speech in writing quiz

Practice Quiz

• A speaker who appears in extremely conservative dress and uses an emotionally charged style of delivery to give a speech about abortion may be perceived by the audience as lacking: a. Credibility b. Competence c. Objectivity d. Status
• All of the following are suggestions for delivering a speech using a manuscript except: a. Concentrate on ideas, not individual words. b. As you finish each page, put it under the podium. c. Practice in advance so you know the speech well. d. Be sure that last-minute additions do not clutter the manuscript.
• Changes in pitch while speaking are called: a. Inflection b. Rhythm c. Articulation d. Enunciation
• All of the following are means of conveying a sense of composure except: a. Taking control of silence b. Achieving fluency c. Controlling posture and body movements d. Using emotional displays
• ___ refers to the phonetic sounds of language, while ___ refers to the patterns of speech in a particular region or part of a country. a. Accent / Dialect b. Dialect / Accent c. Enunciation / Pronunciation d. Pronunciation / Enunciation
• In a standard one-point speech, the speaker moves between giving or reminding the audience of the point of the speech and illustrating that point with supporting evidence. a. True b. False
• For memorized speeches, it is generally recommended that you focus on memorizing the language or wording rather than the sequencing. a. True b. False
• Vocal fillers, such as uh and um, are indicators of a lack of fluency. a. True b. False
• Increased status, which could be conveyed through more formal dress, may come at the expense of decreased immediacy. a. True b. False
• Silence and pauses in a speech are indicators of a lack of credibility. a. True b. False

List of Topics

SfC Home > Writing > Speech Writing >

Mini-Quiz: Basics of Speech Writing

by Ron Kurtus (revised 25 February 2018)

Take this Mini-Quiz to check your understanding of the lesson material.

1. What is necessary to select the proper subject for the speech?

Read magazines for interesting subjects

Make a list of possible subjects and then pick one

Analyze the audience and the occasion

2. What is a good way to start writing the speech?

Start with an outline

Start putting down random thoughts

There is no real good way to start

3. How do you make sure the speech is ready for delivery?

By making sure there are enough words in the speech

By making sure it sounds right when you read aloud

By asking the speaker what he or she thinks

If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Speech Writing . If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.

You've got a story to tell

Resources and references

Ron Kurtus' Credentials

Speech Writing Resources

(Notice: The School for Champions may earn commissions from book purchases)

Students and researchers

The Web address of this page is: www.school-for-champions.com/speechwriting/ mini-quiz_basics_of_speech_writing.htm

Please include it as a link on your website or as a reference in your report, document, or thesis.

Copyright © Restrictions

Where are you now?

School for Champions

Speech Writing topics Mini-Quiz: Basics of Speech Writing

Speech Writing topics

• Basics of Speech Writing

Preparations

• Preparations Before Writing a Speech
• -- Consider Occasion for Speech
• -- Analyze Audience
• -- Select Topic of Speech
• -- State Purpose of Speech
• ---- Persuasive Speech
• ---- Informative Speech
• ---- Entertaining Speech

Writing speech

• Developing the Speech
• -- Gather Material
• -- Outline Speech
• ---- Three Parts of a Speech
• ---- Write Introduction to Speech
• ---- Writing Body of Speech
• ---- Writing Conclusion of Speech
• -- Improve Wording

Types of speeches

• Writing a Persuasive Speech
• Writing an Informative Speech
• Writing an Entertaining Speech

Miscellaneous

• Presidential Speech Writers
• Computer Aid for Writing a Short Speech
• Speech Writing Survey Results
• Public Speaking
• Famous Speeches
• Writing Methods
• Technical Writing

Let's make the world a better place

Be the best that you can be.

Use your knowledge and skills to help others succeed.

Don't be wasteful; protect our environment.

You CAN influence the world.

Live your life as a champion:.

Take care of your health

Seek knowledge and gain skills

Do excellent work

Be valuable to others

Have utmost character

Be a Champion!

The School for Champions helps you become the type of person who can be called a Champion .

Q2M3 Types and Principles of Speech Writing

Quiz   by ANGELYN GAYDA

Feel free to use or edit a copy

includes Teacher and Student dashboards

Measure skills from any curriculum

Tag the questions with any skills you have. Your dashboard will track each student's mastery of each skill.

