“Starfield’s” new launch has recently hit the video game market on Xbox and PC, and people are picking it up. The recent release has come from the Bethesda Game Studios, the same people who made “Fallout: New Vegas”, “Skyrim”, “Fallout 4”, and the infamous, “Fallout 76”. Bethesda Game Studios has been hoping this release will put the studio back to its previous triple-A status. So far, “Starfield” has seen some success on its PC release with its Steam revenue alone, climbing over $80 million in sales in its first week according to GameSensor.com
I think there might be something to those numbers. The game plays very similar to previous Bethesda titles but brings in new features I really enjoy. It freshens up the game and it allows it to be more unique. For example, adding ship customization in the game gives people the ability to draw inspiration anywhere from Star Wars to a school bus, or even something just barely functional. In addition, generally, the customization in Starfield is quite enjoyable. I like the menus you can access for customizing and they aren’t too difficult to navigate.
Another thing I really like about “Starfield” is the side missions. They shine in many different ways that fit just about all of the available backgrounds for any character you choose to create. Because of “Starfield’s” open world, you are bound to come across someone or some place that has fleshed out missions and objectives. While some missions you will find more fun than others, “Starfield” does a great job at encouraging exploration.
Overall, the gameplay is pretty good. I am happy with the work Bethesda put into this project. However, some things are hard to miss and unfortunately, I would much rather have a polished game than some of the bugs that have crawled their way into Starfield. To some players this would be a serious issue and will break them out of their immersion.
The first and biggest issue I have encountered is the long wait times. It is a huge break of immersion that I dislike. I know some other players also dislike it. The game makes you go through so many different menus in order to load up the different areas of the game. Any time you’re going to or from planets, there is always a loading screen. This is typical Bethesda fashion, might I add, but in such a way that it is constant.
The game isn’t as interesting as I would like it to be as far as the planet terrain goes. Some of the planets seem to be too desolate. Obviously, as I mentioned before, the side missions shine, but the other side of it is the landscapes. It might be too expansive for its own good. This leads me to my next point with all “Starfield’s” expansive world building, it needs menus and loading times since this of course is a Bethesda game. This could be another issue for most players.
What brings this game back is the mod support. Players will be able to have dedicated mods made by Bethesda or even fellow players to add changes or “modifications” to “Starfield.” Official PC and Xbox mod support won’t come out till sometime next year, but for PC users, like me, you’re in luck. You will be able to mod to your heart’s content. All in all, the community surrounding this game is what brings me back.
“Starfield” is an RPG or a “role playing game,” not a combat simulator or massively multiplayer, so if you want a different experience, play a different game. Overall, I would have to give this game a solid 8.2 out of 10. While the game does well in certain areas as I have mentioned above, it struggles in more than one way as I also referenced. Ultimately, it stays above a score of 5, but below 10. It isn’t a perfect game, it can be better, but I am looking forward to the best it can be.
