Starfield's 45-Minute Deep Dive Impresses, Constellation Edition Revealed

The Xbox Games Showcase ended with Starfield Direct, a 45-minute deep dive into what could arguably be the most ambitious game of the generation. In this showcase, Bethesda Game Studios laid out a complete living breathing universe – from the character creator, ship customization, impressive world-building, and what to expect for the gameplay.

It’s been 25 years since Bethesda released an original IP, and Starfield is a mammoth of a game that takes us to the edge of the known universe. Planets are fully explorable as described by Game Director Todd Howard, and from where you stand, you can fully explore the planet that you’re in and then the moon that’s close by.

Starfield goes beyond just exploration, and at the heart of it is Bethesda’s DNA of complete freedom while putting the player at the center of the story. It will be your adventure and how you shape it to be.

Starfield Direct stresses that the universe in question is not just one world like in Fallout or Skyrim, but over 1,000 worlds that can be explored either in 1st person or 3rd person. The developers aptly described the visual look of Starfield as “NASA-punk”. It is grounded in the realism and majesty of the golden age of space travel and the rebellious flair of Bethesda.

There is a premium on character choice as you explore the vast galaxy – from the UC Headquarters New Atlantis, to a mining colony in Cydonia, as well as the “Wild West” of Akila City, and finally to the vastly dangerous Unclaimed Systems. The story that you will be writing is your own as you encounter several player characters that become companions that unlock unique story questlines as well as your encounters with factions such as pirates, the Constellation, and The Free Star Collective.

Character creation is simple yet as robust as it can be, where you could start off with 40 diverse presets. Starfield Direct stresses on how the characters can be created based on their backgrounds and traits, which determines your origins and progress. A Wanted Trait can give you a boost in defense, but you’ll be facing off against bounty hunters while another trait can give you access to an adoring fan, obviously a reference to a Bethesda game of old.

Character Skills are improved via Ranks as you complete challenges with skills. Combat has been vastly improved since the last time we saw the game and it’s a lot more fluid this time around. The action is unfortunately locked at 30FPS though, and is a “creative choice” from the developers in order to keep the visual fidelity intact.

A massive premium has been put into the ship customization as it will be your home away from home. You can take a generalist approach to improve the stats of the ship or really deep dive into the augmentations of the ship’s specific parts.

Starfield Special Editions Revealed

The Starfield Direct not only provided information about gameplay but also revealed a special Constellation Edition that truly reaches for the stars.

The Starfield Constellation Edition includes the following:

Starfield base game
Shattered Space Story Expansion (upon release)
Up to five days early access
Starfield Chronomark watch and case (The Starfield Chronomark watch does not transmit phone calls, does not support cellular service, and is not a touch screen device.)
SteelBook display case
Constellation Skin Pack: Equinox Laser Rifle, Spacesuit, Helmet, and Boost Pack
Access to Starfield digital artbook and original soundtrack
Constellation patch
Credit Stick with laser-etched game code

If the Constellation Edition is too expensive for you, then the Limited Edition Controller and Headset might be just down your alley. Bethesda Games Studios and the Xbox hardware team created this set that features the control scheme, design, and color palette of your ship, The Frontier.

The Starfield Limited Edition Xbox headset is the first-ever custom headset created by Xbox. It matches the controller with the metallic bronze finish and transparent panels. Both items are available for purchase while supplies last.