• edit the questions
• save a copy for later
• start a class game
• view complete results in the Gradebook and Mastery Dashboards
• automatically assign follow-up activities based on students’ scores
• assign as homework
• share a link with colleagues
• print as a bubble sheet
• Q 1 / 15 Score 0 1. This speech aims to influence your audience to believe your own views and to change the way they think. 29 Persuasive Speech Entertainment Speech Informative Speech Speech Writing

Our brand new solo games combine with your quiz, on the same screen

Correct quiz answers unlock more play!

• Q 1 1. This speech aims to influence your audience to believe your own views and to change the way they think. Persuasive Speech Entertainment Speech Informative Speech Speech Writing 60 s
• Q 2 2. The goal of this speech is to make the audience feel relaxed by enjoying humorous stories. Entertainment Speech Persuasive Speech Duration Informative Speech 60 s
• Q 3 3. This speech aims to express essential information to understand a concept or an idea. Entertainment Speech Informative Speech Persuasive Speech Prepared Speech 60 s
• Q 4 4. This type of speech is used when you are asking your audience to change their behavior or thoughts about a certain belief or when you are asking them to move for a cause. Persuasive Speech Informative Speech Entertainment Speech Audience Profile 60 s
• Q 5 5. This type of speech is used when you are sharing an inspiring story or experience or funny thought that makes your audience or listeners feel engaged with your delightful words. Oral Communication Informative Speech Entertainment Speech Persuasive Speech 60 s
• Q 6 6. It gives the speaker a little information about the characteristics, interest,s or hobbies of his/ her listeners. audience profile word choice correct grammar duration 60 s
• Q 7 7. It helps the audience understand your speech because of the good transition of an idea into another thought. audience profile logical organization word choice duration 60 s
• Q 8 8. It refers to the limit to when the speech should start and end. word choice logical organization correct grammar duration 60 s
• Q 9 9. It helps the speech to be understood clearly and effectively because of the good sentence structure and application of language rules. logical organization correct grammar duration word choice 60 s
• Q 10 10. It deals with the use of proper terminology that helps the audience or listeners understand the contents of your speech; this also helps in avoiding misinterpretation of what you are trying to say. word choice logical organization correct grammar duration 60 s
• Q 11 11. Which of the following is NOT part of the five functions of good introduction? Narrow down a topic Establish Credibility State the Purpose of your Speech Gain Audience Attention and Interest 60 s
• Q 12 12. Which of the following parts of your speech provides a definition, examples, or any details that can help you deliver the purpose and the main idea of your speech? Introduction body reasons conclusion 60 s
• Q 13 13. Which of the following methods of speech organization involves a discussion of both cause and effect of an issue? Causal Order Chronological Comparison and Contrast Spatial/Geographical 60 s
• Q 14 14. Which of the following are transitional words for contradiction? However Moreover Furthermore Again 60 s
• Q 15 15. Which of the following should be avoided in a written speech? Jargons or technical terms specific only for a group of people Language inappropriate for the audience all of the above Redundancy or excessive repetition of words 60 s

Teachers give this quiz to your class

Does the average person need to write out a speech word for word?

• No, because writing out a speech word for word encourages you to read it out or memorize it instead of delivering it naturally. If you do this you will lose eye contact with the audience and your pace and tone may become monotonous.
• No, because the average person is not a president or important official.
• Yes, everyone needs to write out their speech word for word.

Instead of writing a speech word for word, what should you do?

• Use a one-page outline that has your main ideas with examples on it.
• Use several loose sheets of paper with notes on the front and back.
• Use an outline with several paragraphs of content.

What is the most common mistake people make when writing a speech?

• They use too little punctuation.
• They spend hours trying to memorize it by reading it silently.
• They spend hours writing and re-writing their speech and leave no time to rehearse it before their presentation.

How is your GoSkills experience?

Your feedback has been sent

© 2023 GoSkills Ltd. Skills for career advancement

Quizzes Boost Learning

• Upper Primary School English

Writing 07 - Write a Speech

Great! You're enjoying learning by quizzing

You've had your free 15 questions for today. For unlimited access to all quizzes, games and more, you'll need to subscribe.

If you wish to subscribe straight away, visit our Join Us page.

Or take a look around the website and start at our Home page. Colin

Contact Details

Education quizzes, customer service, here to help, our social circles.

