This year again, Microsoft took advantage of its annual conference to be efficient and show many games. But it will have been shorter than usual in order to focus on the gameplay of Starfield for 45 minutes. We were able to go around everything the game has to offer, and it looks promising so far. Space travel, ship customization, gun battles, exploration, there’s a lot to do.
First of all, it is important to point out that Starfield will be stuck at 30 FPS on consoles. There will be no possibility to change this, even via the options. We suspect that the size of the game should not help, but it looks like a bandage applied by Bethesda to prevent everything from collapsing. In the absence of being able to enjoy more images per second, it will already be possible to play it, and it is a great achievement.
A unique adventure
Everything we saw at this conference was nothing new. But it will have been an opportunity for Bethesda to develop each part of the gameplay of Starfield. Even if it is a new license, it is therefore a new adventure that highlights the player that is proposed. He is at the heart of the story, and each of his actions has an importance in this universe. Companions will still be able to join this epic, but nothing that is particularly notable. So to be sure that he can identify with his character, many customization options exist.
Once created, it will be possible to further push this aspect to have a unique adventure. A skill tree will unlock and improve the hero’s abilities. The latter is made up of 5 categories, physical for the character’s athleticism, social for its ability to relate, combat to strengthen its weapons, science to improve its tools and security to make it more effective against different technologies. By spending enough points in a tree, it then becomes possible to have more advanced skills.
For its part, the ship has multiple uses and can be arranged according to your desires. It is possible to add parts, engines, weapons, everything you need to make spacewalks go as smoothly as possible. This will also impact various statistics, thus making it slower, less energy-consuming or even more resistant. Some rooms can also be used to store items, such as weapons or loot. The ship therefore acts as a second home, a safe and major place.
The space routes in Starfield
Obviously, how to talk about a game that takes place in space without mentioning space travel. It’s an important part of the gameplay in Starfield. Everything has been done so that the player is in control, and manages as many aspects as possible in his ship. Without going so far as to be as demanding as StarCitizen, it will not be enough to press a simple button to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other. Adjusting the different energies, for example by reducing the power of the shields, will thus make it possible to redistribute this whole to another function.
The game even embeds space combat sequences, requiring a certain mastery of his ship to track down and shoot down his opponent. Depending on the location affected, it will be possible to do more or less damage to the building. Certain skills can thus help to spot them more easily, and lock them to shoot in the right place. But you will also have to be careful about the energy allocation, because privileging the shield can reduce the speed, exposing you to faster ships.
Pre-orders, goodies and benefits
This Starfield Direct will not have been an opportunity to talk only about gameplay, but also to discuss everything that will come around. Bethesda has unveiled two editions, the Constellation and the Premium. The first includes many advantages, including derivative products such as a watch. The second, more modest still includes the first expansion of the game, a pack of trappings and an art book. And for people taking advantage of the Game Pass, a few additional cosmetics will be included.
All this does not come alone, because Microsoft is taking advantage of having acquired ZeniMax, and therefore Bethesda, to offer a range of products in the colors of Starfield. A controller and a headset, available on September 6, have been created to stick to the new universe of Bethesda.