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A new land vehicle, the REV-8, is coming to Starfield in a free update. This was revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 in a teaser trailer.

The REV-8 is a land vehicle that will allow players to drive around on planets at high speed. While the vehicle looks a lot like a moon buggy, it appears to handle like a sports car. The trailer shows the REV-8 drifting around moons and alien planets. It also has jet boosters underneath that allow it to jump and the ability to shoot while driving. The new vehicle will be coming to Starfield in a free update later today.

While the Gamescom announcement focused on the new vehicle, there was also a teaser for the Shattered Space DLC expansion at the end. While little was shown in this latest look, a release date of September 30, 2024 was confirmed. More news is likely to arrive during Xbox's own streams, where Starfield is confirmed to appear on August 21, 2024.

Starfield is out now for PC and Xbox Series X/S. The REV-8 vehicle update arrives today.

The post REV-8 Vehicle Being Added to Starfield in a Free Update appeared first on Siliconera.

During the June 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, the Starfield Shattered Space expansion and new content update appeared. While the new free additions will launch on June 9, 2024, the new expansion only has a 2024 launch window.

The Shattered Space trailer mentions a Great Serpent deciding people’s fate. It also suggests that people will be taken over until “there is no you, only us.” We also get to see gameplay involving new locations, enemies, and equipment. This then leads into other new content.

The new content tonight adds extra content. New locations, gear, bounties, and custom content creation from Bethesda and “community  creators” will appear on June 9, 2024. The teaser noted The Vulture, Creations, and the Creation Kit will all appear.

Since launch, Microsoft and Bethesda have been regularly sharing new updates for Starfield. One of the biggest ones arrived in May 2024. Part of that involved a lot of new ship decorations, to allow people to better express themselves on their mobile homes. However, that also included a major map update to make it easier to explore and get around planets.

Starfield is available for the Xbox Series X and PC, with the free content update arriving on June 9, 2024 and the Shattered Space expansion arriving in 2024.

The post Starfield Shattered Space Expansion Teased, New Update Shared appeared first on Siliconera.

Bethesda and Microsoft announced its next Starfield major update, which will bring the requested ship decoration and better surface maps features, will arrive on May 15, 2024. Ahead of its launch, its Steam beta and the 1.11.33 Starfield patch notes are live. 

A trailer went over some of the more detailed elements of the May 2024 Starfield update, and it specifically focused on the new look for surface maps and ship decoration. First, the team looked at how the surface maps will appear after 1.11.33. Clear icons will appear everywhere, showing where things are in the game. You’ll see structures, foliage, rocks, and markers. These markers will also appear when you’re looking around or at a map, so you can clearly see where things are and get around. 

At about the 2:30 mark, discussions about Starfield surface maps end and the ship decoration update begins. We see how a space starts off as empty, then ends up populated with furniture and decorations. The goal is to make them as customizable as outposts, to allow someone’s vessel to represent their personalities.

Here are the full Starfield patch notes for the 1.11.33 update:

New Features: 

• Improved surface maps - We’ve heard your , and we’ve made some big improvements to surface maps, so you’ll always know just where to go and no longer “get lost” on the way to your parents’ place (and they weren’t buying that excuse anyway, you should really go visit them).
• New gameplay options - For those of you who like a bit of an extra challenge or want to make some aspects of the game easier, you can customize your experience with brand new options in the Settings menu. Want to make ground combat harder but ship combat easier? You can do just that!
• Added Ship Decoration mode to the interior of Ships – now you can decorate your ships just like you can with Outposts!
• Added Tabs to Container menus to make managing your inventory easier.
• Added the ability to change Traits and appearance after entering the Unity.
• Added Dialogue camera toggle in the Settings.
• Added Display settings for Xbox Series X to prioritize Visuals or Performance (Series X).

Xbox Series X Display Settings: 

• Frame Rate Target: You can now choose between 30, 40, 60 or an Uncapped frame rate on VRR displays. If you do not have a VRR display running 120hz, you will still be able to select from 30 or 60. Screen tearing may occur at times when selecting 60 on a non-VRR display.
• Prioritize: You can now prioritize between Visuals and Performance while trying to maintain the frame rate target. If you’re choosing a frame rate target of 60 or above, we recommend changing this to Performance. Prioritizing Visuals keeps the highest resolution while maintaining full detail for special effects, lighting, and crowds. Prioritizing Performance lowers internal resolution and detail for special effects, lighting, and crowds. Both modes may adjust internal resolution dynamically when scenes or action get heavier as well. When switching between modes, you will see the lighting change briefly as the system catches up to the new mode.

Bug Fixes: 

GENERAL

• General Stability and Performance improvements.
• General improvements for Character fleeing, avoidance and pathfinding.
• Fixed various issues with object placement.

