Starfieldstole the show at the Xbox and Bethesda Games showcase this week, giving gamers a first look at some of the features of the game.Starfieldappears to share many similarities with other spacefaring RPGs such asNo Man’s Sky, but Bethesda has opted to go in a different direction with some of the game’s systems.
Starfieldwas first formally announced back in 2018 at E3 but has been on Bethesda’s mind for far longer. The name “Starfield” was trademarked in 2013, with development beginning shortly afterFallout 4’s 2015 release. As Bethesda’s first new intellectual property in over 25 years, the game is a major new step for Bethesda, which is most famous for itsElder Scrollsseries of fantasy RPGsand recent entries in theFalloutfranchise of post-apocalyptic RPGs. Bethesda appears to be bringing some of its experience from those games intoStarfield, as Bethesda executive Todd Howard described the upcoming game as “Skyrimin space.”
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While Bethesda has made an effort to implement many of the sorts of gameplay elements players would expect and enjoy in a spacefaring RPG such asStarfield’s over 1,000 explorable planets, one noticeable difference is thatStarfieldwill lack seamless space-to-ground transitions during flight. This feature was marketed heavily byNo Man’s Skyas a way to enhance immersion, withElite: Dangerousfollowing suit with itsHorizonsexpansion. However, Bethesda recognizes that this feature is mostly a glorified loading screen and an unnecessary strain on development. Bethesda’s focus is on the quality of space and ground gameplay, rather than the in-between.
Starfieldalso appears to differ fromNo Man’s Skyregarding its flight model, although more gameplay details will need to be revealed to determine the extent. In gameplay footage, ships inStarfieldclearly use lateral thrusters, which should allow for six degrees of freedom (6DOF) and strafing, an extremely important element to proper space-sim dogfights.No Man’s Skylacks this style of movement, instead, the ship is only capable of rolling and following the cursor for movement which gives it more of an arcade feel. Whether or notStarfieldleans into proper space physics and a detailed flight model will be an important consideration for fans ofElite: Dangerous,Star Citizen, or theXseries.
Although the lack of seamless atmospheric flight may seem like a step back, it’s doubtful many players will actually miss it. Seamless atmospheric transitions are no longer groundbreaking tech, having been done as early as 2009 with the indie space-simEvochron Legendsand its sequels. Hopefully, Bethesda’s decision to forego features like this is a good sign for the gameplay elements that areimportant toStarfield’s experience.
Starfieldlaunches in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X.
