The 19-minutes-long Inside the Vault video features senior community manager Richard Stanford and a host of developers: creative director Jon Rush, production director Bill Lacoste, and lead designer Carl McKevitt. In the video, Stanford also confirms that the upcoming Burning Springs update will feature the biggest expansion that has been made to the map of Fallout 76 so far.

The new region introduced by the Burning Springs update has been described by Rush as being “terrifyingly beautiful”, and its design has seemingly been influenced by Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. Along with this, there will also be new additions to the core story of the game, taking players to the state of Ohio. There will also be two new public events in the new region, complete with a new set of rewards. The arrival of the update will mark the launch of the 23rd consecutive season for Fallout 76 – Blood and Rust.

Players that prefer the base building aspects of Fallout 76 will also be happy to learn that there will be new additions to the C.A.M.P. system as well, including a new pet in the form of the invasive Radhog.

Interestingly, Burning Springs will also bring with it one of the protagonists of Amazon’s Fallout – The Ghoul. The character will serve as the source for new bounty hunting-related quests that players can take on, and will feature Walton Goggins reprising the role. This tie-in with Amazon’s Fallout was first hinted at by Rush back in July.

“We’ve done a lot over the past year,” said Lacoste, discussing the continued support that Fallout 76 has seen through the release of free updates. “Starting off with, the end of last year was raids, the Gleaming Depths, where a lot of our high-level players and even mid-level players could come in and get new four-star legendaries and embark on a really impactful and fun raid with their friends.”

“We also dropped in the ability to play as a ghoul, and that brought in a new level of play in terms of the types of loadouts… the types of weapons they were picking, the types of legendary perks… Following that we brought fishing, and as [Jon Rush] likes to say, ‘anywhere you can swim, you can fish’.” Lacoste also brought up the C.A.M.P. Revamp update from a few weeks ago as one of the many additions that have been made to Fallout 76.

Burning Springs will be coming to Fallout 76 as a free update in early December. It will be available on all platforms where the title is playable: PC, PS4 and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S making use of backwards compatibility.

Interestingly, this marks the first time that the action-adventure title has ever topped US sales charts. It first launched in December 2024 for Xbox Series X/S and PC. This seemingly aligns with a recent report by equity fund Alinea Analytics, which noted that the PS5 version sold 28 percent faster than the Steam and Xbox versions.

Neither Microsoft nor Bethesda have revealed sales figures for the title, only reporting over four million players. Alinea Analytics estimates that less than five million checked it out on Xbox, but the “overwhelming majority” were from Game Pass.

Check out our review for more details on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5. MachineGames is working on story DLC, The Order of the Giants, though there’s no release date.

While the PS5 version is yet to outsell the other versions, it is currently on track to be the fastest-selling release. When its first week of sales are compared to Steam, the PS5 has sold around 28 percent more copies for the same period.

According to Alinea Analytics, the first six days of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on the PS5 amounted to 117.2 thousand copies as of April 23, 2025, compared to around 91.2 thousand copies on Steam as of December 14, 2024. The Xbox Series X/S has just under 5 million players total, but the vast majority is through Game Pass.

While it has been available on PC and Xbox Series X/S since back in December, the PS5 version of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was released on April 17. If you’re curious about how well the title holds up on Sony’s platform, check out our review. Also, check out our review of the original release, where we gave the game a score of 9 out of 10.

In the meantime, Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer has spoken about seeing a future in the Indiana Jones franchise, especially thanks to the success of the game. Spencer especially praised MachineGames for its work on the title and how the studio was steadfast in its decision to make it a first-person perspective game rather than a strictly third-person camera like the Uncharted series.

“I was really inspired by MachineGames taking someone else’s IP and doing something so unique, and I’m inspired about what that team can do next,” said Spencer. “Certain people were kind of pushing them on the first person versus third person. And I think once you play it, you realize you are Indy. But going forward, I also want to give the teams the ability to do our own games and our own franchises. We have a lot of room to tell new stories, as well. And I want to make sure that’s an option for us.”

If you’re interested in picking up a physical copy of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5, it should be worth noting that the included disc only has 20 GB of the data required to play the game. A majority of the required data still has to be downloaded. The same issue also affects the physical release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Xbox Series X/S.

For more details, here is everything you need to know about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5.

