Closing out the big Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase today was a first look at Starfield's ambitious gameplay. From RPG character creation, customisable skills, fast-paced combat, to the ability to create your very own space port and spaceship, the next game from the team behind Skyrim and Fallout 3 is certainly something to behold.

And game director Todd Howard was on hand to run through what players can expect when it launches in the first half of 2023 on Xbox Series X|S and PC - and Xbox Game Pass.

Check it out.

The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation — the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy — and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.

In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, you will create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest question: What is out there?

It's certainly quite a lot to take in, with Todd Howard adding, "It’s been an incredible journey for us making it, but we know that’s only the beginning, for it’s when all of you play it that the journey begins." In terms of freedom and choice there's a lot of No Man's Sky here with over 1,000 planets available to explore. Throw in story, factions, and RPG combat and in a way it feels like the next evolution of what we saw with the original Mass Effect. In fact, looking at Starfield like Mass Effect meets Skyrim and you're half-way there.

We can't wait to see more.