© Copyright 2016-2023 - Education Quizzes Work Innovate Ltd - Design | Development | Marketing

We use cookies to make your experience of our website better.

To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent - I agree - No thanks - Find out more

Parts of Speech Quiz

You can do this grammar quiz online or print it on paper. It tests what you learned on the Parts of Speech page.

1. I bought a beautiful dress at the mall.

2. What did she ask you to do?

3. I left my shoes under the kitchen table.

4. If we finish our work quickly we can go to the movies.

5. On Saturdays I work from nine to five.

6. I want to go to a university in the United States.

7. I'm sure I've met your girlfriend before.

8. Well , I don't think I'll be home before 6.

9. Andy knocked on the door but nobody answered.

10. After lunch let's go out for a coffee.

Your score is:

Correct answers:

In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Suggestions for you See more

11th -  12th  

Nature of academic texts, parts of a paragraph, 3rd -  5th  , transitional words and phrases, 4th -  7th  .

Oral Com Quiz - Writing Process

25 questions

Introducing new   Paper mode

No student devices needed.   Know more

Want to host for more than 20 participants?

Upgrade your player limit now and unlock additional features

Any speech should include an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Speech writing is a recursive process.

An outline determines whether your supporting ideas match your main idea or not.

In the introduction, you explain the importance of your topic by giving examples.

Knowing the audience and the occasion is not crucial in writing a speech.

Word choice is one consideration in writing a speech.

The purpose of the speech will help you identify ideas that will support your main idea or message.

Rehearsing is a major requirement.

The primary objective of speech writing is getting the right or appropriate topic.

The approach that you will use in your introduction can determine the success of your speech.

Select the (3) profile in conducting an audience analysis.

Select the components of demography in conducting an audience analysis.

male - female ratio

educational background

nationality

Select the components of the situation in conducting an audience analysis.

audience size

Select the components of psychology in conducting an audience analysis.

cultural and racial ideologies

What is the first stage in speech writing?

Determining the purpose

Selecting the topic

Analyzing the audience

When writing your speech you have to consider if you want your speech to inform, entertain or persuade. What element of speech writing process is this?

Purpose of writing

Selecting the speech pattern

Audience analysis

Preparing the introduction

This type of speech provides the audience with a clear understanding of a concept or idea.

Extemporaneous speech

Impromptu speech

Informative speech

Persuasive speech

This type of speech provides the audience with favorable or acceptable ideas that can influence their own ideas and decisions.

Entertainment speech

This is the main point or subject of your speech.

A speech pattern which presents descriptions of your life or of a person, famous or not.

biographical

chronological

problem solution

A speech pattern which presents the idea in time order

cause-effect

categorical/ topic

These are general structures that will help one organize the ideas in one’s speech.

writing patterns

data gathering

narrowing down topic

audience analysis

The hierarchical list that shows the relationship of ideas.

introduction

A part of your speech which serves as the foundation of your speech. The primary goal on this part is to get the attention of your audience and present the subject or main idea of your speech.

body of the speech

A part of your speech which serves as the closing where you provide summary, emphasize the message and call for action.

Expore all questions with a free account

Continue with email

Continue with phone

The Ultimate Rhetoric Quiz

Rhetoric is the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion. Do you want to test your rhetoric knowledge? Do you yearn to advance your knowledge on it? Take this quiz and prove yourself!

Speakers and writers appeal to ________________ to demonstrate that they are trustworthy.

The Rhetorical Triangle

Rate this question:

Writers and speakers appeal to Logos or ________________ by offering clear, rational ideas.

Counter-argument

Although an argument that appeals only to _______________ is by definition weak, an effective speaker or writer understands the power of appealing to it.

Rhetorical Triangel

Classical rhetoricians outlined a five-part structure for an oratory, or speech. The five parts include: an introduction, narration, confirmation, _____________________, and conclusion.

Exemplification

Comparison and contrast

The Rhetorical Triangle includes the following:____________________________________,____________________________________,____________________________________

Exemplification means:.

Juxtaposing two things to highlight similarities and differences

Analyzing the causes that lead to a certain effect

Providing a series of facts, specific cases or instances

Telling a story or recounting a series of events

The definition of Process Analysis is: _____________________________________________

Narration means:  ________________________________________________, related topics.