DOOM 64 is available for Xbox One, PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch, with backwards compatibility support for current-gen consoles. Check out our review here. Perhaps the native version could add more features and support for higher resolutions, though it’s unknown when the port could actually launch.

Based on the 1997 Nintendo 64 title, DOOM 64 is a remaster with Achievements, a new save system, and The Lost Levels expansion. The latter is a collection of seven new levels, while the story links Doom 64 with DOOM and DOOM Eternal.

With DOOM: The Dark Ages serving as a prequel to DOOM, it makes sense why id Software would release DOOM 64 for modern platforms. Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

Perhaps the biggest thread connecting Uncharted and the new Indy game is the setting and tone they both share. That strong sense of romanticized adventure and pulp action is alive and well throughout Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. If there’s one sign of confidence that early coverage of the game has given us, it’s the authenticity to the Indiana Jones world that MachineGames has managed to capture so convincingly. Yes, Indy himself isn’t voiced by Harrison Ford, but Troy Baker pulls off a good enough impression to keep the character authentic and believable. Indy sounds a bit more flat than his usual quippy self, but Baker’s cadence and delivery are about the best one can ask for. And then there’s the enigmatic Nazi mastermind who serves as the game’s villain, Emmerich Voss. The performance of this character is top-notch, striking a balance between that of a mad genius and a psychological lunatic, traits common among Indy villains.

It’s not a stretch to assume that players who enjoyed the character portrayals in the Uncharted games are going to appreciate The Great Circle’s cast as well. Nathan Drake is an everyman modelled after Indy himself  after all, so both games share that pulp adventure character DNA to a tee. But MachineGames also seems to understand what makes a genuine Indiana Jones plot too.  An artifact gets stolen at Marshal College, propelling Dr. Jones to investigate its whereabouts. Indy’s investigation leads him on a global journey to another mystery called the Great Circle—a line connecting significant spiritual and historical sites around the world. It’s instantly apparent just how story-heavy this game is Like Uncharted, The Great Circle promises to deliver Hollywood caliber cinematics and plenty of dialogue to accompany the gameplay.

One concrete indication for the game’s story length is MachineGames’ confirmation that the total cutscenes span three hours. Part of what adds to the story’s runtime is the sheer number of locations in the game. With richly presented locales such as the Pyramids of Giza, the Himalayan mountains, and even the castle walls of the Vatican, players are not wanting for fresh scenery. One location that just oozes with classic authenticity is the recreation of Marshal College. The team really went into the weeds to capture every detail of the famous Indy locale, going so far as to use actual Lucasfilm archives to achieve an almost 1-for-1 replica of the locale. This painstaking attention to detail extends to other environments as well, and the game seems to do a great job rewarding players for examining each nook and cranny up close.

Of course, MachineGames won’t just leave players merely looking at such rich locales, the detailed environments can be interacted with in a number of interesting ways. Indy explores these sites using his everything from his iconic whip to a camera and his trusty journal. Reminiscent to Drake’s journal from the Uncharted series, Indy’s journal is used to document all manner of clues for solving puzzles as well as information on the lore and environments visited. Complimenting Indy’s notetaking is the camera which is used to take pictures of various objects and landmarks to aid in his sleuthing. Interestingly, the way in which interact with these mechanics marks the defining difference between this game and Uncharted: the perspective.

A majority of your combat encounters and exploration are done in first-person, with the camera only zooming out to third-person for context-specific moments like climbing and swinging from Indy’s whip. Uncharted fans will appreciate the various means of traversal in The Great Circle, but may find the pacing to be slower than expected. The Great Circle plays much more methodically, as seen from the patient pace with which Indy uses to climb and shimmy. Similarly, there are plenty of slow-paced sections just letting the player waft in the ambiance of the environment without any set-pieces or action to punctuate the flow. The Great Circle seems to emphasize the adventure aspect of its action-adventure style the most, marking it from Uncharted in a distinct way.

That said, Uncharted 4 fans in particular will appreciate the open-ended zones within Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Exploring the highly detailed town surrounding the great Giza Pyramids is a treat thanks to the bevy of activities at your disposal. Open zones such as Giza contain side quests, enemy camps, fight clubs, and little secrets and puzzles to collect and gather, all at the pace you dictate. Some immersive sim elements even present themselves. Wearing disguises to sneak through enemy encampments is just one of the ways players are reminded of other games like Hitman.

