Starfield, the latest RPG release from Bethesda Softworks, is the subject of conversation among games reviewers everywhere. It introduces a whole new setting to the Bethesda collection of games, sending players far away from the grounded settings of Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, and into the vastness of space. However, like many of the studio’s previous releases, it has drawn mockery and criticism due to unfinished releases, persistent bugs, and poor performance.
Starfield is a role-playing game set in space, vast and full of planets to explore. Its graphics are much better than previous Bethesda games, being the first Bethesda game designed specifically for next-gen consoles. It gives the player great freedom of choice, letting them decide if they want to be a deadly pirate, a corporate executive, or a freelancer doing odd jobs. It features a supposed thousand planets and an almost infinitely explorable universe, as well as smooth combat. However, reviewers are split about how good the game actually is.
Bethesda’s hallmark of infinitely explorable worlds and great freedom of choice is praised by many reviewers, but other reviewers say that the universe of Starfield is too large to feel interesting. Many critics take jabs at the lack of ground-to-space takeoff and travel, citing the fact that fast travel maps ruin immersion and take all the fun out of space travel. Others say that the universe feels empty and devoid of life other than in a few concentrated places, making long-distance travel boring, without any randomly generated encounters or structures to interest the player.
In addition, many people criticize the game for not running well on lower-end systems, causing lag and performance problems. In response, the director and executive producer of Bethesda, Todd Howard, said in an interview “You may need to upgrade your PC”. This drew ire from many people who thought the game was unoptimized and preferred a game that they could run on less powerful and more affordable systems. The game files also take up almost 140 gigabytes of storage space, requiring larger storage drives or cutbacks on files.
Other subjects of criticism are the engine bugs that have become a hallmark of Bethesda games, the lack of character and engaging story, and the lesser focus on planetary exploration that should define any spacefaring adventure game. However, gamers praise the excellent graphics, smooth combat, and open ship design mechanics.
Many players who were disappointed at first still believe in the game’s potential, as Bethesda has patched less functional games to states of playability. Even though player counts are high, and reviews are generally favorable, the future of the game – and Bethesda Studios – is uncertain. Yet again, the studio has over-promised and under-delivered.
Starfield is available now for $70 on PC and Xbox.
