As ‘Star Trek’ so eloquently put it, “Space. The final frontier…” The one place that is, pun intended, so alien to mankind. Space games have always been such an allure as it allows us to explore the unknown. Long-awaited, it’s finally here. From award-winning creators of epic titles such as ‘Fallout’ and the ‘Elder Scrolls’ franchises, Bethesda has finally released their newest space RPG adventure, ‘Starfield’.

Starting as the rookie miner on the planet Vectera, you go about your regular business of mining precious and valuable minerals. Digging deeper into the mines, a mysterious artefact knocks you out but opens your inner eye to the mysteries of the universe. Indiana Jones style, a pack of renegade adventurers called the ‘Constellation’ take you under their wing, and as Barett, a charismatic explorer so elegantly puts it, “You are part of something much bigger now”.

Joining this team, you must take your newly acquired ship, ‘The Frontier,’ to collect fragments of the artefact, jumping from galaxy to galaxy and taking down foes lying in wait to unlock the secrets of the universe for themselves. Bethesda are master storytellers, and there is no difference here as the stories of space cowboys, rebel fighters, and secret societies are such gripping epic tales. Minutes easily turn into hours as you dive in deeper to find out where you are off to next.

The gameplay is extensive but the controls are simple. So extensive, I will most likely forget something. You have flying, crafting, combat, and more. Starting out, customisation is the typical ‘build a character,’ but like most Bethesda games, you will need to pick a background and some starting traits.

These will somewhat impact your game and how characters will interact with you. You will gain experience too as you trek the universe, completing a plethora of main and side missions, and these can be used in skill points, making your character even more powerful and prepared for the big crazy outside world.

Flying means you can control The Frontier. This will mean blasting enemy ships into deep space with 3 types of attacking guns, using a laser particularly to take down shields. The Frontier will also need to be managed with resources being allocated to different areas of your ship while piloting it.

Controlling the ship is simple with your joysticks. Distances between planets are crazily vast; it doesn’t feel like you are going anywhere when you do fly, especially in a slow vehicle making the experience at times dull. Thankfully, you can also fast travel to most locations, making for quicker action if that is what you are after, but it does take away from the enjoyment of flying and blasting enemy ships into smithereens.

Crafting also plays a huge factor in this massive RPG. Everything can be upgraded or modded. Your ship can be repaired and upgraded with things like engine, lasers, and space jump improvements, muchly needed when you want to zoom out of an awkward encounter.

You can also make food and medicine, and even mod your weapons or upgrade your spacesuits. These can be done by collecting materials around the universe, and much like previous Bethesda titles, nearly everything is up for grabs if it isn’t nailed down. You still need to be careful that you aren’t stealing though, or you’ll end up racking up a bounty on yourself.

Combat is also a cowboy-like affair in the Wild West of space. You will encounter many space pirates or hostile creatures in your adventures as you galaxy hop. Weapons are quality controlled in tier-like colours, and each shoots differently with some being lasers and others having incendiary perks, etc.

You eventually unlock powers so you can unleash the magic OR the science of the universe at your fingertips with LB and RB. Weapons and consumables can also be assigned to your D-pad making for quick changing on the fly – a great recurring feature. You can join many factions too, doing a plethora of side missions to earn their graces or pit them against each other.

The cutscenes are gorgeously rendered. The universe shoots past you in jump drive, and stars glisten in the skies of each planet. Being out in Space is just so immersive. The NPCs themselves are also of great design, with every wrinkle and hair in place to build their character and charm. The environments are insane in quality, but at times very barren, losing a lot of potential or interest to return to them at your own leisure.

The music is of top-tier quality. By award-winning orchestral composer ‘Inon Zur’, every scene is set to a crescendo of atmospheric music, building to an epic adventure awaiting. The voice acting is of phenomenal quality too, with well-known recurring actors from their other franchises taking on roles, making each character relatable and charming.

RPGs are known for extensive storylines, and while reading a lot may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Starfield has so much more to offer the typical gamer than its rich storytelling. There is action and adventure around every corner of the universe.

While the universe is vast and almost impossibly bland to fly to, brief encounters with enemy ships make the short time you do spend there exhilarating. Starfield may not be perfect, but it will blow you out of this world.

Written by: Stacey