Give Me a Crash Course in ... Starfield

Starfield? Sounds like another terrible Star Wars spin-off…

No, if it was a terrible Star Wars spin-off, it would be named after beloved characters from our childhood, which Disney wanted to ruin retroactively. The New Adventures of Admiral Ackbar, perhaps. Or The Ewoks star in 2 Fast 2 Furry-ious…something like that.

So, the Force isn’t strong in Starfield?

Force? Try the farce. It’s a video game that has been delayed multiple times since its original release date of April 2020. But now it’s finally almost here and will blast off on September 6th

Brilliant. I knew my new PS5 would come in useful eventually.

Erm, no, it won’t be available on the PlayStation 5. It’s only coming out on Xbox and PC. PlayStation fans will have to stick with Elden Ring.

If it’s such a big deal, why isn’t it on PlayStation?

Because Xbox manufacturer Microsoft acquired Starfield’s developer Bethesda for $7.5 billion in 2020 – thus guaranteeing semi-exclusivity for Starfield.

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Why “semi”?

Xbox and PlayStation see each other as rivals but aren’t too bothered about the PC gaming market, which is regarded as almost a different medium. So console “exclusives” are often also available on PC, which is why Sony’s Last of Us and Horizon Zero Dawn can also be played on PC.

Bethesda…why does the name ring a bell?

It’s the studio responsible for two of the biggest gaming franchises of the past 20 years – Fallout and Elder Scrolls.

Elder Scrolls – I don’t understand that reference.

You would if you’ve been anywhere near a games console or computer. Twelve years ago, Bethesda changed gaming with Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It’s a vast open-world fantasy saga that has sold 60 million copies – making it the seventh best-selling video game ever.

Will Starfield do as well?

Xbox exclusivity will stop it becoming genre-defining in the way Skyrim was. It’s also a science fiction game rather than a fantasy one, which probably means it will be more niche (as in publishing, fantasy is traditionally bigger than scifi in gaming). Still, there’s lots going on. Players can travel to an open-world galaxy with 1,000 planets to explore in detail. You can also fine-tune your character, choosing gender, body type – and even traits such as introversion or extroversion.

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An extrovert gamer – I don’t think so. So why all the hype?

Partly because it’s the first big Bethesda release since the Microsoft acquisition – and because it’s been delayed so often. Also, there’s an official theme song by Imagine Dragons and a reported $200 million (€184 million) budget – far higher than most Hollywood movies. So it’s too big to fail. And yet it might. Which is why everyone is so riveted as it finally prepares to beam down.