Starfield

 

One of the most monumental things to happen in the gaming community over the past several years was the acquisition of Bethesda by Xbox - which has now been outdone by their massive purchase of Activision/Blizzard finalized a few weeks ago. Bethesda is a consistent heavy hitter, responsible for juggernauts like Elder Scrolls and Fallout, but also great "smaller" games like the Wolfenstein reboots (among others). Many of their RPGs are the stuff of legends (not you Fallout 76) and are games that stand the tests of time. 

Their acquisition by Microsoft left gamers wondering if it would also mean exclusivity...a potential huge win for Xbox to move more hardware and quite frankly, compete with PlayStation's massive exclusive catalog. That exclusivity came to pass, made even more exciting by the fact that Bethesda games quickly made their way onto GamePass, Xbox's subscription service that is re-writing the rules of how we buy games today. 

Starfield was Bethesda's first new IP (with regards to massive RPGs) in a long time. It had been announced years earlier and was eagerly awaited as their venture into space. And the best bit? It would be a Day 1 add to GamePass. As someone who doesn't get excited for much on Xbox outside of Forza Horizon, Starfield has been on my "must-play" list for a good while. As of the time of writing this review, I've been able to sink a good many hours into it though I'm admittedly not even close to being done thanks to a packed back quarter of the gaming year (which I rant about HERE). Despite that, I feel confident in my sentiment toward Starfield and that it's one that won't change drastically against another 20, 30, or even 40+ hours. 

Against what you may have heard with some shockingly negative reviews - I f**king love Starfield. It keeps some of the gripes that plague Bethesda RPGs, sure, but its rich story and world, semi-realistic space theme, and "holy s**t" amount of stuff to do has kept me tied and passionate to this new IP, and I don't see that letting up any time soon.

"Weeeeeee!!!"

*while humming*
"And I would walk 500 miles!"

Of course, there's plenty that I don't enjoy, as is the case with many (read: all) massive RPGs like this. I divide those "dislikes" into 2 camps: the stuff I don't need and can live without and the stuff I'm forced to interact with. Starfield is a perfect example of having a lot of the former camp that I knew, almost immediately, I wouldn't interact with it often AND I didn't really need it to have a good time. This includes things like building outposts, crafting specific materials, spacesuits, food, or medicines, and planet surveying (to a certain extent). I'm sure you could sink hours into these, especially the outpost building, but I spent maybe 15 minutes combined on all the items outside of planet surveying. You see, planet surveying also falls into that camp of stuff you do feel somewhat forced to do because it's so straightforward, easy, and a good way to unlock XP. It becomes mundane as hell sometimes, which is thanks to mostly to the fact there's no faster way to travel around a planet to different parts than landing, running to spot or two, then landing in a different spot. A collapsible motorcycle or "Ironman" suit would have been welcomed...and awesome. 

Also annoying - and this falls in the camp of things you MUST deal with - is loading screens and weight/capacity management. The loading screens have become the source of some good internet trolling and while I never felt like they lasted more than 3-5 seconds, there are moments where opening a door elicits one and I could only ask, "Really?". Capacity management is a Bethesda staple, and much like the "press X repeatedly to run" in Rockstar games (that almost singlehandedly prevented Read Dead II from getting a perfect score - dont @ me), it's kinda f**king ridiculous how much time you'll spend managing how much your character can carry when there are so many necessary things you NEED to carry. I understand it's not realistic, but there has to be a better solution than storing things on your ship. In this futuristic setting, can I not sell things straight from my inventory? Why do I need to go to a port with a vendor/machine? Eventually I got used to it, but even deep into my playthrough - with my capacity skill set to the highest - I would find my eyes watering at the fact I just spent 10-15 minutes managing my inventory and weight instead of exploring space!

"Oh you tryin to go, bro?!?"

And that's truly where Starfield shines, even more than some of Bethesda's predecessors. Thanks to a semi-realistic, futuristic setting, I almost immediately got Interstellar vibes from Starfield (a very good thing) so much so that I named my character Cooper Rath in homage to that film's daring protagonist. The core storyline was probably the most captivating overall one I've played in a Bethesda game to date and it kept me coming back to the core/main quests frequently which is something I usually reserve for after I've powered up and gotten sufficiently distracted. It ends up swinging for the fences and going BIG in its sci-fi concepts, making Starfield all the more memorable. This is also assisted by some fantastic characterization, particularly within the Constellation group of explorers. Sure, some of them are a bit cliched versions of characters we've seen before, but most - if you talk to them - have deeper pasts than you get on the surface. 