And then there’s the combat which focuses less on gunplay and more on Indy’s fists and wits. A large aspect of combat involves using environmental objects from brooms to pans as your temporary weapon against enemies. Hand-to-hand contains a level of depth, especially considering the fight clubs exclusively involving fisticuffs. MachineGames are experienced with shooting mechanics, considering their Wolfenstein games, so it’s unsurprising how solid the gunplay is for the infrequent moments it’ll be needed.

One thing’s for sure, Indy is far from the cover-based shooting of the first Uncharted. What’s not far from Uncharted are the adventure points gained from winning brawls and solving puzzles. As expected, adventure points unlock new abilities for Indy such as Lucky Hat, which allows Indy recovery from fatal blows should he reach his trusty hat.

Indy has a large repertoire of weaponry at his disposal, but his most deadly instrument is stealth. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle places stealth at the forefront of its encounters, with silent takedowns and distractions serving as possible methods past Nazi patrols. Stealth is no stranger to the Uncharted series either. This is another area that Uncharted 4 excelled at bringing to that series and another aspect that fans can expect to enjoy. This cross-pollination of stealth between the two games should make fans feel right at home as if they’re playing a new Uncharted game.

Despite its Uncharted-like adventure, its focus on stealth, exploration, and slow-paced combat offers a fresh take, appealing to fans who appreciate these different gameplay elements. The game director for The Great Circle, Torvenius,  alludes to the inevitable comparisons when saying of Uncharted, “Those are fantastically good games, I love them, but when it comes to our position – we set out to create something very different to those games.” And different they are, yet not without some shared DNA. There’s another licensed adventure game that The Great Circle bears a striking resemblance to: Peter Jackson’s King Kong. The minimal HUD and immersive first-person perspective really feel like an evolution of the 2008 game.

This is because The Great Circle leans more into the adventure angle than action due to the puzzles, clues, stealth, exploration, and punishment for reckless shooting. MachineGames have crafted a wonderful adventure amalgamation combining the very best of the genre. Between the Riddick series, King Kong, and of course Uncharted, there’s going to be something to love for fans of adventure games. Considering Uncharted‘s own legacy and influences, fans of the Naughty Dog series owe it to themselves to experience the creative blending of adventure game history that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle provides.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Right off the bat, you get support for 4K/120 Hz on current-gen consoles and PC, cross-platform multiplayer and co-op, several accessibility options (including high-contrast mode and text-to-speech/speech-to-text for multiplayer), and support for eight new languages. If you want to learn more about the development of each game or delve into all of the character sprites, backgrounds, and more, the id Vault collects it all in one neat place.

"However, everyone else logging back in will doubtless pivot to Legacy of Rust, the new campaign. The story, such as it is, sees the player aiming to reclaim a lost UAC base."

Those craving more Doom content get a brand new campaign developed collaboratively by Nightdive, MachineGames and id Software. There’s also a new Deathmatch pack for multiplayer fans, adding 25 new maps, and, perhaps best of all, compatibility for BOOM, allowing mods to be shared and downloaded in-game. If that wasn’t enough, a newly remixed soundtrack by Andrew Hulshut (who’s composed tracks for Rise of the Triad, Prodeus, Dusk, Amid Evil, and more throughout the years) is also available in addition to the classic MIDI tunes.

Based on the original games alone, DOOM 1 + DOOM 2 is worth playing for newcomers. Everything from the level design to the enemies and pacing still feels so sublime after all these decades that it’s incredible. Of course, even if you played the originals or their re-releases but haven’t delved into the add-ons, they’re worth playing. No Rest for the Living is essentially more Doom 2 with a larger number of enemies on-screen and slight twists on its level design.

Final Doom feels a nice evolution on the core Doom formula, maintaining a solid pace, while playing around more with environmental concepts and challenges. Perhaps the only real point of consternation is Sigil – it’s not bad but offers a different kind of Doom experience. It still warrants a playthrough for the eye-catching effects and attention to detail. Sigil 2 is also available as a featured mod, which is a nice gesture.

However, everyone else logging back in will doubtless pivot to Legacy of Rust, the new campaign. The story, such as it is, sees the player aiming to reclaim a lost UAC base. Ancient horrors are afoot, and while it’s all window dressing for the action, there’s still some interesting environmental story-telling. Gunning through Scar Base and taking out the Former Humans, Pinkies, and Ghouls (which are new), you spot several hanging bodies. One hop, skip and jump through a portal later, and more carnage is revealed, from impaled soldiers to piles of corpses.

