Starfield fans are locked in a debate over what the game’s melee combat might look like

For those who’ve invested thousands of hours into the likes of Skyrim and Fallout 4, the release of Starfield can’t come soon enough.

Regardless of how you feel about the prospects of Bethesda's venture into space, the idea of being able to delve into a freshly curated game filled with new quests, characters and locations has RPG lovers of all stripes intrigued.

Currently, some of the game’s most hyped-up would-be players are trying to let off some of that excitement by discussing what the game’s melee combat might look like and how viable it’ll be as a playstyle.

Are you planning on foregoing blasters to hack and slash your way through your first Starfield playthrough?

The thread containing their scuffle-based speculation on the Starfield subreddit began with a post from user ChapmanPrime, who kicked things off by asking: “What will melee look like? What kind of weapons do you think we’ll get?”

Their fellow players had plenty of theories regarding what the game’s space brawls might be like, with user didntsignupforreddit suggesting the weapons could be split into two main categories, with one featuring crudely adapted tools used throughout the galaxy and another consisting of “flashy sci-fi weapons” such as swords made from exotic materials or augmented with lasers.

User Wark_Kweh voiced their view that the mechanics involved might be quite similar to recent Fallout and Elder Scrolls games, saying: “(I think we) probably won't get any significant design shift for melee until (The Elder Scrolls 6), where it'll be more prevalent.”

If this ends up being the case, this could leave users like CaptainPryk, who declared: “I thought the melee combat in Fallout 4 was terrible and underdeveloped so hopefully much better than that.”, feeling a bit disappointed.

Meanwhile, user madchemist09 implied that those who go into the game looking to fulfil their fantasy of roaming the cosmos as a Star Wars-style Jedi knight probably won’t be left dissatisfied for long, regardless of which weapons are present in the base game, saying: “Once mods hit, (there’ll be) lightsabers. Lots and lots of lightsabers.”

No matter whether you’re planning to make your first trip to Neon having already acquired some robes and a glowing blade, make sure to follow us for lots of guides to its world and mechanics. You can also check out our mods of the month for some killer Skyrim and Fallout mods that’ll help tide you over until it arrives.