Best Activities To Try in Bethesda That Make It A True Masterpiece

When Bethesda Game Studios drops a title, the gaming world usually stops to take notice. But this time, it feels different. Their latest release, Starfield, isn’t just another space RPG, it’s the studio’s most ambitious and expansive game in over a decade. Whether you’ve been following Bethesda since the Oblivion days or came aboard with Fallout 4, you’ll recognize right away that Starfield is something else. It carries the DNA of every great Bethesda adventure but wraps it in a galaxy-spanning experience that feels fresh, massive, and deeply personal.

What makes Starfield a standout isn’t just its size though with over a thousand explorable planets, it’s got that covered it’s how layered the gameplay is. There’s no single way to play it. You can mine resources, build outposts, join factions, design your own spaceship, or just take odd jobs and live your own sci-fi fantasy. The game gives you the tools, then lets you figure out what kind of story you want to tell.

This blog isn’t a walkthrough or a review. It’s for players, new or returning who want to know what’s actually worth doing once you dive in. From narrative-rich DLCs to sandbox features and game-defining decisions, we’ll break down the best activities to try in Bethesda’s newest masterpiece and why they matter. You’ll also find practical tips, real-world parallels, and a few unexpected surprises that make this galaxy more than just digital space dust.

Embark on the Shattered Space Expansion

If you’re looking for something that pulls you back into Starfield with a fresh perspective, Shattered Space is the add-on that gets it done. It’s not just extra content, it’s the first real narrative punch since launch. Instead of scattering you across the stars, this expansion narrows the lens and drops you into a darker, more personal story. And it works.

What Makes It Worth Playing?

Bethesda’s been teasing House Va’ruun for a while now, they’ve got mystery, cult vibes, and a whole load of questions surrounding their belief in the “Great Serpent.” With this DLC, you finally get answers. Here’s what you can expect:

• A new planet to explore: Va’ruun’kai feels like a departure from the rest of the galaxy eerie, atmospheric, and strangely grounded.
• Deep narrative threads: This is Bethesda storytelling at its best rich dialogue, layered characters, and choices that actually stick.
• Exclusive gear and environments: Expect to come across weapons, armor, and mission structures that don’t exist anywhere else in the game.

A More Focused Experience

Let’s get this out of the way, Shattered Space isn’t about planet-hopping or sandbox freedom. It’s a more compact setup, which some players might find limiting. But if you’re into story-driven quests, strong lore, and that old-school Bethesda tension building, this is exactly the kind of content you’ve been waiting for.

It’s the kind of expansion that doesn’t try to outdo the base game, it refines it. You slow down, sink into the story, and come out the other side remembering why you signed up to roam the stars in the first place.

Customize Your Starship for Optimal Performance

One of the most addictive parts of Starfield isn’t just exploring planets, it’s getting your ship to feel like it’s really yours. The moment you step into the ship builder menu, it’s game over. Hours go by. You’re adjusting thrusters, balancing shield cores, swapping weapons, and repainting the hull just because that blue wasn’t exactly right.

Why Customizing Your Ship Matters?

Sure, there’s fun in slapping on a few parts and calling it a day, but if you want to survive deep space travel, smart ship design actually matters. Depending on how you want to play stealth pirate, all-out gunship, cargo mule, or science explorer your ship needs to reflect that.

Here’s what you should focus on when building or upgrading:

• Mobility vs. firepower: Do you want to win dogfights or run from them?
• Storage capacity: Crucial for long missions or if you’re hoarding loot like a space raccoon.
• Crew stations and modules: The right crew paired with the right station gives you combat and performance perks.
• Fuel efficiency: Jump range can make or break your exploration flow.

Favorite Builds from Real Players

You’ll find some amazing ship designs shared across Reddit and Discord from Millennium Falcon knockoffs to ridiculous cube-shaped haulers. But the best builds? Those come from trial and error. Start with a mid-tier frame and learn what each part does before you max out your credits.

And if the whole idea of designing a ship sounds a bit overwhelming, take it slow. Honestly, building out a rig in Starfield is almost like playing a car customization game in space, which might remind you of some of those fun driving games you’d kill time with during long road trips kind of like these cool car-based time-pass games that hit differently on a quiet afternoon.

Engage in Faction Missions to Shape the Galaxy

If you’re skipping faction missions in Starfield, you’re seriously missing out. This isn’t your typical “join a group, do a few errands” situation. These storylines are some of the most well-written parts of the game, and they come with choices that actually change how people in the universe treat you.

Think of them as RPG lanes with their own tone, perks, and personality. Want to play a straight-arrow patriot? There’s a path for that. Prefer backroom deals and shady decisions? You’ll find those too.

The Major Factions You Should Know

Here are a few of the most talked-about factions, each one bringing a different flavor to the galaxy:

• UC Vanguard: If you’re into structure, law, and being part of something bigger, this is your military ticket to respect.
• Freestar Collective: A cowboy-style freedom-fighting faction where things are a little looser, a little greyer.
• Ryujin Industries: Corporate espionage at its finest. If you want to talk smooth and play dirty, this is the route.
• Crimson Fleet: Space pirates with style. Morally questionable? Yes. Fun as hell? Also yes.

