Starfieldwas a big swing for Bethesda, but a lot of people don’t think it quite hit the ball. Technically, it’s fairly sound, it makes a few meaningful improvements to the Bethesda RPG formula, and its world is vast and theoretically rife with opportunities for fun gameplay, but the package just didn’t come together for manyStarfieldplayers, who feel that it doesn’t live up to the gold standard set by the likes ofSkyrim.
For what it’s worth, Bethesda has heeded at least some of the criticism of its most recent RPG:Starfieldhas been expanded with well-meaning features like the REV-8, for instance, which addressed a major critique of the game’s exploration. But even these more substantial content drops haven’t been enough to reinvigorate interest in the game for the aforementioned detractors, and thepoor reception of theShattered SpaceDLCdidn’t help matters either. InStarfield’s wake, and as Bethesda continues its journey to polish its rougher edges, many have likened it toCyberpunk 2077, a similarly ambitious, wildly hyped-up RPG that didn’t live up to expectations, but improved dramatically with time. However, it’s becoming more and more clear thatStarfieldwon’t make aCyberpunk-like comeback, and it may have never even had the chance to.
Why Starfield (Probably) Won’t Make the Same About-Face as Cyberpunk 2077
Starfield’s Problems Run Deeper Than Cyberpunk 2077’s
WhileCyberpunk 2077’s main course wasn’t exactly what players expected—highly-touted features like wall-running and car customization were cut from the final product—its biggest issues were technical. It’s hard to forget how poorly optimizedCyberpunkwas at launch: the game could hardly run on PS4 and Xbox One consoles, and it was riddled with glitches that ranged from hilarious to game-breaking. Things were so bleak that Sony evenpulledCyberpunk 2077from the PlayStation Store, something that was virtually unheard of for a game ofCyberpunk’s caliber.
But the bones of the game were strong, and that’s what allowed CD Projekt Red to right the ship. Despite its myriad glitches and performance issues,Cyberpunk2077still had a great story, enthralling world, fantastic quest design, and hard-hitting combat sandbox, and all these strengths were merely obfuscated by its shoddy construction. By removing the warts, as it were, CD Project Red was able to bringCyberpunk’s inherent strengths to light; free content drops and the well-craftedPhantom LibertyDLC were just the cherries on top.Starfieldlaunched with bugs and performance issues too, but these were never its biggest problems.
Starfield’s ‘Problems’ Mostly Boil Down to Player Preference
To put it plainly,Starfieldcan’t address its biggest criticisms without being transformed from the ground-up, in a manner that isn’t realistic. For example, one of the biggest critiques leveled at the game relates to exploration, which many feel is bland by virtue ofStarfield’s procedurally generated planets. But this is a central design pillar ofStarfield; there’s no reasonable way to significantly change exploration without reversing course and making a non-procedurally-generated game. Similarly, players have critiqued the game’s world-building as flat, immature, and toothless—-problems that can’t be remedied without a total rewrite.
Nearly five years out from its initial launch,Cyberpunk 2077’s greatest strengthsremain mostly unchanged, because they never needed to change. They were drowned out by bugs and other technical issues, sure, but they were always there. When it comes toStarfield, players who bounced off the game at first probably won’t have much of a reason to come back, unless their primary concerns were related to technical problems or relatively minor gripes like the lack of vehicle exploration. It’s safe to say thatStarfieldwon’t win over too many players via updates or even a DLC, since its most commonly criticized elements aren’t matters of technical performance, bugs, or even features, but fundamental tenets of its design.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
