According to reports, Bethesda's upcoming space RPG Starfield is playable from start to finish. The gaming community has long been curious about the new IP, but it looks like Starfield is almost within fans' grasp.
The development of Starfield has been rocky, to say the least. First announced in 2018, the game was initially penned for release in November 2022. Six months prior to its proposed release date, Starfield was delayed to an indefinite date in the first half of 2023. Ever since, gameplay footage of Starfield has been extremely limited, though as the release date draws closer it's expected players will get a much greater look at the game's universe.
The report comes from Windows Central, which claims an anonymous trusted source has confirmed that Starfield is in a playable state from start to finish. With a game of this size, bugs are inevitable, so it can take many months to iron out as many as possible. Many will surely slip through the cracks at Bethesda, with the Starfield modding community already prepared to fix the game's glitches. Harmless bugs in Bethesda games are part of the charm, but any game-breaking issues will need to be fixed when the title finally launches.
Starfield being completely playable will come as welcome news to players desperate to know when they'll get their hands on the game. With Bethesda claiming players will know Starfield's release date "very soon," it seems that its latest RPG is fast approaching. Some retailers have shown a March 23 release date, although this is almost certainly a listing error and is highly unlikely to be representative of Starfield's real release date.
There's an element of the unknown surrounding Starfield. The game represents Bethesda's first new IP in over 25 years, and gamers presumed that the cycle between Fallout and Elder Scrolls games would continue indefinitely. If fans don't enjoy the game, it could be frustrating for them that the time spent on Starfield could have been spent on another proven franchise, especially with the long waits between Bethesda games. Microsoft's purchase of Bethesda presents its own issue. The game won't appear on PS5, at least initially, and director Todd Howard has previously spoken of the pressure to make Starfield a platform seller. Bethesda is no stranger to high stakes, with every title it releases consistently among the most anticipated games of the year, so it will be interesting to see how Starfield is ultimately received by fans of the company.
Starfield releases in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Windows Central