GAMEPLAY

• Fixed an issue that could cause a ship's maximum shield capacity to appear decreased after loading a save with certain assigned crew.
• Fixed an issue where invisibility could persist on a companion’s weapon after invisibility effect ended.
• Scanning flora/fauna XP is now also awarded via harvesting/killing.
• Resolved an issue with unintended harvest items appearing in flora from blended biomes.
• Addressed an issue that prevented repeated docking with a previously commandeered ship.
• Fixed an issue with Class C flight behavior after entering targeting mode while boosting.
• Addressed an issue that could occur when attempting to dock with a ship as it grav jumps away.
• Fixed a ship scanner issue that could occasionally display incorrect hostility or crew count.
• Fixed an issue where docked ships would appear to overlap after loading a save while boarding.
• Stunned Characters should no longer display the option to talk to them.
• Fixed an issue that could cause apparel to not display as intended on mannequins.
• Helmets placed on Mannequins should no longer cull the neck and torso section.
• Addressed an issue that could cause weapons to duplicate when looting and enemy.
• Addressed a rare issue that could cause characters to not exit dialogue when attacked.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the dialogue camera to quickly shift focus when exiting conversations.
• Neon and Ryujin security should be more diligent on arresting the player for criminal behavior.
• An Autosave should now be created when fast travelling to the player ship if Save on Travel is enabled.
• Fixed an issue with sandstorm hazards not working as intended under certain conditions.
• Fixed an issue with weather changing incorrectly when entering a ship.
• Addressed an issue related to using the Starborn Power 'Inner Demon' on certain Robot models.
• Resolved a few issues related to loading a save after using 'Phased Time' power.
• Fixed an issue with lip-sync while ‘Phased Time’ was active.
• Fixed a rare issue that could cause legendary Starborn weapons to lose their special effects.
• Resolved an issue that could prevent storing items in containers aboard the Razorleaf.
• Addressed an issue that could cause the player to appear as if they were in zero gravity after completing a temple.
• Fixed an issue with Rifle Certification skill that could prevent faster reloading benefit.
• Resolved issue with certain weapons not being able to fire immediately after they were aimed.
• Resolved and issue that could cause melee attacks to occur without animation.
• Fixed a visual issue with the Laser sight emitted from an enemy Magshear.
• Resolved a weapon visibility issue that could occur when opening the hand scanner with 'Toggle Iron Sight' setting enabled.
• Fixed a weapon visibility issue that could occur when switching between weapons of different types.
• Addressed an issue with how the Subtitles from the ECS Constant were displayed.
• Addressed an issue with gaps appearing on the character when previewing helmets in the Transfer Menu.
• Resolved and issue that could cause clothing to be seen through the spacesuit after aiming with a scope.
• Addressed and issue that could cause enemies to receive unintended force when killed.
• Fixed an issue that could occur when killing a seated character.
• Loading save should retain camera settings.
• Addressed an issue that could cause quests to have a much longer cooldown than intended.
• Resolved an issue where UC ships could still send friendly hails to a member of the Crimson Fleet.
• Fixed areas of Moara's ship where player could become stuck.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the desk inside the Ship Services building in Akila to disappear.
• Fixed an issue that would prevent random ship encounters from landing on planets in some situations.
• Fixed an issue with the turn counter on the persuasion minigame when dealing with the Star Parcel Freighter.
• Ship Service Technicians should now return to their normal location if they had previously wandered away.
• Players who find their way into Benjamin Bayu’s penthouse should now be able to exit properly.

GRAPHICS

• Exterior ship lights should now appear as intended in Photomode and during travel sequences.
• Fixed various shadow issues (flickering and precision).
• Fixed an issue that could cause the galaxy map to zoom out to an incorrect extent. (PC).
• Fixed a rare issue that could cause the ocean to not blend smoothly with the shore.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the screen to be stretched on 16:10 and 32:10 screens with FSR3 in the character editor (PC).
• Improved the look of depth of field in specific cases.
• Fixed subtle flickering that could occur on some on highlighted parts in the ship editor.
• Improved the look of lighting and shadow under trees.
• Improved wind direction consistency.
• Fixed an issue causing the glow of stars to be slightly visible through planets.
• Fixed a few visual artifacts with some VFX.
• Improved the look of rain ripples on water.
• Fixed an issue that could cause missing fog to occur while landing in Neon.
• Improved flickering artifacts sometimes present with upscaling techniques DLSS, FSR, XeSS (PC).
• Fixed a few flickering and ghosting issues for FSR3 (PC).
• Fixed an issue that could cause the game UI to disappear after changing the Borderless Full Screen option when using FSR3 (PC).
• Fixed an issue that could occasionally cause artifacts during camera transitions.
• Fixed a rare issue that could cause missing object highlights in the hand scanner.
• Fixed a rare issue that could cause visible rain effects inside a spaceship.
• Fixed an issue that could cause water to turn white in New Atlantis when using a particle beam.
• Adjusting a setting option that read as "Off" to now read as "Low Quality" for motion blur.
• Adjusted the default value for Ship Third Person FOV.
• Fixed an issue that could cause weapons on racks or in containers to disappear or change upon re-entering the player’s ship.

OUTPOSTS

• Fixed an issue that could cause robots to appear unassigned after deleting the Outpost Crew Station.
• Addressed an issue with Cargo Link parts not updating orientation after moving a structure at an Outpost.
• Removed red outline that could sometimes remain on objects after they were repaired at an outpost.
• Fixed an issue where changing greenhouse flora types in Outposts could disconnect the water input.
• Resolved an issue with environmental hazards persisting inside outpost structures built in hazard areas.
• Fixed an issue where greenhouse plants sometimes didn’t move correctly when the greenhouse was relocated.
• Fixed issues where stairs could sometimes be deleted when deleting objects placed on them at an outpost.
• Addressed an issue that allowed the player to reach unintended locations by stacking furniture in Outposts.
• Resolved an issue with storage container auto foundations appearing where stackable containers already exist in Outposts.
• Fixed an issue with Outpost wires not moving correctly when a wired structure was moved.
• Addressed an issue that could cause habitat modules to float when ing structures were removed.
• Fixed an issue that could unintentionally affect the ambient audio of Outpost items.
• Fixed an issue with inner-system cargo ships not unloading resources to capacity.

