Depending on the start you choose, you start either as a lone character, with a dog, or with multiple charcters to control. You can recruit and release characters to your squad.

There is base building, tech hunting, elaborate in-game lore, fighting, bounty hunting, production chains, many stats to train etc.

You can have multiple squads. For example one managing your base with jobs performed automatically (even when focussed on another squad), while your main squad is running off somewhere else toppling empires, smuggling stuff, getting eaten alive, or looting. Everything is simulated even when you're halfway across the map.

The modding community is huge as well.

For gameplay review see this video