"Doom is a game that’s seen an unbelievable amount of mod support throughout the years, spawning everything from brand-new campaigns to total conversions that fundamentally change the experience."

The new flourishes stand out, but the classic Doom aesthetic is still in play. Perhaps most impressive is how each level feels structured and unique. Scar Base is the jumping-off point into the Sanguine Wastes, a festering landscape of blood pools where enemies seemingly lurk everywhere, creating a harrowing atmosphere over a lengthy period.

By comparison, Ash Mill is shorter but no less terrifying as you navigate through a twisted lumber mill and various desiccated trees, battling the new Shocktroopers. Out of all the sections in these levels, perhaps a handful stood out as somewhat off, but the rest is prime Doom-level design. Though there are only two new weapons – the Calamity Blade and Incinerator – they’re fun to use.

There’s nothing quite like facing down incoming hordes, firing off a single charged blade and watching it effortlessly slice through them. On that note, even the new enemies slot effortlessly in, with the Vassago perhaps the most imposing when you’re running low on ammo and trying to scrounge for more. I felt a bit divided on Call of the Machine in Quake 2 Remastered, but Legacy of Rust is an excellent addition to an already stellar line-up of campaigns. Of course, the fun doesn’t end there.

Doom is a game that’s seen an unbelievable amount of mod support throughout the years, spawning everything from brand-new campaigns to total conversions that fundamentally change the experience. With mod support now officially available in-game, you can access new maps like in Back to Saturn X Episode 1 and 2, and DOOM ZERO or overhauls like Harmony and REKKR, the former adding a different sci-fi vibe to the experience and the latter putting a twist on things. It’s great, especially for console players.

"Then there’s the new soundtrack. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a fantastic addition to the games, but the mixing needs work. At times, the tracks can feel too overwhelming,"

Unfortunately, since it’s only BOOM-compatible, you can’t experience the most popular mod offerings like GZDoom, Brutal Doom, Myhouse.wasd, etc. It’s not a deal-breaker, but having such a definitive collection of classic Doom titles without those mods feels off. You also need a Bethesda account to download any mods.

However, these pale in comparison to the mod browser, which isn’t good. Cycling through pages feels tedious and though filtering by most subscribed or recently added is fine, the filter settings must be set every single time when backing out of a mod’s listing. That’s not even getting into other issues, like mod addition reportedly being un-moderated, allowing some to upload mods they haven’t authored.

Then there’s the new soundtrack. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a fantastic addition to the games, but the mixing needs work. At times, the tracks can feel too overwhelming, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Switching back to the original MIDI soundtracks is an option, but those sound too quiet, which requires some finagling. The music is essential to the Doom experience, so hopefully, these issues will be adjusted soon.

I can’t speak much to the multiplayer since a message about accounts failing to work kept popping up. There have also been complaints about display options not feeling like the original experience, with no in-game way to reset to default. The movement also feels off for PC players, though I haven’t had any issues on PS5 (even with “Always Run” enabled). It may be worth looking into all of this before taking the plunge.

"Even if the mod browser needs some quality-of-life features and a rethink to its moderation, and the audio mixing feels off, diminishing the excellent new soundtrack, this is one of the best classic collections out there."

Nevertheless, even with these blemishes, DOOM 1 + DOOM 2 is an essential experience for all kinds of first-person shooter fans. The original releases look better than ever, their design harkening back to simpler times without copious ripping and tearing. The add-ons are all impeccable (my misgivings with Sigil aside), and the new campaign is arguably worth the price of admission alone.

Even if the mod browser needs some quality-of-life features and a rethink to its moderation, and the audio mixing feels off, diminishing the excellent new soundtrack, this is one of the best classic collections out there. The sheer amount of love that’s gone into classic Doom since its launch in 1993 is something to behold and the fact that it still has developers and modders dedicating so much to develop new content is noteworthy. With DOOM 1 + DOOM 2 serving as the pinnacle of everything that classic Doom has to offer, the real question now is: Can Doom 3 finally get some love?

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Speaking to Game Developer, Shen said he will act as a bridge between the narrative and design teams at Something Weird. He’s also assisting in evolving the studio’s technology in the coming years. “The nice thing about an established team and established toolset is that you already have a common language, but one of the exciting things about a new place with a new toolset is that you’re building that language together and can do that with a lot of momentum.

