Starfield gameplay at Xbox Games Showcase promises "freedom on a galactic level"

Finally, as promised, we've had a good look at Starfield gameplay.

Following the Xbox Games Showcase, we were treated to 45 minutes of in-depth Starfield details and gameplay.

Most importantly, the game is set for release on 6th September and will be on Game Pass from day one. Check out the full Starfield Direct below.

Starfield is "a Bethesda RPG through and through" boasted game director Todd Howard. That's certainly the case judging by the full Starfield Direct. Yet Starfield goes beyond its past games: "we've never tried to make a game like this."

So what can we expect to do in Starfield? Seemingly, anything you want. It looks like Bethesda is seeking to make the ultimate space game, bursting with activities.

It's got vast open world space exploration in third-person and first-person. It's got ship building. It's got base building and resource collection. It's got shootouts with ballistic, energy, and mag weapons (and perhaps even gravity manipulating powers), against human, alien, and robotic enemies. It's got inclusive character creation, with a whole host of perks. It's got companions to adventure with. It's got that fan from Oblivion. It's got spaceship combat and pirating. It's got choice in approaching any situation: stealth, talking, explosives. It's got more mods and weapons than any other Bethesda game. It's got a detailed photo mode. It's got a sci-fi bar with sexy dancers in tentacle suits. It's got an alien called 'brain-sprout'.

Honestly, it's all a bit overwhelming. This is a game about "rewarding your curiosity", where you play for hours and achieve so much, but so little.

Perhaps my favourite part is the game's cinematic lighting system. I couldn't help but take plenty of screenshots.

Starfield is clearly Bethesda's most ambitious game yet. If they can pull it off, it could well be the system and Game Pass seller Microsoft needs it to be.

There do remain some questions, though. With so much stuff to do, how important will the story be to hold this all together? And how exactly will it run, on Xbox or PC, considering the notorious bugs Bethesda is known for?

We won't know for sure until we go hands-on. And, at the least, it's not so long to wait.

The game is now available to pre-order - there's even a £300 edition available.

Here are some more screenshots for good measure.