Cheng called it a ‘Han Solo simulator.’ Istvan Pely, the game’s lead artist, apparently dubbed the game’s aesthetic as ‘NASA punk.’ So, at the very least, it implies an expansive space adventure with a gritty, futuristic overlay.
A note on the game’s website invites players to ‘create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom,’ which lines up with the character customization and open-world elements advertised in the game.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Howard highlighted Starfield’s level of freedom. ‘We like to put you in a world where we’re not dragging you by the nose and saying you must do X, Y and Z,’ he said. So that might point to non-linear progression similar to that seen in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – or maybe just little details hidden behind each piece of the world.
Howard also explains that Starfield offers more character customization than any of Bethesda’s other RPGs, even allowing players to choose their background. The protagonist, who seems to be the astronaut featured in the trailer, affiliates with a space organization called Constellation. However, players may be able to change factions during the course of the game. Other alien races also appear.
‘You know, can I read this book? Can I pick this up? Can I do this? What if I do this? What if I do this? And the game is saying ‘yes’ a lot,’ Howard says of Starfield.
That’s all we have for now, but bookmark this page and keep checking back for the latest Starfield news and rumours, as well as pre-order updates. You can also follow us on Twitter for more pre-order news and the best gaming deals.
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