“Momentum is really key in game development – it’s staggering how much you can get done in a short amount of time when everyone is feeling that energy. Teams can get into a flow state, and you can get a sense of what it’s like when a project is really gaining ground and moving quickly.”

Something Weird Games was founded by Jeff Gardiner, who has worked on Fallout 3, Fallout 4, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and much more. Announced at last year’s Gamescom Opening Night Live, Wyrdsong is an open-world RPG and “ game.

Set in Portugal, it will have choices and consequences, dialogue trees and even unreliable narrators. A release date and platforms haven’t been announced, but stay tuned for more details in the coming months (and potentially years).

Of course, he clarifies that this isn’t “goodbye by any means,” and that his “love of Bethesda and its people has never wavered, and I will never stop being part of this incredible community we have grown. Thank you to the hundreds and thousands of fans I’ve gotten to meet and talk to over the last 24 years. Your energy, creativity, and support have been such a big part of my journey. I look forward to experiencing the next part of the adventure alongside you.

“Working with the amazing people, teams, and studios at Bethesda has been the greatest experience of my life. I’m incredibly proud of everything we have done together, and I’m genuinely excited to see the amazing things they will create next.”

Bethesda Softworks released its statement on Twitter, noting that Hines’ public-facing presence “was only a small part of his role at Bethesda, although the way he represented us carried over into the values he nurtured here: authenticity, integrity and passion. His contributions have been integral in building Bethesda and its family of studios into the world-class organization that it is today. His vision helped push us forward, and his hard work inspired us. We’re thankful for his 24 years of leadership and wish him the best in this next chapter.”

Hines joined the company as senior VP of global marketing and communications in 1999 and became the head of publishing last year. He made numerous appearances, speaking about upcoming releases and recently commenting on Arkane Studios’ Redfall after its disastrous launch, noting that it would become a good game.

Hines’ departure arrives in the wake of Activision Blizzard being officially welcomed to Xbox by Microsoft. The latter announced the $68.7 billion acquisition last year and spent the better part of that time having regulators approving it, ending with the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s approval. Where the company goes next remains to be seen, so stay tuned in the coming months.

pic.twitter.com/dhZEmRbzjz

— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) October 16, 2023

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— Bethesda (@bethesda) October 16, 2023

Other quality-of-life additions include controller vibration effects when taking damage, an option for always running, save and load menus denoting the campaign name and preventing anomalies with the engine at higher frame rates by capping the maximum FPS to 1,000. Skipping cinematics also uses the Action key/button, and there are now “proper” drowning sounds for the selected model.

As for balance changes, the Railgun deals 125 damage per shot, up from 100. Enemies will no longer dodge shots from the side or behind, and turrets won’t deal extra damage when blind firing. The Berserker’s slam attack also deals reduced damage and can be dodged by jumping. Check out the full update notes below.

QUAKE 2 – UPDATE 1 RELEASE NOTES

QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS

General Gameplay

• Added controller vibration effects when taking damage
• Restored Always Run in the Input Options menu, with separate options for controller and keyboard
• Save and load menus will now indicate which campaign a save is from
• The Compass, Drop CTF Tech and Use Grapple actions can now be mapped as custom binds from the Input Options menu
• Added toggle for Underwater Warp in the Gameplay Options menu
• Increased the window in which input is disallowed after disengaging the weapon or inventory wheel to prevent erroneous look input or accidental item/weapon deselection
• Disabling View Bob in the Gameplay Options menu bobbing results in fewer residual head bobs
  Added missing Tank animation
• Improved Compass objective navigation throughout various places in Quake II, The Reckoning, Ground Zero, and Quake II 64
• Skipping cinematics now requires the Action key/button to be pressed instead of any key/button
• Added an extra chain segment to the Plasma Beam and Grappling Hook when using higher FOVs
• Improved cases where momentum would be lost when traveling up stairs
• Proper drowning sounds are now used based on selected player model
• Capped maximum FPS to 1,000 prevent possible engine anomalies at higher frame rates
• Prioritized Saved Games directory over game install directory when basepath is changed