• Conversation

Featured Quizzes

Popular topics.

• About Me Quizzes
• Afraid Quizzes
• Alter Ego Quizzes
• Annoying Quizzes
• Attitude Quizzes
• Awkward Quizzes
• Bad Quizzes
• Beautiful Quizzes
• Behavior Quizzes
• Body Language Quizzes
• Bored Quizzes
• Brave Quizzes
• Character Quizzes
• Clever Quizzes
• Color Personality Quizzes
• Confidence Quizzes
• Dare Quizzes
• Dominant Quizzes
• Doppelganger Quizzes
• Drinker Quizzes
• Dumb Quizzes
• Emo Person Quizzes
• Envy Quizzes
• Evil Quizzes
• Famous Quizzes
• Friendly Quizzes
• Geek Quizzes
• Genius Quizzes
• Good Quizzes
• Gorgeous Quizzes
• Greaser Quizzes
• Honesty Quizzes
• Hot Quizzes
• Idiot Quizzes
• Impression Quizzes
• Innocent Quizzes
• Insane Quizzes
• Introvert Or Extrovert Quizzes
• Jealous Quizzes
• Lazy Quizzes
• Liar Quizzes
• Liberal Quizzes
• Loser Quizzes
• Magcon Quizzes
• Masculine Quizzes
• Mean Quizzes
• Meme Quizzes
• Mental Age Quizzes
• My Name Quizzes
• Mystery Quizzes
• Name Quizzes
• Naughty Quizzes
• Nerd Quizzes
• Noob Quizzes
• Normal Quizzes
• Outgoing Quizzes
• Persona Quizzes
• Personality Test Quizzes
• Personality Traits Quizzes
• Playboy Quizzes
• Popular Quizzes
• Predator Quizzes
• Preppy Quizzes
• Pretty Quizzes
• Princess Quizzes
• Procrastination Quizzes
• Quality Quizzes
• Real Name Quizzes
• Real Or Fake Quizzes
• Romantic Quizzes
• Run Away Quizzes
• Shy Quizzes
• Silly Quizzes
• Smart Quizzes
• Stalker Quizzes
• Stereotype Quizzes
• Swag Quizzes
• Sweet Quizzes
• Talent Quizzes
• Test Yourself Quizzes
• Theories Of Personality Quizzes
• Traits Quizzes
• True Personality Quizzes
• Truth Quizzes
• Ugly Quizzes
• Weird Quizzes

Related Quizzes

Wait! Here's an interesting quiz for you.

• Today’s Paper
• Mini Crosswords
• Get Express subscription
• G-20 Summit
• UPSC Special
• Express et al.
• Health Specials

Teachers’ Day 2023 Speech: Mastering the art of morning assembly speech

Happy teachers day 2023 speech: preparing a morning assembly speech for teachers' day is an art that involves combining effective communication, relevant content, and engaging delivery. expert suggests on how to create the perfect speech..

— Ridhima Somaiya

Teachers’ Day 2023 Speech Ideas: The morning assembly is more than just a routine gathering; it’s a platform where students can unite, get informed, and feel motivated to kick-start their day. Delivering a compelling morning assembly speech isn’t just about speaking confidently – it’s about developing a sense of community and school spirit, especially when the event is Teachers’ Day .

While the responsibility of addressing your peers during the morning assembly might seem daunting, it is an opportunity for personal growth and making a positive impact.

By following these tips and tricks, you can transform your nervousness into confidence and turn your Teachers’ Day speech into a memorable moment that resonates with everyone present.

Teachers’ Day: Create a routine

A morning assembly reminds students of the values they share with the larger school community. Create a routine of starting with a school chant, a prayer to show gratitude, an anecdote to motivate and some quotes related to Teachers’ Day. Wrapping it up with a school cheer will foster a sense of pride and motivate students to help reach the common goal of the institution.

Prepare a clear and structured Teachers’ Day speech

Consider the purpose of your speech and make a note of the important points you are going to mention. Are you announcing an event, sharing an inspiring message, or discussing a relevant theme? A well-structured speech is key to keeping your audience engaged. Begin with a captivating opening that hooks your listeners. This could be an intriguing fact, a thought-provoking quote on Teachers’ Day, or a relatable anecdote.