QUESTS

• Back to the Grind: Fixed an issue that could cause the camera to unintentionally return to first person when exiting the interview seat with Imogene.
• Breaking the Bank: Fixed an issue where unselected Dialogue options would incorrectly gray out when talking to Chief Purser Murata.
• Breach of Contract: Resolved the issue where Dr. Keala may not have been present at the intended location.
• Crew Encounter: Resolved an issue that could cause Betty Howser to not appear in Jake's bar to be hired.
• Echoes of the Past: Fixed a rare issue that could cause Delgado to get stuck while traversing the canyon.
• High Price to Pay: Fixed an issue where progression could halt if a United Colonies character was hit during the escape.
• Hostile Intelligence: Resolved the issue that could cause the Steam Tunnels to become inaccessible if the mission area was left for a long time.
• Into the Unknown: Addressed an issue that could cause Vladimir to no longer give the Player Temple locations.
• Into the Unknown: Fixed a rare issue where the temple location would not populate when receiving the “Go to” objective.
• Legacy’s End: Fixed an issue that could cause Huan Daiyu to not be positioned as intended at the end of the mission.
• Legacy's End: Fixed in issue that could cause the Crimson Fleet Prisoners to have incorrect idle lines while standing in the Brig of the Vigilance.
• Legacy's End: Resolved an issue with returning to the Key if a freed prisoner was killed.
• Loose Ends: Addressed an issue that could cause the scene between Neshar and Neon Security to not occur as intended.
• No Sudden Moves: Fixed a rare issue that could cause Petrov to get stuck walking to the artifact.
• One Small Step: Addressed an issue that could cause Vasco to appear stuck in the floor of a commandeered Crimson Fleet ship.
• One Small Step: Miners should no longer fire on the player in the Vectera mines.
• One Small Step: Resolved an issue that could prevent fast travel to the ship from the world boundary.
• Rook Meets King: Addressed an issue that could cause idle animations to play on a corpse.
• Sabotage: Fixed an issue that could cause manipulated characters to move in an unintended way.
• Start-up Stopped: Addressed an issue that sometimes caused the quest not to initiate.
• The Best There Is: Fixed an issue that could cause player to incorrectly receive and unintended objective.
• The Devils You Know: Improved where characters were looking in some scenes.
• The Mantis: Fixed a rare issue that could cause the Razorleaf to disappear.
• The Old Neighborhood: Addressed an issue that could occur when using area of effect attacks in Moara's ship.
• War Relics: Addressed an issue that could cause Unit 99 to appear stuck.
• Left Behind: NPCs will no longer talk about being attacked by wildlife on lifeless planets.
• Legacy’s End: Resolved an issue that could cause NPCs to be culled depending on where the player is located.
• Grunt Work: The Terrormorph should no longer get stuck if lured into the room Hadrian is hiding in.
• One Small Step: Miners should no longer fire on the player in the Vectera mines.
• One Small Step: Resolved an issue that could prevent fast travel to the ship from the world boundary.
• Rook Meets King: Addressed an issue that could cause idle animations to play on a corpse.
• Sabotage: Fixed an issue that could cause manipulated characters to move in an unintended way.
• Start-up Stopped: Addressed an issue that sometimes caused the quest not to initiate.
• The Best There Is: Fixed an issue that could cause player to incorrectly receive and unintended objective.
• The Devils You Know: Improved where characters were looking in some scenes.
• The Mantis: Fixed a rare issue that could cause the Razorleaf to disappear.
• The Old Neighborhood: Addressed an issue that could occur when using area of effect attacks in Moara's ship.
• War Relics: Addressed an issue that could cause Unit 99 to appear stuck.
• Left Behind: NPCs will no longer talk about being attacked by wildlife on lifeless planets.
• Legacy’s End: Resolved an issue that could cause NPCs to be culled depending on where the player is located.
• Grunt Work: The Terrormorph should no longer get stuck if lured into the room Hadrian is hiding in.

Starfield is available on the Xbox Series X and PC, the latest patch is in a beta phase on Steam, and the update will officially release on May 15, 2024.

The post Starfield Patch Adds Ship Decoration, Better Surface Maps Update appeared first on Siliconera.

The Xbox Series X and S has increasingly been less of a platform for buying games and more of one for Game subscriptions. It’s no surprise, then, that all three of our Xbox Game of the Year 2023 selections appear on the service. Check out our picks below, and keep checking back this week for more awards!

These awards represent the consensus of the Siliconera staff. For more of the year’s award selections, check out our Game of the Year 2023 archive.

Hi-Fi Rush 5p6v5r

We say games “came out of nowhere” a lot, but rarely do games go from unannounced to out in one fell swoop, and even more rarely are they this polished and stylish. Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush brings rhythm into its action, with frantic musical gameplay and bright environments that echo a bit of that old Jet Set Radio feel. But it’s very much its own thing! And we didn’t forget about it, even after many packed months. If you missed it, maybe give it a look.

