Starfield (video game)

Starfield is an action role-playing game from 2023, created by Bethesda Game Studios and released under the Bethesda Softworks label. It marks the company’s first entirely new franchise in 25 years, with director Todd Howard calling it “Skyrim in space.” The game’s open world is a section of the Milky Way galaxy that includes both real and made-up planetary systems.

In the story, the player character joins a team of space explorers who travel 50 light-years from the Sol System to track down mysterious artifacts. The game runs on a heavily modified version of Bethesda’s Creation Engine, which was updated to support procedural generation. Active development began after Fallout 4 came out in 2015.

Starfield was first announced in 2018 and faced several delays before launching on Microsoft Windows and Xbox Series X/S on September 6, 2023. A PlayStation 5 version followed on April 7, 2026. Critics gave it generally positive reviews, praising its open world, setting, and soundtrack, though opinions on its story and exploration were mixed.

**Gameplay**

Starfield is an action role-playing game where players can switch between first-person and third-person views at any time. The open world covers a volume of the Milky Way, with over 1,000 planets plus an unspecified number of moons and space stations to land on. Most landscapes are procedurally generated based on the star system’s star and atmosphere, with handcrafted content added around points of interest. The largest city, New Atlantis, is the biggest fictional city Bethesda has ever built.

Players encounter non-playable characters (NPCs) during exploration, some of whom can join the player’s crew. These crew members help in combat, carry items, speak for the player in confrontations, and comment on player choices. Players can station crew at outposts they build. Each companion has unique skills, and some can be romanced.

At the start, players customize a silent protagonist, choosing body type, appearance, facial features, background, and traits. The background unlocks three starting skills. As players progress, they unlock additional traits that can help or hinder—for example, the Introvert trait boosts endurance when alone but reduces it with a companion. Traits can be removed through quests or actions. Experience points and leveling unlock abilities across five skill trees: Physical, Social, Combat, Scien