Follow up with the main points you want to convey. Each point should flow logically to the next, creating a seamless narrative.

Finally, conclude your speech with a powerful closing that reinforces your message. Remember to prioritise the most important points you want to make. Avoid unnecessary tangents or excessive details that might dilute the impact of your speech.

Writing with clarity and correct grammar

A good understanding of the language is important as it enables you to write clearly and concisely, which is the key to effective communication. Avoid the use of complex sentences. Make sure you proofread your speech to identify and correct any grammar error.

Focus on messaging

A morning assembly is an opportunity to set a positive tone for the day. Your Teachers’ Day speech should carry messages that inspire positivity and progress. Encourage your audience to contribute positively to the school community and beyond.

Talking about important topics such as respecting differences, mental health and reinforcing values can energise and encourage them to start their day with optimism.

To make your speech relevant and relatable, connect it with current instances, news updates or events. For instance, a recent achievement by one of the teachers, how that teacher helped students and more.

Now, when your speech is ready, make sure to prepare how to deliver it well

Eye contact and body language play a very important role. Your nonverbal communication plays a crucial role in how your speech is received. Maintain eye contact with your audience, conveying a sense of connection and confidence.

Use appropriate gestures and facial expressions to emphasise key points. Stand tall with open body language, projecting confidence and credibility. Rehearse your speech multiple times. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself to refine delivery and boost confidence.

In conclusion, preparing a morning assembly speech for Teachers’ Day is an art that involves combining effective communication, relevant content, and engaging delivery. If you plan well, you can create a speech that leaves a lasting impression in just a few minutes. Remember that your words have the potential to inspire and influence, so make the most of your morning assembly opportunity to contribute positively to your school community.

(The writer is a senior teacher at British Council India)

• teachers day
• Teachers Day celebrations
• Bengaluru Live News Updates: Karnataka govt to declare drought-hit districts today; teacher who asked Muslim students to ‘go to Pakistan’ transferred 25 mins ago
• Delhi News Live Updates: Capital gets ready for G20 Summit, officials make last minute inspections to ensure arrangements in place 1 hour ago
• Mumbai News Live Updates: Govt calls special meet on Maratha reservation today at 12 pm 1 hour ago
• Bigg Boss Telugu 7 launch Live Updates: Shakeela, Kiran Rathore and others enter Nagarjuna's show 13 hours ago

Best of Express

Buzzing Now

Sep 04: Latest News

• 01 Asia Cup 2023: Bangladesh keep themselves alive with 89-run win over Afghanistan
• 02 Elderly man loses life in a stray cow incident
• 03 Civil defence volunteers not paid salaries for several months: Delhi minister Atishi raps officials
• 04 US Open: Carlos Alcaraz’s unique brand of talent is evident in his abilities at the net
• 05 Italian night club DJ, associate held in Goa for ‘possession’ of narcotics
• Elections 2023
• Political Pulse
• Entertainment
• Movie Review
• Newsletters
• Web Stories

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

There’s a Good Chance Trump Will Be Found ‘Willfully Blind’

By Burt Neuborne

Mr. Neuborne is a professor emeritus at New York University Law School, where he was the founding legal director of the Brennan Center for Justice.

More than a decade ago, a divided Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Alvarez that an elected member of a district water board in California could not be prosecuted criminally for lying to an audience about winning the Medal of Honor. The court ruled that efforts to criminalize mere lying, without linking the lie to an attempt to gain a material advantage, posed an unacceptable threat to robust exercise of First Amendment rights.

Given that decision, Jack Smith, the special prosecutor investigating former President Donald Trump, was right in concluding that Mr. Trump has a First Amendment right to lie to the general public.

So, where’s the legal beef in the indictment arising from the events that culminated in the storming of the Capitol brought by Mr. Smith against Mr. Trump? It’s in the fact that Mr. Smith isn’t merely charging the former president with lying; he is contending that Mr. Trump lied to gain an unlawful benefit — a second term in office after voters showed him the exit. That kind of speech-related behavior falls comfortably within what the justices call “categorical exceptions” to the First Amendment like true threats, incitements, obscenity, depictions of child sexual abuse, fighting words, libel, fraud and speech incident to criminal conduct.