Starfield 567156

While Hi-Fi Rush was a shadowdrop, Starfield is definitely the opposite: rumbling to life slowly at Bethesda over decades and officially announced nearly a decade ago. It’s enormous, full of systems and conversations and worlds to explore. And after a few decades of Fallout and Elder Scrolls games? Yeah, we’re psyched to see a different sort of environment for Bethesda’s signature brand of storytelling.

Siliconera Xbox Game of the Year Winner: Sea of Stars r5p58

There have been many games in recent years that play off the nostalgia of the Chrono Trigger era, but few have managed to recapture that magic. Sea of Stars goes past the wink-wink-nudge-nudge referential approach, and delivers a world of characters that is worthy of its own generation of future nostalgia plays. The semi-active combat and interesting puzzles keep players engaged, and the execution of its pixel art style is exactly what you’d want. That makes it our Xbox Game of the Year 2023.

The post Siliconera’s Xbox Game of the Year 2023 appeared first on Siliconera.

Bethesda released the 1.8.86 patch notes for the latest Starfield update, which is available now. This brings with it the option to immediately consume food found in the environment in Starfield, as well as for Nvidia DLSS.

The ability to eat items in the game world was apparantly added by popular request. Prior to this patch, players would need to pick up the food, then navigate to the Starfield inventory screen to eat it.

It also adds for Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) tech for PC players with compatible Nvidia graphics cards, including options for DLSS super resolution, Nvidia Reflex low latency, and Deep Learning anti-aliasing. Other updates include general perfomance and stability improvements and fixes to bugs that could occur when starting New Game+.

Here are the full patch notes from the Bethesda website, which starts with the Starfield food and DLSS additions:

NVIDIA DLSS

This update introduces Nvidia DLSS for our PC players. Compatible Nvidia graphic cards can now use DLSS Super Resolution, Deep Learning Anti-aliasing (DLAA), Nvidia Reflex Low Latency, and DLSS Frame generation.

LET THEM EAT!

By popular request, we have added the ability to ingest food and drink items upon finding them in the environment. You can enjoy those Chunks immediately or save them for later. The choice is yours.

FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

PERFORMANCE AND STABILITY

• Addressed a number of memory related issues and leaks.
• Added some GPU performance optimizations, which will be more impactful on higher end cards.
• Improved renderer threading model, improving U usage most notably on higher end systems.
• Various stability and performance improvements.

GAMEPLAY

• Added the ability to eat the food placed in the world.
• Adjusted stealth to be a bit more forgiving.
• Fixed an issue where Andreja’s head would stay permanently cloaked.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent players from firing their weapons.
• Fixed issues where some NPC could be seen not wearing clothes (Note: This issue may resolve itself over time).
• Fixed an issue where already in-progress skill challenges could stop progressing after reaching the Unity and starting a new game.
• Fixed an issue that could temporarily prevent opening the inventory or saving after entering the Unity.
• PC: Fixed an issue where mouse movement could be choppy.
• Fixed a rare issue that could cause the home ship to be lost.
• Fixed an issue where the ship services technician might be missing.
• Fixed an issue where occasionally the camera could shake incorrectly during Traveling, Grav Jumping, Docking, or Landing transitions.

GRAPHICS

• Addressed an issue with how ambient occlusion appeared in ultrawide resolutions.
• Optimized initial shader compilation that occurs on start-up.
• Added the ability to adjust Brightness and Contrast in the Display Settings menu.
• Added the ability to adjust HDR Brightness provided that the system s it. (Xbox & Windows 11 only).
• Addressed a number of materials that could sometimes present an unintended pattern under certain conditions.
• Fixed various visual issues related to the new FOV slider options.
• Improved the appearance of the eyes on crowd characters.
• Addressed a number of minor visual issues related to lighting, shadows, terrain, and vegetation.
• PC: Addressed additional visual issues related to DLSS.

QUESTS

• All That Money Can Buy: Fixed a rare issue where players couldn’t sit during the negotiation with Musgrove.
• Blast Zone: Fixed an issue where the hard rocks that need to be cleared out by players will not appear on Ngodup Tate’s land.
• Echoes of the Past: Fixed an issue where the Grylloba Queen could sometimes not be reachable during the objective “Secure the Shuttle Bay”.
• Eye of the Storm: Fixed an issue where players' quest progression could potentially be blocked due to a missing docking prompt.
• Grunt Work: Addressed an issue where progress could appear blocked if “Supra et Ultra” was completed while returning to the Lodge during “High Price to Pay”.
• No Sudden Moves: Fixed an issue that could prevent the entrance door to the Scow ship from being opened again.
• Operation Starseed: Fixed an issue where the key that is needed to exit the facility could sometimes not be present.
• Sabotage: Fixed an issue where David Barron could potentially not be found by players.
• Short Sighted: Fixed an issue where players could rarely become control-locked while speaking with Vladimir.
• The Heart of Mars: Fixed an issue where players might not be able to mine the “The Heart of Mars”.

The patch was previously playable via Steam Beta earlier in November 2023, before rolling out officially on November 20, 2023. Bethesda also confirmed it is working on mod for Starfield back in September, 2023.

Patch 1.8.86 for Starfield is available to now, while the game itself is available on PC and Xbox Series X, as well as through Xbox Game .

The post Starfield Patch Adds Food Consume Button, DLSS appeared first on Siliconera.

