Looking for a Starfield Direct summary? We went through the Bethesda presentation with a fine-tooth comb, and while we’re still picking out the juiciest morsels to share with you, there’s a lot of familiar ground to cover.
So we’re going to go over some familiar stuff to jog your memory before highlighting what we feel are the Starfield Direct most important details. It’s a long one, but we’ve got a lot to cover, as Bethesda had a lot to reveal about its next massive space RPG, including a look at some new faction quests. We’ve broken down everything we know about Starfield into the following categories. Give your Fkeys a stretch and get ready to click on all these links.
Oh, and if you’re currently experiencing Starfield Direct withdrawal or wondering when the next one will be, check out our guide to the Starfield Direct release date.
New cities, ship building, and all the details
Starfield Direct was a gigantic 45 minutes jam-packed with information about the upcoming space RPG from Bethesda. We’ve broken down everything into the following topics, so you can skip to what you’re most interested in.
We got a deeper look at some of the nitty-gritty that goes into building your ship, as well as what some of the different modules do. Balmora was shown again, revealing more details like Howling Hallow, a new city that kind of looks like Mos Eisley, Aladdin City (seen briefly in the gameplay demo video), horse racing, and the new Pilgrim Faction. Settlements have more depth and different personas, such as Akila City, which has a western vibe with lawless cowboys, dusty taverns where you can gamble, and outlaws that are all too eager to shoot you for some quick caps.
The Starfield gameplay reveal was chock full of tiny details that paint a clearer picture of how things work in Bethesda’s space RPG. We’ve gone very in-depth on these features individually, so click on what you want to know more about.
Ranged weapons are more than just big guns
Of course, you’re going to want to defend yourself against space bugs with more than just a knife and fists. Pistol-whipping a fiend isn’t going to work as well as a mining laser. We got to see much more of the Starfield weapons puzzle during the gameplay show, learning which weapons are best suited against certain enemies and what kind of attachments you can get.
Many weapons are more complex than the blasters you’re used to if you’re coming from a Fallout game, and it can be tricky to master effective hitscan techniques. Once you do, though, you can wreak havoc on space pirate hats and large creatures.
Melee is more than swinging an axe
As we mentioned in our Starfield weapons guide, not all melee weapons will just be blunt instruments to clobber enemies. They’ll all serve different purposes, from slicing enemies up with Astrals Swords to sending them flying into space with a suitably-timed shotgun blasts.
Stealth and scans also serve useful purposes
Stealth isn’t just a fun mechanic to play with on the side. You’ll be able to make some deft strikes against enemies without drawing blood. In some cases, you might be able to make off with resources instead of murdering the poor space farmers. Some settlements are especially chummy with smugglers, for instance, so you might be able to squirrel some extra cash out of the deal.
Right now, stealth looks pretty much the way you’ve always done it: sneak up on an enemy, aim at an important body part, and shoot. We also saw a sequence in which you use your scanner a lot to investigate dead bodies and learn about your crime scene. We’ll let you know how stealth works in-game as soon as we get some hands-on time.
Scanning can come in handy during combat, too – which sometimes has certain weak spots you can aim at. For example, some enemy types have chins that serve as electrical conduits, so blasting them with energy weapons can fry them in one shot.
Factions seem more important than ever
Rather than pick a side and stick to it, we’re told we’re going to have a lot more freedom to work with factions in Starfield and what they do – or don’t do – for us. The Pilgrim faction, for