As the court put it in 1949 in the case of Giboney v. Empire Storage and Ice Co. , “It rarely has been suggested that the constitutional freedom for speech and press extends its immunity to speech or writing used as an integral part of conduct in violation of a valid criminal statute.”

That is why Mr. Smith will most likely seek to prove that the former president was engaged in “speech incident to criminal conduct” when he and his co-conspirators lied to state legislators, state election officials, gullible supporters, Justice Department lawyers and Vice President Mike Pence in an illegal effort to prevent Joe Biden from succeeding him as president. Since Mr. Trump is charged with, among other crimes, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to deprive people of the right to have their votes counted, Mr. Smith would clearly be right in arguing that the Alvarez decision doesn’t apply.

Characterizing Mr. Trump’s words as “speech incident to criminal conduct” would neatly solve Mr. Smith’s First Amendment problem but at a substantial cost to the prosecution. To win a conviction, the government must persuade 12 jurors to peer inside Mr. Trump’s head and find beyond a reasonable doubt that he knew he was lying when he claimed to be the winner of the 2020 election. If Mr. Trump actually believed his false assertions, his speech was not “incident to criminal conduct.”

How can Mr. Smith persuade 12 jurors that no reasonable doubt exists that Mr. Trump knew he was lying? The prosecution will, no doubt, barrage the jury with reams of testimony showing that he was repeatedly told by every reputable adviser and administration official that no credible evidence of widespread electoral fraud existed and that Mr. Pence had no choice but to certify Mr. Biden as the winner.

But there also will probably be evidence that fervent supporters of Mr. Trump’s efforts fed his narcissism with bizarre false tales of result-changing electoral fraud and frivolous legal theories justifying interference with Mr. Biden’s certification as president-elect. Those supporters could include Rudy Giuliani; Sidney Powell , a lawyer and purveyor of wild conspiracy theories; Jeffrey Clark , the acting head of the Justice Department’s civil division, who apparently plotted with Mr. Trump to unseat the acting attorney general and take control of the department; and John Eastman , the lawyer who hatched the plan that Mr. Pence refused to follow to keep Mr. Trump in power.

Maybe Mr. Trump himself will swear to his good faith belief that he won. With all that conflicting testimony, how is a conscientious juror to decide for sure what was really going on inside his head?

The answer lies in the Supreme Court’s doctrine of willful blindness. A dozen years ago, in the case of Global-Tech Appliances v. SEB , Justice Samuel Alito, writing for all but one justice, ruled that proof of willful blindness is the legal equivalent of proving guilty knowledge.

As Justice Alito explained it, “Many criminal statutes require proof that a defendant acted knowingly or willfully, and courts applying the doctrine of willful blindness hold that defendants cannot escape the reach of these statutes by deliberately shielding themselves from clear evidence of critical facts that are strongly suggested by the circumstances.”

In other words, when a defendant, like Mr. Trump, is on notice of the potential likelihood of an inconvenient fact (Mr. Biden’s legitimate victory) and closes his eyes to overwhelming evidence of that fact, the willfully blind defendant is just as guilty as if he actually knew the fact. While this argument is not a slam dunk, there’s an excellent chance that 12 jurors will find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Mr. Trump hid from the truth by adopting willful blindness.

Burt Neuborne is a professor emeritus at New York University Law School, where he was the founding legal director of the Brennan Center for Justice. He was the national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1981 to 1986.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram .

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Bethesda's Starfield is a fabulous playable space opera with a forgettable story

Swapna Krishna

Explore hundreds of planets, battle pirates, and make a galactic name for yourself in Starfield. Bethesda Softworks hide caption

Explore hundreds of planets, battle pirates, and make a galactic name for yourself in Starfield.

In Starfield, space is no longer the final frontier. Exploration is a thing of the past.

When the game begins, you're a miner working in the Settled Systems. No one really goes on voyages of discovery anymore — that's the romantic dream of a bygone era. But when you stumble on a mysterious artifact deep inside a cave, it sets off events that will take you deep into the unknown.

Inside the making of 'Starfield' — one of the biggest stories ever told

I was more than down for that journey. I've spent entirely too much time tooling around on backwater planets, examining new flora and fauna, and debating between joining the Freestar Collective and United Colonies. I've brought coffee to a janitor in New Atlantis and gotten arrested for stealing on Mars. I've even set up helium outposts on the moon. Starfield offers fantastic adventure, if you have the patience for it.

