New 'Starfield' live-action trailer slingshots fans straight into the cosmos (video)

Elaborate live-action trailers crafted to help promote major video game franchises are nothing new. Recall the stirring Hollywood-style shorts produced for "Doom," "Mass Effect," "HALO 3: ODST," "Destiny" and "Gears of War," for example.

And now "Starfield," an upcoming outer space odyssey from Bethesda Game Studios and Microsoft, is continuing that cinematic marketing tradition with a dynamic live-action teaser introduced at this week's Gamescon 2023.

The trailer beautifully captures the extraordinary game's expansive scope, exploratory spirit and pure, raw emotions.

The main art for the space role-playing game "Starfield."  (Image credit: Bethesda)

Here's the rousing new video's official synopsis:

"Accompanied by a stunning orchestral version of Elton John's 'Rocket Man,' check out the live-action trailer that follows our hero on a breathtaking journey through the stars. Experience the hope and danger of setting out into the unknown and get ready for your own adventure when 'Starfield' launches on September 6 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC."

In case you've been living off-planet or off the grid for the past couple of years, the ambitious "Starfield" project was first announced back in 2018 at Bethesda's E3 press conference. It's been eagerly awaited through delays for over four years.  

This unprecedented role-playing gaming experience showcases hundreds of star systems and 1,000 planets, moons and asteroids. In "Starfield," astro-adventurers are tossed into deep space in the year 2330 to join up with the Constellation and its gang of daring space explorers hunting alien artifacts in the remote corners of the universe.

Blast off into outer space bliss with "Starfield." (Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios)

"Starfield" touches down for the general public on Sept. 6, 2023. 

However, eager gamers with zero patience can get a jump on the spacey action by ponying up $100 for the special Constellation Edition that unlocks on Sept. 1, which coincides with the date that Game Pass members, or those pre-purchasing the standard edition, can begin daring "Starfield" missions for a $35 upgrade.

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Jeff Spry
Contributing Writer

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.