When Starfield was released on September 6th, it became Bethesda Game Studios’ most popular game ever. It hit six million players within a single day, but that figure was admittedly backed up by the two million players that got onboard during early access. It’s a monumental game that many outlets have lined up for a Game of the Year award, but what is the story behind the game? To put it simply, what is Starfield about?

In this brief guide, we’ll expand on that concept, diving into Starfield’s story and history without giving away too much about the game. This is a no-spoilers cover-off of what Starfield is about. It’ll help you to get up to speed about the events leading up to the game kicking off and it’ll serve as a fantastic introduction to Bethesda’s biggest game ever.

Image Credit: Bethesda Game Studios

What is Starfield About? No Spoilers!

Starfield is as typical an RPG as it gets when it comes to what Bethesda Game Studios offers. It has been described as ‘Fallout in space’ because of how similar it is in many ways to Fallout 4, which was BGS’ most popular title before Starfield came along. However, there are enough differences to make the game totally stand apart from what came before, even if some of the base mechanics feel familiar.

Starfield is set in the ‘Settled Systems’ – hundreds of systems that house thousands of planets and moons, stretching far out from our own solar system. We won’t explain how or why, but humans left Earth a very long time ago, discovering technology that would allow them to ‘jump’ between systems – much like the Mass Relay system in Mass Effect. In Starfield, we see the results of that universe-wide expansion of the human race some three hundred years into the future.

From feeling the remnants of a galaxy-wide war between two leading factions to living under the constant threat of space pirates and the invasion of aggressive alien creatures, the Settled Systems make for a dangerous universe.

Related: How Big is Starfield’s Map?

Basically, as soon as you start playing Starfield, you’ll find you’re starting off on the bottom rung of the space-faring ladder. You’ll make your character, and it all begins there. You’re quickly plunged into a story that is riddled with mystery as you’re linked with an organisation dedicated to determining the origins of the universe. But from there, the game is all yours – become a pirate yourself, decide which factions to align with, build your ships, explore the 1000+ planets, and level up your character at will.

Is Starfield’s Story Long?

There’s a core story – but we’re trying to avoid talking about it for fear of spoiling the game. Let’s put it like this – everything you’ve seen so far from Starfield’s trailers does nothing to highlight the full story. It has been kept shielded to maintain the surprise, and by the time you’re nearing the latter portions of the story, you’ll be mindblown. Then, you’ll complete the story, be incentivised to start New Game+, and your mind will erupt all over again.

That’s all we’re saying on that subject!

The story itself isn’t insanely long. It’ll take you anything from 18 – 20 hours to finish the main story if that’s all you’re doing. From there, it has been averaged out that you’ll be playing Starfield for approximately two hundred hours to soak up everything and land all the achievements.

It’s a huge game with a very unique and immersive story – have fun out there!

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