Sky-high expectations

It's difficult to overstate how long-awaited Starfield has been. It's not that it's the first game of its kind — other space opera video games exist, as do open-world sci-fi titles — but it still feels revolutionary. Bethesda, the studio behind iconic franchises such as The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, has created their first new universe in over two decades for this game — and what an incredible universe it is.

Plunder valuable rewards from the wreckage left from interstellar dogfights. Bethesda Softworks hide caption

Plunder valuable rewards from the wreckage left from interstellar dogfights.

The question is: Does it live up to the hype? I'd say that entirely depends on what you're hyped about . The bottom line is that Starfield is an epic, expansive game that you can shape to fit most desires. If you want a heroic odyssey, you can create that narrative for yourself. If you want to scout new worlds, build outposts and rule a little empire, you can do that too. Or if you just want to bum around and take on missions as you see fit like a gun-toting renegade, that's an option too. But if you're looking for a concise, story-driven game, this isn't it.

A sandbox in space

I'll say it flat out: I adore this game. Everything about it feels like it was made for me, a space and science writer. The exploration angle, the science-focused path you can take — it's very much my jam. But if you're unfamiliar with Bethesda's "make your own fun" approach, Starfield might feel overwhelming and aimless. While its "NASA punk" aesthetic invites comparison to Star Trek, I'd say it's more like No Man's Sky, but with more structure.

A Starfield sightseeing tour in three parts. Part one: red planet. Swapna Krishna/Bethesda Softworks hide caption

A Starfield sightseeing tour in three parts. Part one: red planet.

It doesn't all add up to a stellar story, despite tight mission design and millions of scripted words. While the writing is certainly tolerable for people happy to forge their own experiences, if you're specifically looking for a narrative to draw you in (like in Bioware's acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy), I can't say that Starfield's vague dialogue would inspire much urgency.

But I can say that Starfield is a technical achievement, with gorgeous graphics that really sing on the Xbox Series X. Though I've heard of some hilarious and nightmarish glitches, I didn't encounter many of Bethesda's infamous bugs myself. The character customization settings really get down to fine details, and while I struggled with some early choices, I soon realized they didn't matter all that much. This game is so big that where you start out is pretty inconsequential.

That cosmic scale is both Starfield's biggest strength and its weakness. I'm more than 50 hours in, and I haven't even scratched the surface. I spent four hours just cataloging and exploring a planet (and honestly didn't get bored with it!). There's so much to do, so much to find, so many quests to take on, so many factions to figure out, so many characters to meet — and it never really stops.

A Starfield sightseeing tour part two: snowy planet. Swapna Krishna/Bethesda Softworks hide caption

A Starfield sightseeing tour part two: snowy planet.

Taking its time

As a busy parent, it's remarkable that I love this game despite the time investment (and yes, partially because of it). Because the overarching narrative isn't really the driving force of the game, I don't feel like I have to accomplish anything in particular. Starfield is all about the journey, not the destination. It doesn't want you to get lost in a specific story, it wants you to wander and craft your own. It's very easy to lose yourself in this game for hours, but because of the discrete nature of individual missions, you can also pick up the controller for 30 minutes just to finish something off.

It's also got some nice quality-of-life features, including a tired, low-effort person bonus: the game's lowest difficulty setting is really easy . The toggle between first-person and third-person view works seamlessly, and I wish every game had these options. Ship controls and combat are simple to understand, and if you get tired of flying your ship from planet to planet, fast travel works well enough. The game feels designed to teach you what you need to know in the first five hours of gameplay, and then it sets you loose on the universe.

A Starfield sightseeing tour part three: green planet. Swapna Krishna/Bethesda Softworks hide caption

A Starfield sightseeing tour part three: green planet.

If all that sounds exciting to you, remember that this isn't a game to binge. It feels different than The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, another massive open-world title, because that game has a showdown it's clearly leading you towards. It felt like I needed to finish it for a sense of completion, whereas Starfield begs you to pace yourself.

That open-endedness definitely is the point. Starfield isn't about conquering the galaxy, it's about the joy of discovering it for yourself. A lackluster main story doesn't obscure just how much its stars really shine.

James Perkins Mastromarino contributed to this story.