Bethesda announced that the next Starfield update will be put into Steam Beta starting next week. Once the new update has been tested and provided by players on Steam, it will release the new update for all PC and Xbox players.

The new update will feature Nvidia DLSS with frame generation, display and HDR controls were ed, and other optimizations, improvements, and fixes. Bethesda is allowing fans to opt-in to try the new Starfield update through the Steam Beta options on Steam.

More details about the Steam Beta update will be released at a later date. We do know it will arrive on or after November 5, 2023.

Due to Bethesda allowing mod for the game, fans have been working on their own self-dubbed "Starfield Community Patch Project" to improve the game's stability, fix bugs, correct typos and make improvements to the overall experience of the base game. The community patch is made possible due to a group of mods who have come together to log and fix errors like misplaced objects, script errors, faulty missions, game-breaking exploits, and other commonly experienced errors within Starfield.

Starfield released on September 6, 2023, making it the first new IP for Bethesda in 25 years. Starfield is available worldwide on PC and Xbox Series X. The game is also available on Xbox Game .

The post Starfield Steam Beta Update Coming Out Next Week appeared first on Siliconera.

In an interview with Japanese magazine Famitsu, Bethesda CEO Todd Howard announced plans for official mod for Starfield. When asked about the possibility of players using mods to enhance their experience and add new creatures to the planets, Todd openly affirmed his ambition to make it happen. However, it won’t happen until 2024. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

When talking to Famitsu, Howard stated the following.

With mods, you will be able to do almost anything, as in previous works. Mod will be available next year, but we love it too, so we’ll do it in a big way.

Starfield has been in development at Bethesda since 2015. The original idea for the universe came to be in 2013. Although the game is already expansive, Howard made it clear that he believed mod would only elevate the overall experience. While there is no official mod yet, Nexus Mods already has a section for it and players are creating and releasing mods.

Bethesda holds a track record for including mod for its intellectual properties. For example, in both Fallout 4 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, mod was present.

Starfield was released on September 6, 2023. It is the first new IP for Bethesda in 25 years.

Starfield is available worldwide for the PC and Xbox Series X.

The post Bethesda Confirms Mod for Starfield appeared first on Siliconera.

Microsoft revealed the Xbox Game September 2023 games include titles like Starfield and Lies of P. As this update only covers the first half of the month, the only other game is Solar Ash.

Here’s the full list of September 2023 Xbox Game games:

• September 6, 2023: Starfield (cloud, PC, console)
• September 14, 2023: Solar Ash (cloud, PC, console)
• September 19, 2023: Lies of P (cloud, PC, console)

There are also nine games leaving Xbox Game this month. All of them will be removed on September 15, 2023.

• Amazing Cultivation Simulator (PC)
• Aragami 2 (cloud, PC, console)
• Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition (cloud, PC, console)
• DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventure of Krypto and Ace (cloud, PC, console)
• Fuga: Melodies of Steel (cloud, PC, console)
• Metal Hellsinger (cloud, PC, console)
• Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 (cloud, PC, console)
• Tainted Grail: Conquest (cloud, PC, console)
• Train Sim World 3 (cloud, PC, console)

Starfield s Xbox Game on September 6, 2023, with Lies of P following on September 19, 2023. That's also when both games launch on other platforms. Starfield is on the Xbox Series X and PC. Lies of P will be on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Xbox Game September 2023 Games Include Starfield, Lies of P appeared first on Siliconera.

I back in the day standing in front of a wall in the city of Balmora in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind mashing the same fire spell over and over to raise my Destruction skill. This idea of grinding certain gameplay elements carries over to Bethesda’s latest game with the Starfield skills rank up challenges. However, it is one of the worst parts of the experience.

How skills work in Starfield is you gain a skill point every time you level up. You can then use that skill point to learn a brand new skill or rank up an existing one you have. While the former is an instant and easy procedure, the latter is quite frustrating.

It isn’t as easy as using a skill point to raise your Security skill to rank two and be able to pick higher-level locks. No, you have to also pick a certain number of locks and complete the skill rank up challenge for it before you can level it up.

In a way, this mixes the idea of using your skills to level them up, which was prevalent in The Elder Scrolls series, but also applying skill points on top of that. This makes the system more confusing and convoluted than it needs to be. It would be fine if I needed to, for instance, take so much fall damage to increase my Wellness skill and gain more health in the game. But to make me waste an entire skill point on it on top of that? It becomes quite annoying.

It gets worse, though, when none of your skill challenge progression is retroactive. For instance, you need to boost using your boost pack (think jet pack) in combat several times to complete its rank up challenge. But let’s say you leave the first challenge completed for hours before ranking it up with a skill point. Even if you boosted a hundred times between those two ranks, none of those boosts will count towards the next challenge if you don’t spend the skill point. This means you could effectively waste your progression potential if you don’t rank up a skill you’ve completed the challenge for as soon as possible.

This only worsens when the game gatekeeps some of the best features behind high ranks of skills. For instance, you won’t be able to pilot the best ships in the game, the C-class ships, without the max rank of your Piloting skill. But good luck getting more than 50 ship eliminations to fully rank up this skill without some serious grinding. I just now unlocked that final rank after more than 50 hours of playing the game. Meanwhile other skills like Leadership, with skill challenges of simply running around with a companion, are hilariously easy to complete, despite being a higher tier skill than Piloting.

