There’s no question Microsoft and the Xbox team have a lot riding on Starfield. The sci-fi RPG from the makers of Fallout and The Elder Scrolls is the biggest exclusive Microsoft has managed to lock down during their recent developer acquisition spree, and its success would go a long way toward making up for recent failures like the dry 2022 Xbox release schedule and Redfall’s poor reception. That said, the last time Microsoft and Bethesda showed off Starfield, the reaction was somewhat mixed – people were generally excited about the potential for roleplaying, but the game’s action and use of procedural generation were understandably cause for concern for some fans.

　　Given that context, people were very eager to see more of Starfield at today’s big Xbox Games Showcase, and thankfully, Microsoft and Bethesda largely delivered the goods. First up, do check out the following trailer, featuring peeks at a number of different environments, cities, combat, and more.

　　A pretty good story trailer! But worry not, that’s not all Bethesda had to show. We also go a 45-minute-plus Starfield showcase, and the game is looking quite good. We get a much deeper look at the game's exploration, much-improved combat, and larger story-focused hand-crafted cities. If you were afraid (as many were) that Starfield would arrive under-baked, this showcase should set your mind at ease. Check it out for yourself, below.

　　The showcase provides a deep look at how exploration of Starfield's galaxy, which will contain over 1000 planets, will work. Concerns that these planets will be dull to explore seem largely misguided – while they are partly procedurally generated, they will also have hand-crafted elements and quests mixed in. Players will also have a great deal of control over the makeup of their ship and crew, and can even establish outposts on planets. Between planets, there will also be different things you can explore, like space stations and interesting ships you can dock with. There are also three major handcrafted colonies to delve into, each of which has its own look and feel. New Atlantis has a Star-Trek-ish utopian vibe, Akila City is a gritty western-style environment, and Neon is pure cyberpunk. In other words, Starfield is a sci-fi RPG, and RDR2, and Cyberpunk 2077 all smushed into one.

　　Another big focus of the deep dive is combat, which is looking much improved compared to last year’s showcase. I don’t know if the rumors id Software came to Bethesda’s aid are true, but combat now looks much faster and more fluid, with a focus on verticality with the use of your jet boosters and chaining attacks together. If id Software didn’t actually help out, Bethesda were certainly taking notes from them.

　　Will Starfield be the big hit Xbox needs it to be? We shall see, but it looks like the elements are there. For the first time in a while, Xbox has a real industry-leading experience on their hands. Haven’t been keeping up with Starfield? Here’s a quick description…

　　“Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next-generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.”

　　Starfield launches on PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 6.