Bethesda Game Studios drop a deep look at STARFIELD

Bethesda Game Studios have hosted a deep dive into their latest open-world RPG, Starfield.

Set in 2330, Starfield depicts a galaxy where humanity has settled dozens of worlds and established several interstellar alliances and governments (Earth's fate is somewhat nebulous, but appears to have been rendered inaccessible or uninhabitable, although you can visit Io, Mars and the Moon). However, the cost of further expansion is ruinous and most exploration programmes have been curtailed. Constellation is the last organisation trying to keep deep space exploration going. Their efforts appeared for naught until they discovered tantalising evidence of intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy, which is where their latest recruit (i.e. you) comes in. As a new recruit, it's up to you to investigate this mystery or leave that to others whilst you undertake side-missions and additional jobs for other factions, which you can even join.

The game's setting is around 1,000 planets, moons and asteroids scattered over 100 star systems within a relatively short distance from Sol. A gravity drive allows for FTL travel between these worlds. The game allows you to land on and explore any of these worlds, either at pre-existing towns or colonies or wilderness areas where you can set up your own bases. You can also design, adjust and customise your own spacecraft, and even steal new spacecraft by boarding them in combat. Flying between planets allows you to engage in combat, trade with other vessels and undertake piracy. Planets will also have variable gravity, allowing you to jump further, or unbreathable atmospheres, requiring you to use breathing apparatus.

You will have a lot more company than is normal in a Bethesda game, being able to recruit crewmembers for your ship and staffmembers for your colonies. However, you will have more traditional, high-profile companions who accompany you on your quests, such as the robot Vasco (who, like Cosworth in Fallout 4, can address you by your actual name, if it's one of the thousands of names programmed into the game).

The game has a very robust character creation system and a massive skill tree. In fact, the RPG elements seem much stronger in this than in Fallout 4, which was criticised for streamlining the RPG mechanics compared to earlier Bethesda games.

Starfield will be released on 6 September this year on PC, Game Pass and Xbox Series X/S.