This disconnect between the challenges is troublesome and unnecessary. I would have been fine with the old system of using a skill enough to level it up or just skill points on their own, but mixing the two together disrupts and overcomplicates the leveling up system in Starfield.

Starfield is available for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

The post Starfield Skills Rank Up Challenges Disrupt Level Up Pacing appeared first on Siliconera.

If there is one hilarious discourse that appeared prior to the early access launch of Starfield, it was the one about its UI. More specifically, the title screen of the game. The massive space RPG has a rather simplistic start screen, showing the name, a planet, and your various menu options on the left. But what if I told you the start screen in Starfield isn’t the problem?

In fact, I would argue that the Starfield start screen is fun, simple, and attractive in its own way, despite certain developer opinions. While I immediately noticed how subtle it is when I first booted up the game, it by no means bothered me. However, there are other parts of the Starfield UI, which are arguably much more problematic.

[caption id="attachment_981591" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

Starfield’s Font and Menus are the True UI Issues w5y5k

For one, the font size in Starfield is horrific. The actual font style isn’t great on its own, but the font size is the true culprit here. Sure, there is a way to increase the font size for the menus in the settings, but this only affects the actual menus for some reason.

There is no way to increase the font subtitles for things like conversations and dialogue further from my experience, which is a shame since the menu text has this option. It resulted in me often playing the game through remote play on my tablet or sitting up close to my TV, even with my prescription glasses on.

If that isn’t enough, the general menus in Starfield are frustrating to deal with. They are quite bland, and traversing the menus is troublesome. I often had issues figuring out which item category I was browsing at the moment due to how the sections stack on one another. I would have to back out, make sure I was in the right spot where boost packs are versus the helmets and so on.

To make matters worse, some items are classified in truly bizarre manner. For instance, you have Digipicks, the items you use to pick locks and computers, in the miscellaneous section where mostly junk is found. This is a problem when you can accidentally sell Digipicks quite easily to sellers when trying to get rid of junk. This was the only item there that I would often accidentally sell, so it would have made more sense in a place like resources where all of the items are generally valuable.

It isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy my time with Starfield. On the contrary, it is one of the best RPGs in the past decade. But it could have been much smoother and more entertaining with some key UI improvements and more accessibility options in general. After all, the Starfield start screen isn’t the issue.

Starfield is available for the Xbox Series X and PC.

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Microsoft and Funko partnered to produce a Funko Pop figure of Vasco, a robot companion Starfield. The figure is available to pre-order from Microsoft's Xbox Gear Shop for $17.99. It is expected to ship in February 2024.

Vasco is a companion you can meet and recruit in Starfield, with a utilitarian design intended to survive in the various biomes you'll discover. The vinyl figure stands at just over four inches tall and emphasizes the bot's squat body and prominent optics with cartoony proportions.

The Vasco Funko Pop is exclusive to the Xbox Gear Shop, and as such comes with the free sticker exclusive to that storefront. The store page also notes that the figure will only be produced in limited quantities, though it is unknown if it could receive a rerun in the future.

[embed]https://twitter.com/StarfieldGame/status/1696940607762010608?s=20[/embed]

Microsoft is pulling out all the stops ahead of Starfield's release, showing off a promotional song by Imagine Dragons, a special gaming chair setup produced by mattress company Tempur, and a preview of the Art of Starfield book app. There are also several lore trailers introducing concepts important to the setting like the United Colonies Star Systems and a timeline of major events.

The Starfield Vasco Funko Pop is available to preorder from the Xbox Gear Shop for $17.99, with shipping estimated for February, 2024. Starfield the game is slated for a September 6, 2023, release for PC and Xbox Series X, though those with early access can begin playing on September 1, 2023.

The post Starfield Vasco Funko Pop Exactly Replicates the Companion appeared first on Siliconera.

Starfield is not only Bethesda's best work in years, but after spending over 120 hours traveling across the game's vast galaxies, I feel confident that it's also one of the best sci-fi RPGs I've ever played. From its very opening moments, Starfield captures an atmosphere of awe and wonder as it swirls with orchestral music that could be right out of Christopher Nolan's 2014 film Interstellar. At its core, the space adventure is about exploration and diving headfirst into the unknown in the pursuit of knowledge. That sense of excitement and adventure never left me during my entire campaign.

In the first few hours, you are given your very own ship and crew to explore space. While the RPG sets you up with a main plot that is anchored by an interesting mystery, you are actually free to take off and discover other planets and side quests instead. If, like me, you spent more time doing side quests rather than doing main plot missions in Bethesda's 2006 fantasy RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, then Starfield will feel right at home for you. It is filled to the brim with content to discover. Even after spending a hundred hours in the game, I still haven't even touched half of the side quests.

Where the game really shines, though, are its main faction quests. In the opening act, you discover and can a handful of these groups that are important to the world's lore. Each of these factions has its own epic stories and missions that easily rival Starfield's main plot line. In fact, my favorite story involved the Vanguard faction, which sent me on a journey involving space pirates, undercover spies, and political intrigue. Seriously, the side quest could have been its own standalone game and featured an intense storyline that had me struggling with my own morality.