Multiplayer

• Added ability to load quick saves and manual saves in online co-op without having to back out to the lobby
• Bot chat can now be disabled from Multiplayer Options menu
• Added match browser filters and the ability to sort by ping in the Multiplayer/Online/Join Match menu
• Raised the maximum number of visible matches in the Multiplayer/Online/Join Match menu from 20 to 50
• Excluded full servers from visible matches in the Multiplayer/Online/Join Match menu
• Disabled Quake II 64 physics changes when playing Quake II 64 multiplayer maps
• Enabled Spawn Furthest by default in competitive game modes
• Enabled Auto Join Teams by default for team-based game modes
• Raised default Frag Limit to 30
• Set multiple cvars as cheat-enabled, disallowing hosts to use them when cheats are disabled
• Updated Q2CTF2 (Stronghold Opposition) and Q2CTF3 (The Smelter) to better reflect the original versions of these Capture the Flag maps
• Added support for PC and Xbox consoles to play on LAN together

BALANCE CHANGES

General Gameplay

• Increased Railgun damage from 100 to 125
• Monsters will no longer dodge shots coming from the side or behind
• The slime and lava traps in The Slimy Place and The Frag Pipe can no longer be avoided
• Turrets no longer do extra damage when blind firing
• Killing a Brain while its chest is open will now always count as a kill
• Monsters will no longer open nearby doors immediately after spawning
  Fixbots will abort healing when staggering from pain

Berserker:

• The Berserker’s attack can be dodged by jumping when the slam occurs
• Added a visual tell to indicate when the Berserker’s jump is being charged up
• Added an additional 100ms delay before the Berserker jumps after it is fully charged
• Reduced slam attack damage

Multiplayer

• Removed ladder sounds from multiplayer for balance reasons

BUG FIXES

General Gameplay

• Reduced vision cone size on monsters waiting in ambush to fix some cases of accidental trap activation
• Power shield will no longer reactivate after picking up ammo if it was manually turned off
• Power-ups will no longer leave a phantom pickup after a player dies
• Fixed crash when a soldier tries to use a run attack against no player

What are the major differences between the two, especially given how time, technology and development tools have evolved? Let’s go over 15 of them here.

Sci-fi vs Medieval Fantasy

While The Elder Scrolls series is high fantasy, with magic and mythology clashing with rudimentary technology, Starfield is a space sci-fi title. Players will venture across the deepest reaches of space, cataloguing different creatures and potentially meeting alien species, using futuristic technology like faster-than-light travel and spaceships. Bethesda’s Todd Howard has referred to Starfield as “Skyrim in space”, and promises “a bit more hardcore of a role-playing game than we’ve done.”

Joining Constellation vs Escaping Execution

How the player starts in both worlds is a different matter entirely. Starfield sees the player discovering an alien artifact, and then being contacted by Constellation to fulfill their desire to explore the stars. More artifacts possibly await, and you’re on a journey to learn about the universe. By comparison, in Skyrim…well, you’re finally awake and whatnot, en route to execution before Alduin the World Eater shows up and ruins everything. Cue joining the Imperials or Stormcloaks (or neither), becoming the Dragonborn, etc.

Boost Pack vs Mounts

Your spaceship is your main means of transport from planet to planet in Starfield, but the actual traversal is on foot. Howard confirmed that there are no land-based mounts or vehicles to get around the planets, but insists that the Boost Pack was a valid alternative. By comparison, Skyrim gives you mounts like horses (and eventually dragons) to traverse the region and potentially climb mountains.

Over 1000 Plants vs One Province

When it was first released many moons ago, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim was praised as one of the biggest game worlds in content, despite only taking place in a single province of Tamriel. By comparison, Starfield gives you over 1000 planets to explore, with a catch. Even though several will have different activities and species, about 90 percent are lifeless. Some also don’t have any real purpose, but you can land on them and look around, which is neat.

Procedural Generation vs Hand-Crafted

Bethesda has spoken quite a bit about using procedural generation to craft Starfield’s planets, but this doesn’t mean they’re fully randomized a la No Man’s Sky. Some individual areas are handcrafted and deliberately placed, and you can expect cities and the like to follow suit. By comparison, almost everything in Skyrim is handcrafted, from the dungeons to the locations. There is some randomly generated content like the Radiant Quests, and that will likely pop up in Starfield as well.

Cataloguing Creatures

While exploring different planets in Starfield, you encounter various animal species, some hostile and others apathetic. Even if you choose to observe, there’s a reward for photographing and cataloguing creatures. Such a thing isn’t possible in Skyrim, though it’s still very much possible to hunt things depending on the need.

