Starfield Overview
Starfield offers a single-player open-world space adventure, combining FPS experiences and space combat. Starfield, Bethesda’s highly anticipated release, initially generated immense excitement within the fan community. However, some fans expressed disappointment over what they perceived as a lack of immersion. Bethesda’s response to this criticism received mixed reception. Nevertheless, Bethesda has demonstrated their dedication to their loyal fan base by announcing an upcoming patch that aims to address some of these perceived flaws. This proactive step showcases their commitment to strengthening their relationship with fans. With that said, Starfield is a highly recommended game and it’s worth playing.
What we like about the Starfield
leveling and skills
The game’s skill and leveling system exemplifies Bethesda’s signature style. Skill assets are categorized into five main areas: Physical skills contribute to health, stealth, and carrying capacity. Social skills center around economic prowess, leadership qualities, and interpersonal relationships. Combat skills shape your fighting style, while science skills amplify your manufacturing and crafting abilities. Tech skills provide expertise in piloting ships, utilizing jetpacks, and mastering lock picking. Each skill category allows for the placement of 4 skill points, and Players can acquire skills at a rate of 1 skill point per level.
Customization
Another aspect of the game we found well done is the customization, both in ship building and character creation. However, some players wanted more design freedom. To address these concerns, Bethesda’s upcoming update promises to enhance ship customization and other aspects of the game’s customization.
Ship customization in Starfield offers players a wide range of options and combinations to personalize their vessels. Currently, players can choose from various pre-designed modules, but an upcoming update will provide them with the opportunity to fully customize their ships.
I feel the character creation was well done as it provides a user-friendly experience and a wide range of options to explore. However, it’s worth noting that currently, the feature is limited to creating human characters, which is a missed opportunity considering the captivating space adventure theme of the game. It would have been truly exceptional to have the freedom to choose from a diverse selection of alien races, similar to the extensive race selection offered in Skyrim.
Character Combat
The FPS aspect of the game is comparable to most FPS games, offering a diverse range of combat styles, including heavy weapons, sniper, stealth, and hand-to-hand combat builds. While I am satisfied with the overall feel of combat, I believe that there is room for improvement in terms of weapon selection. Adding a little more variety would greatly enhance the overall gaming experience, especially in the area of melee weapons.
Planetary Surveying and outposts
The planetary aspect of the game is well-executed, with Planetary Surveying and outpost building being the main focus. Planetary surveying, a specialized skill that involves utilizing a scanner, allows players to accurately identify and utilize valuable resources on diverse planets. This technique enables in-depth exploration of intricate ecosystems, revealing a captivating range of wildlife and flourishing plant life. Starfield’s Planetary Outpost and Manufacturing offers an extensive manufacturing system, empowering players to establish outposts on different planets and have control over the entire process from extraction to production to market.
Space Travel and Combat
Even though I give Starfield an overall positive rating, there is room for improvement to enhance the overall experience. For one, space travel is an area where players have expressed their dissatisfaction with the game. Although the combat itself was decent, many players found the transition from space to planets, accompanied by cutscenes, to be a significant drawback. The overall experience could be greatly enhanced by allowing players the ability to seamlessly navigate planetary atmospheres and soar above the planet’s surface. Many modern games have greatly minimized or eliminated the use of cutscenes. Cutscenes left players slightly let down as they took away from the immersive nature of the game, making it feel more reminiscent of games developed in the mid-2000s.
Vendors and game economy
The economy in Starfield is another aspect in need of improvement, especially when it comes to vendors’ limited buying power. Players often find themselves spending a significant amount of time traveling to multiple vendors to sell their goods. Another challenge arises from the need for players to reset the vendor, which requires a considerable amount of time spent waiting or sleeping. Although an upcoming update is expected to address these concerns, the current limitations greatly impact the ease of selling goods.
Conclusion
Bethesda aims to ensure that Starfield becomes a long-lasting success. Despite some initial disappointment, they are actively working on resolving issues and enhancing the game. We strongly believe in the immense potential of Starfield and eagerly anticipate the upcoming release announcement. Stay tuned for more exciting updates.
- REVIEW SCORE: 85
- Game Play: 90
- GRAPHICS: 95
- RE-PLAYABILITY: 80
- TECHNICAL: 90
- Sound & Music Design: 80
- Immersiveness: 70