[caption id="attachment_981353" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

Bethesda's decision to give factions as much prominence as the main plot allows players to create their own story. As a result, two players could both be 40 hours into their campaign and have a completely different experience depending on which quests they decided to pursue. It should be pointed out, though, that Starfield doesn't actually allow you to explore the entire galaxy freely. Like any good RPG, you will need to level up your ship's grav engine first so that you can jump further into space. But this actually creates a great gameplay loop, as you really do feel a sense of progression when you are finally able to access galaxies that were once too far to reach.

An aspect that may be contentious for some players is that the game has many planets that don't have people or quests on them. They are purely there for extracting materials and setting up outposts. However, Starfield has so many star systems with activities in them that I rarely found myself stumbling upon these empty areas. Planets that have quests are also usually marked or you will get a character interaction when arriving in a star system for the first time as well.

At the center of Starfield's space travel is a grid map, where you need to jump to a specific star system first before you can continue to explore the further regions. I know this might let some fans down. But after putting countless hours into my adventure, I was actually grateful that Bethesda went with the streamlined fast-travel system. While hopping into your ship and physically flying into space is cool and all, it would quickly become extremely tedious if I had to do that for every single star system or planet I wanted to visit.

The weakest part of the game is combat. While a Starfield Skill, such as the Boost Pack, adds variety to your gameplay, I couldn't help but feel that most of my combat exchanges eventually devolved into blindly spraying bullets at an enemy and spamming med packs to stay alive. Fallout's infamous V.A.T.S. system allowed players to aim for specific objects or limbs strategically. And The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim had magic and bows, which really opened up combat in some interesting ways. Starfield does have stealth attacks, melee weapons, and even hand-to-hand combat, but in the end combat feels like it's taken a backseat to the game's focus on exploration instead. This becomes really apparent in boss fights, where the enemy pretty much just feels like a regular NPC, just with more health.

[caption id="attachment_981355" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

However, combat isn't just about gunfights in Starfield, as a major part of the game involves epic spaceship fights. I was actually surprised at how robust the feature is. Most ships come with several gauges such as Missiles, Ballistic, Engines, and Shields. While locked in a tense showdown with another ship, you are responsible for balancing the energy of each of these gauges. Some fights literally come down to your last health point as you are having to make split-second decisions while trying to outmaneuver your foes. Starfield also lets you raid other pilots. If you take out enough of their health or shields, you can actually dock them and steal their spaceship.

Space fights go a long way to save Starfield's combat and could, again, easily be its own game. If players wanted to, they could literally just fly around for hours, shooting down other ships to become the galaxy's most nefarious pirate. Bethesda also went the extra step of creating a contraband system. In my playthrough, I was not only going around raiding other ships in space, but I was also sneaking in illegal items to planets to sell them at an underground market. To achieve this, though, I had to build my character with the right skills so that it was possible to sneak my contraband past security checkpoints. Starfield's skill tree actually feels like it matters, as it really does open up many possibilities like special interactions in the overworld and access to new quests.

The spaceship system is also pretty extensive, as you are given the tools to customize your ship to your heart's content. However, it really opens up later in the game when you are able to afford a bigger ship. While you can technically unlock companions with your base ship, they won't actually fly around with you as it has a crew limit. As a result, they will just wait around on a planet. Once you a higher-class ship, though, you can start to build up a bigger crew. Every planet and city has recruitable crew at their local bar or spaceport, and each character has their own unique skills. So when I wanted to get an edge in a spaceship battle I couldn't win, I would just fast travel back to Mars to recruit a Targeting System specialist. You can also hire crew proficient in weapons to tag along with you if you find a certain planet is too difficult.

[caption id="attachment_981356" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

The companion system in Starfield is one of the biggest changes Bethesda has overhauled in their space RPG. Compared to previous games they've made, the romance feels more earned here. I genuinely started to tear up at my wedding ceremony (hey, don't judge me) because of how emotional the dialogue was. But I also seriously cared about my partner, as Starfield does a great job getting you invested in your crew through special companion quests that reveal a lot about their background. The only downside is that I wish there weren't such a strict crew limit on the early-game ships, as I really would have liked to have been able to travel more with everyone I met during my many adventures.

My favorite aspect of Starfield is how Bethesda has implemented side quests. Unlike other RPGs, you truly feel like you are organically finding these side stories by just exploring the world. The new "Activities" system allows you to stumble upon a random quest simply by walking by a group of NPCs and overhearing the conversation they are having. I even picked up one mission by listening to the radio and hearing an ment while walking around New Atlantis. Side quests unfold when you least expect it. For example, one of the most memorable storylines I experienced in Starfield was a completely unexpected moment I had at my wedding, which was at a tropical resort planet. What was supposed to be a beautiful honeymoon quickly veered off into a complicated showdown between a corporation and a mysterious spaceship that had been floating above the planet for months without communication. Without getting into spoilers, the optional mission had a surprisingly dark conclusion.

Starfield has some of Bethesda's best writing in decades. From hilarious dialogue options to serious story moments, it very much feels like a classic Bethesda game in every sense. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer was right when he said in a 2023 Gamescom interview that Starfield is closer to Oblivion than Skyrim. Like Oblivion, the game heavily leans into its side quests and has many complicated scenarios that have a dark sense of humor running through them. There were a handful of missions that genuinely had my jaw on the floor because of how absurd they were. While most quests have multiple-choice solutions that don't impact your game too much, Starfield does have a decent amount of big story moments that have major ramifications on your save file and will change how you play the game. This is especially true if you unlock the game's New Game Plus mode.

