Bethesda has established itself as one of the leading developers of massive open world RPGs over the years, but with the upcoming Starfield, it’s doing something that it’s never done before- going to space. While that combination is obviously a mouth-watering one, how exactly is Bethesda looking to translate its trademark experiences when you’re out and about in the vast expanses of space itself? How will space flight and combat work?
That’s something that Bethesda Game Studios took a deep dive into as part of its recent Starfield Direct, among various other things. The developer describes space flight as “exciting and dangerous”, but stresses that players will always have the tools at their disposal that they need to remain in control.
How you allocate your ship’s power will determine how it behaves and functions- for instance, boosting power to the engines can increase the ship’s speed, but if you power up the grav drive, you will need less time to initiate a jump, while powering up your weapons will allow you to do more damage. Players will explore derelict space ships, a host of planets both inhabited and otherwise, asteroid fields, and much more.
And how exactly will combat work? When you’re flying out in space, you’ll frequently run into and be ambushed by various enemies, like the Crimson Fleet. Targeting specific systems of enemy shops will allow you to disable everything from their weapons and their engines to their grav drives and more, while players will also be able to dock and board enemy vessels, kill all enemies aboard, and then claim the ship as your own to add it to your fleet. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of a battle, you’ll also be able to loot the remains of your foes from the comfort of your ship’s cockpit.
New details have also been revealed on ship customization, character creation, and much more.
Starfield launches on September 6 for Xbox Series X/S and PC.