Why It Matters for Gameplay?

Every faction gives you more than just side quests. You get unique missions, exclusive gear, and in some cases, entire alternate endings or galaxy-wide consequences. Players have reported changes in how NPCs react, store discounts, and even unexpected mission crossovers depending on who you side with.

Plus, this is where Starfield really leans into its “play your way” promise. You could spend 20 hours just diving into one faction line and still not see everything it has to offer. And unlike other games where decisions feel cosmetic, here they actually bite back in a good way.

Explore the Vastness of the Settled Systems

If you’ve played a Bethesda game before, you know they’re all about exploration caves in Skyrim, ruins in Fallout, and now, full-blown star systems in Starfield. But this time, you’re not just poking around in one massive map. You’ve got an entire galaxy at your feet, and the temptation to jump from one star to the next is real.

That said, Starfield exploration isn’t just about hitting fast travel buttons. If you take your time, you’ll start to notice the details and subtle environmental storytelling, abandoned outposts with backstories, strange alien wildlife, and little bits of lore that don’t show up on any map. That’s where the real experience lives.

What Makes Exploring So Rewarding?

Here’s why roaming the Settled Systems is more than just space tourism:

• Resource gathering: Scanning planets and collecting elements isn’t just for crafting and it’s essential for survival and outpost development.
• Discovery mechanics: Some locations are unmarked and tucked away. You won’t find them unless you go off-script.
• Environmental storytelling: Dead crews, journals, forgotten gear it all builds into something bigger if you’re paying attention.
• Ship and landing dynamics: Some planets have low gravity, some are radioactive, some are just… weird. You adapt or you die.

Honestly, if you’re someone who loves high-detail exploration like you get in PC simulation games with deep visuals, then Starfield might feel surprisingly familiar almost like you’re stepping into one of those graphically rich racing worlds on PC but in a spaceship instead of behind a wheel.

The pacing slows down in a good way when you’re doing this kind of travel. You’re not rushing for objectives you’re wandering, collecting, learning. And that’s the kind of freedom that makes Bethesda’s open-world approach still feel fresh, even when the world is a little less terrestrial.

Anticipate Upcoming Features and Platform Expansions

For all the hours you can pour into Starfield right now, what’s coming next might be even more exciting. Bethesda has made it clear that they’re just getting started. With DLCs, performance updates, and maybe even new platform releases on the horizon, there’s plenty of reason to keep this game installed on your hard drive.

The community’s buzzing about what the next year could bring, and based on Bethesda’s track record especially with how they handled Skyrim over the years you can expect not just patches, but big additions that change how the game feels.

What We Know So Far?

• Starborn DLC: While not officially confirmed, leaks and dev hints point toward a major narrative expansion focused on the game’s mythic spacefarer lore. Expect deeper powers and possibly new galaxies to explore.
• PS5 release rumors: Multiple reports suggest Xbox exclusivity could soften, especially with pressure from players and internal Microsoft strategy shifts.
• Mod support expansion: Bethesda is gradually rolling out more dev tools to the community. Some mods already available add missions, weapons, and even new ship mechanics.
• Performance upgrades: Console players especially are expecting smoother load times, UI tweaks, and better ship handling in upcoming patches.

This is also a great time to try Starfield if you stepped away after launch. New content keeps the universe from feeling stale, and if you enjoy multi-platform franchises or crossover fandoms, this might just be the next big sandbox to hold your attention after those intense PS5 game sessions you’ve been into lately, like the ones featured in this roundup of must-play console titles.

What This Means for Players?

Whether you’re a hardcore completionist or someone who dips in occasionally between other games, staying updated matters. You don’t want to miss new tech, new paths, or even new ways to play that could drop in without much warning. It’s clear Bethesda is laying the groundwork for Starfield to live long past its release year just like their other classics.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Starfield isn’t just a game you check off your playlist, it’s something you come back to. Whether you’re digging into lore-heavy expansions, customizing your dream ship, choosing sides in galaxy-shifting conflicts, or just drifting across planets scanning minerals, this game sticks with you in a way that only the best Bethesda titles can.

What makes it stand out isn’t just the tech or the visuals, it’s the choices. Real ones. Ones that force you to ask what kind of character you want to be in this universe. And with more updates on the way, the version of Starfield we’re all playing now is just the beginning.

If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to get into it, whether you skipped it at launch or bounced off after a few hours this is your sign. The content is richer. The direction is clearer. And the possibilities are wider than ever.

And if you’re someone who’s into gaming that blends atmosphere, immersion, and a sense of progression, the kind of vibe that usually pulls people toward shadow-driven or lore-based titles, you might appreciate how Starfield leans into those same elements. It even overlaps with the energy seen in some of the best-designed atmospheric games where visuals, light, and space tell half the story.

So fire up your grav drive, pick a faction (or don’t), and head out. This galaxy’s not going to explore itself.