[caption id="attachment_981354" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

Starfield is the most polished game Bethesda has ever released. After a hundred hours of playing it on Xbox Series X, I only ran into a few minor visual bugs that were quickly fixed with a reload. And even after making over 300 save files, the game hasn't slowed down a bit. I know the RPG's fixed 30 FPS at launch caused a discourse among the gaming community, but Starfield looks gorgeous and runs smoothly without any major hiccups that interrupt gameplay. This also doesn't just look like an improved Fallout or Elder Scrolls game, as it truly feels like the generational leap that Bethesda fans have wanted for years. Each planet is bursting with life with diverse biomes and beautiful colors. And the various star systems look breathtaking every time I explore them on my ship. Starfield's development delays were absolutely worth it, as Bethesda absolutely knocked this game out of the park in of its performance.

In a lot of ways, Starfield is the game that I always wanted Mass Effect to be. It truly captures the awe-inspiring scope of space exploration while being packed with a galaxy full of unique characters and stories for players to uncover. Bethesda has not only created a sci-fi masterpiece but a genre-defining RPG that you will want to spend days getting lost in. The space adventure's continuously unfolding story system also creates an exciting roleplaying environment where you will continue to discover new things even a hundred hours into your adventure when you least expect it. Starfield is Bethesda's best game since Fallout 3 and is destined to be another classic like Skyrim.

Starfield will be available for the PC and Xbox Series X on August 31, 2023, as Early Access. Its full release is on September 6, 2023.

The post Review: Starfield is Bethesda’s Best Game Since Fallout 3 appeared first on Siliconera.

Microsoft and Bethesda announced Imagine Dragons created a song for Starfield. It is called, appropriately enough, “Children of the Sky (a Starfield song)." There’s also already a music video for it, which features footage from the game. People can find it on multiple services as well, such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, and Spotify. It wasn't noted if it will be on the soundtrack included with the and Constellation editions of the game.

Here's the full Imagine Dragons "Children of the Sky (a Starfield Song)" music video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv1a-OrikdM&ab_channel=BethesdaSoftworks

There's also an official lyric video for the new song that appeared on the Imagine Dragons YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvlaxcjtV9U&ab_channel=ImagineDragons

This isn't the only recent case of a mainstream artist recording one of the theme songs for a new release. Diablo IV featured a song from Halsey and BTS' Suga. "Lilith" released alongside the game.

It is also a part of a continuing campaign to the game. Microsoft and Bethesda also sent the influencers Astro Alexandra, Filspixel, LilyPichu, and Myth to Space Camp and recorded the affair to promote the game.

Starfield will come to the Xbox Series X and PC on September 6, 2023. Early access begins on September 1, 2023.

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There's a new peek at some of the star systems and places players will get to go in Starfield. Microsoft and Bethesda shared a brief teaser trailer showing off three locations. All of these are Starfield United Colonies territories, which was established in 2159 in-game.

Here's a closer look at the Starfield United Colonies star systems. We get to see Alpha Centauri's Jemison, Sol's Mars, and Wolf's Pontem.

In accordance with the Treaty of Narion, the UC controls 3 star systems at the heart of humanity’s earliest interstellar endeavors. Society in UC space is bound by military tradition, civic pride, and science built on the vestiges of mankind’s oldest remaining history. #Starfield pic.twitter.com/NjJtKAAfJU

— Starfield (@StarfieldGame) August 29, 2023

This isn’t the only recent Starfield teaser. Bethesda also released a video of the influencers Astro Alexandra, Filspixel, LilyPichu, and Myth at Huntsville, Alabama’s Space Camp to show what it’s like to be a NASA astronaut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_7gf8NeBlM&ab_channel=BethesdaSoftworks

As part of its trickling of new information ahead of release, Bethesda also showed what the and Constellation Edition’s art book app opening screen looks like.

Starfield will come to the Xbox Series X and PC on September 6, 2023. Early access begins on September 1, 2023.

The post Starfield Trailer Introduces Three United Colonies Star Systems appeared first on Siliconera.

When Starfield arrives, the and Constellation collector’s editions bring a The Art of Starfield art book app with it. This is an app people can use to hear music from the game, as well as see Bethesda concept art that helped lead to the final product. To help provide people a better idea of what to expect from it, there’s now a teaser trailer just looking at this supplemental program.

Here’s the full The Art of Starfield art book teaser trailer. Rather than actually showing inside of the app itself and “pages” from the concept art sections, it’s a video of its main menu. However, rather than a static menu, it shows off different areas inside of a ship, highlighting the design and ways in which different areas look. As it does, a song from the game’s soundtrack plays in the background. In addition to workspaces, we also get to see a dining area and a private space someone can use as a bunk to sleep and relax in.

Reminder: #Starfield and Constellation Edition owners will have access to the official soundtrack and art book app! Here's a sneak peek. pic.twitter.com/hTa2yq1gY9

— Starfield (@StarfieldGame) August 28, 2023

While the Constellation edition is sold out, the one is available. It provides people with a Shattered Space expansion, the art book app, the soundtrack, and a Constellation Skin Pack. You also get early access to the game on September 1, 2023.

Starfield will come to the Xbox Series X and PC on September 6, 2023. Early access begins on September 1, 2023.

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