Character Creation Options

Remember the days of endlessly mulling over creating your character in Skyrim? It’s probably going to happen again in Starfield. Along with adjusting body type, skin tone, build and so on, new options include walk style and expanded face customization. Then again, Skyrim did have different races on offer for even more freedom, so it should be interesting to see how extensively the two stack up to each other.

Backgrounds vs Race Skills

Speaking of Skyrim’s races, each offered different starting bonuses, like the Nord having higher starting stats in Speech, One-Handed, Light Armor, Smithing, Block and Two-Handed. They also had Battle Cry to cause enemies to flee and 50 percent Frost Resistance. By comparison, Starfield offers Backgrounds like Explorer, Long Hauler, Bounty Hunter, Chef, etc.

These offer a wider range of starting Skills, like the Cyber Runner specializing in Stealth, Theft and Security, while the Explorer is about dealing more damage with Laser weapons, Astrodynamics and Surveying. Each game leans into role-playing a specific character befitting their Skill systems, so it’s not a 1:1 comparison.

Traits

However, one thing Starfield has that Skyrim doesn’t is Traits. These offer unique starting bonuses, which can help and hinder in different ways. For example, choosing Introvert means consuming less oxygen alone but more when traveling with companions. Another one causes the Adoring Fan from Oblivion to appear as he becomes a crew member (though it seems he can be killed, which is another use for those lifeless planets).

Skills and Differences in Upgrading

Both games feature skills, and there is a bit of crossover between how they’re leveled. Skyrim has 18 skills spread across three categories, and using them in their intended ways – like crafting gear for Smithing – will level them up. You then access perks which provide bonuses as that Skill stat becomes higher. You can also meet Trainers, complete quests and gather Skill Books to raise a Skill’s stat.

As for Starfield, you level up and gain a Skill Point to unlock a Skill. Alternatively, you can increase an existing Skill’s rank for better bonuses. However, to unlock further ranks of Skills, you must complete challenges. For instance, the Intimidation Skill’s challenge requires intimidating five people successfully for Rank 2, 25 for Rank 3 and 50 for Rank 4. The limited amount of Skill Points also seemingly means that you can’t max out every single Skill in the game, forcing you to make some choices.

Combat

Both games offer first and third-person combat, and while Starfield does have melee combat elements, it’s more of a shooter at heart. You have a variety of weaponry, from pistols and rifles to magnetic weapons and lasers, while also being able to fly around with the Boost Pack. Zero gravity environments also impact your movement in combat, as weapon recoil can push you back.

Compared to Skyrim, which leans more into hack and slash, Shouts, spell casting and whatnot, it’s a different flavor entirely. Nevertheless, you may find melee weapons and even psychic powers which can mimic the Elder Scrolls feel in some ways.

Creation Engine 2

Skyrim runs on the Creation Engine, while Starfield is on Creation Engine 2. The numbers would make you think they’re completely different, but not quite (which is a separate discussion on game engines). Nevertheless, Bethesda has made numerous improvements over the years, with AI physics and visuals in Starfield being superior to its previous titles. It also uses Havok Engine for character animations, making them look more natural.

Outposts vs Homesteads

Base building is a major feature in Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, and Starfield embraces that by letting you create outposts. After scanning the area, you can start the process of building, zooming out to an overhead camera to make things easier. Once power and other facilities are available, you can assign different characters to research and even act as guards.

By comparison, Skyrim has five pre-made houses to purchase in the base game, while Hearthfire, its second paid DLC, lets you build and manage a homestead with stewards, bards and whatnot. You can have up to three homesteads, while Starfield should theoretically allow for an outpost on every planet.

Fishing

Unfortunately, Starfield won’t have fishing, confirmed Todd Howard. It could arrive later, though, since The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim also launched without fishing. It was later released in the Creation Club and for Legendary Edition owners for free. You could angle more than 20 different kinds of fish and keep them in an aquarium or cook them.

Main Quest Length

Bethesda’s games are generally known for their replay value. Even without mods, there is usually a lot of optional side content. Take the base version of Skyrim, whose story is about 30 to 35 hours to complete but where a completionist run can take over 200 hours (not factoring in mods).

In terms of story, Starfield promises to be 20 percent bigger, which means 36 to 42 hours, but arguably a lot more to do in terms of optional content with ship customization, planetary exploration etc. Even without mods, players will likely have a different experience just from rerolling a new character thanks to Traits, Backgrounds and how Skills are handled.