Bethesda’s highly anticipated space RPG, Starfield, promised a vast and exciting universe with a thousand planets to explore. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite live up to this grand idea. While the scale of Starfield is impressive, it’s the story that doesn’t deliver. The game doesn’t capture the excitement and depth hinted at in its trailers, leaving players disappointed. Instead of a rich collection of stories across the stars, Starfield offers a lot of promises without really following through, making it hard to feel truly connected to the world.
Starfield’s ‘Recent Reviews’ have gone to ‘Mostly Negative’
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Lot of “Telling” and Not “Showing”
Starfield’s biggest issue is that it often describes exciting ideas and gritty themes without actually showing them to the player. This makes the whole experience feel less real and engaging.
For example, New Atlantis, the capital of the United Colonies, is hinted to be controlled by a strict government – armored guards, rebellious messages, and information that suggests a darker side. Yet, this excitement never pays off. The United Colonies seem perfectly friendly, leaving those initial hints feeling empty.
Neon, described as a dangerous city full of excitement, also promises a thrilling, risky side. Lightning strikes, heavy security, and rumors of addictive drugs paint a fascinating picture. But once again, Neon doesn’t deliver the gritty, intense experience it promises. It ends up feeling safe and ordinary.
Even the Freestar Collective, meant to feel like a wild-west setting in space, fails to impress. While the city of Akila looks good, the dangers and rough nature of its people never truly come to life.
Empty Worlds and Uninteresting Characters
This pattern of unfulfilled promises repeats throughout Starfield. Planets feel oddly lifeless, lacking the environmental dangers or fascinating surprises you’d expect. Pirates acting more like annoying kids than hardened criminals don’t help, either.
Instead of giving us a complex and engaging space adventure, Starfield presents basic ideas and underdeveloped concepts. These make even the most promising parts of the game feel flat and predictable.
One of Starfield’s core problems is that bethesda open worlds are really only interesting enough to explore if its fairly easy. Doesnt feel nice to walk across 10 minutes of empty desert to be greeted with a copy paste outpost full of text logs and 200 credits.
— Evan Submachine Gun (@turret_factory) March 16, 2024
Stars Lost from the ‘Starfield’
The result is that it’s hard to feel truly immersed in the world. Starfield feels like a collection of postcards from interesting locations rather than a real, lived-in universe. We explore vast landscapes that lack the rich life, fascinating societies, and genuine dangers that would make them feel believable. The hints of rebellion and criminal activity never develop into anything substantial, leaving exciting story possibilities unexplored. Ultimately, Starfield doesn’t capture the sense of wonder, danger, and exploration that a space adventure should have.
Is There a Saving Grace?
Admittedly, there are some fun moments in this huge title. The unusual quest with clones of historical figures at least provides a bit of strange entertainment within the otherwise predictable story. And the customizable spaceships are definitely a cool feature, even if those ladders could use improvement.
Better Alternatives Exist
For players looking for a truly immersive space RPG experience, Starfield doesn’t satisfy. Games like The Outer Worlds, while smaller, offer a much stronger story with characters who feel like real people. The Outer Worlds don’t just tell you about the strange groups fighting for power – it lets you experience their struggles, forcing you to make tough decisions that actually change the world. The writing in The Outer Worlds is also clever and funny, adding humor without ruining the serious tone.
Another alternative is Obsidian’s earlier title, Fallout: New Vegas. While not set in space, New Vegas creates a fantastic world filled with different groups fighting for power, interesting characters, and meaningful choices. Like The Outer Worlds, New Vegas doesn’t shy away from showing the complexities of its world. You can choose to help the corrupt New California Republic, the brutal Caesar’s Legion, or try to make your own path. The world of New Vegas reacts to your choices in a way that feels real, making you feel like you actually are changing things.
Final Thoughts
Starfield has its good points. The sheer size of its universe and its ambition are impressive. Yet, the bland storytelling, missed opportunities for depth, and the habit of “telling” rather than “showing” create a sense of disappointment. While spaceship enthusiasts might enjoy customizing their ships, those wanting a truly immersive and impactful spacefaring adventure are likely to be left wanting more.
While there is a lot for the developers to improve, the game in and itself is relatively new and is actively being taken care of by the developers. But will the above critiques be taken care of, that remains to be seen. To obtain further details regarding the most recent updates to Starfield, please click on the link provided.
