Highlights from the Starfield Direct!
Bethesda, the renowned game developer behind titles such as The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series, has set the gaming world ablaze with its highly anticipated release, Starfield. In the latest update, fans got an entire 45-minute Starfield Direct during the Summer Games Fest. Here is the complete direct, all 45 minutes of it. If you’re unsure you want to sit through it, here are some highlights to tempt you!
It is BIG! Bethesda has promised that this will be a massive game, with “over 1,000 planets.” Each planet will have a custom environment to match its many ecosystems and “planetary atmospheres.” The planets that you see in the distance will be accurate in distance and looks. Meaning the sky isn’t randomly generated for each planet you’re on and that, once you’re savvy enough, you’ll be able to orient yourself by looking at the planets around you. When speaking specifically about the plant on which your adventure begins, New Atlantis, Production Director Angel Browder reveals that it is the “biggest city we’ve ever made. Not just in size, but also in the amount of custom art, crowds, and quests.”
All-new skill system! Bethesda has integrated and revamped the skill system for Starfield. 5 different skill trees and 4 ranks per skill will give gamers plenty of skill customization opportunities. Environmental Artist, Nadia Hascvhart reveals that her favorite skill is the “Xenosociology,” which you can use to mind-control aliens.
Traits! Players will be able to pick optional traits for their character which will affect gameplay, be it good or bad! They offer a humorous example of a fanatic NPC running up to your character and explaining, “I can’t believe I get to stand near you, breathing the same air! I’ve got to have every molecule”
Vasco! Much like we fell in love with (or got irritated with) Cogsworth in Fallout 4, we will likely do the same for Vasco. This endearing robot with elongated limbs looks ready to aid you in anything you need, and something tells me he’s going to be quite entertaining doing it. During gameplay, we hear Vasco address “Capitan Howard” as he walks by. Todd Howard excitedly reveals Vasco will be able to say players' names in the game. We know this might not have been perfected in the past, so it’ll be interesting to see how they handle this feature in Starfield.
Companions! Lead Companions Designer Alan Nanes briefly introduces us to Sarah Morgan, who sports a stylish leather jacket and is highly skilled in astrodynamics, Barrett, a space engineer in fall astronaut garb, and most notably, Sam Coe, a “space cowboy” looking type skilled in piloting. In a quick but notable romantic tidbit, we see Sam speaking to another character and admitting, “I don’t know that I’ve ever loved anyone… except you.’ D’aww! Alan also tells us that we will have plenty of opportunities to add to the crew from hiring them to befriending them on the planets we explore. Each of their unique skills will affect how your crew runs the ship, so it looks like building the best crew might take some fine-tuning.