As is the case with many Bethesda games, this applied to side missions as well. While not every single one is a winner, more often than not I found them to be compelling mysteries, tasks, or plots I would seemingly randomly get involved in. That sense of "stumbling upon" is something these developers consistently nail, and in Starfield, with a list of quests and activities often 20-30 deep, I felt excited at all the prospects of things I could do (overwhelmed too, but in a good way).

With over 1000 planets to explore, space feels appropriately vast, big, and at times...boring. Another area where I've seen a lot of complaints is how barren most planets feel and I'm a bit torn. I believe there are plenty of fully fleshed out ones to explore, with a good heaping of barren planets with stuff to do. It's the planets that feel like they could have been copy+pasted and changed the color of the dirt - and subsequently there's nothing to do but survey them - that feel like a gap. That vastness of space and being able to travel between the "Settled Systems" was enticing and does feel infinite, BUT it was hard to just pick a random planet to travel to and be confident there was something worthwhile there outside of survey XP. It's hard to say if a few hundred planets, but each with something to do/achieve would have been better (I tend to lean yes) so it'll be interesting if the scope shifts for a almost-certain-but-far-away sequel.

Luckily, the gameplay itself is some of the best Bethesda has ever produced, which is saying a lot. For starters - and this came as a massive shock - Starfield is almost completely bug free. I can't remember an instance where something truly detrimental happened during my time with it and it's a testament for Bethesda to take the long-time monkey on their metaphorical backs and put it to rest. Beyond that, Fallout fans are sure to miss the VATS system, but overall I found the gunplay and traversal to be high-end for a game this massive. It's not as precise as something like Call of Duty, but the combination of various 1st and 3rd person views (that are very easy to switch between), a jetpack, sneaking, and quality gunplay make it simple to pick up and become effective right away. Guns themselves are frequently awesome with gorgeous designs, some useful special abilities, and lots of distinct feel between ammo types. Gun modifications were one of my only "crafting" elements I interacted with and while they are way too hard to achieve, I was always giddy to actually craft/add one if I had the materials. 

There's also space combat which I found much more difficult initially until I began experimenting with various uses of my power distribution. This fun micromanagement task has you placing blocks of power (very easily) into certain weapons systems, engines, jump drives, etc. to make each of those more efficient. It's a neat feature and when used right can make you ship much more nimble or much more dangerous with just a few button presses. Eventually space combat got to a place where I enjoyed it very much and had some incredibly intense moments of close-calls where I came out on top. There is a VATS-like targeting system that allows you to select specific parts of the enemy ship to destroy, the best of which comes when you take out their engines, dock with their ship, and enter it...killing the pirates (or innocents?) on board. Even things like jumping to other star systems is satisfying and the animation for it is unique - something I applaud the artists for thinking outside the box on. 

Of course, this would all be for naut if Starfield didn't look and sound good. While it's certainly not going to be winning any "best graphics" awards, I did find Starfield to be a consistently gorgeous game, particularly with its environments and cities. Character faces, while not up to par with AAA story-driven games, are the best and most natural Bethesda has ever had, which wonderfully matches the strong voice actors that go with them. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, the music and sound effects are great.

"One giant leap for mankind..."
Honestly, pretty awesome you can find/visit this

Starfield has issues that feel dated, yes. There are definitely some things I wish it did differently. But at its heart and core, it's still a Bethesda game meaning that there is a sense of exploration, stumbling upon random events, and a lived-in galaxy to compliment some of the best gameplay they've ever had and a compelling narrative that goes to big places. The "space" theme got a lot of extra mileage with me, while I feel like it may be part of what's holding it back for others. And to think this is now a Day 1 Gamepass game - after all the hours I have put into it and those that are sure to come - is pretty astounding. 

CONS

• Weight management still sucks and it's something Bethesda needs to streamline for 2023, plain and simple
• Not a huge con, but there's A LOT here that I will probably never interact with (e.g. outpost building). Some parts don't leave the same impact as I think they hoped
• Arguably too many planets when many of them are barren. I can appreciate and admire the scope, but being able to go to each planet with something incredible to do/find would have been tantalizing
• Surveying planets can be a fun distraction, but it's missing a faster form of travel to cut down on a lot of sprinting/jetpacking around
• XP, leveling up, and weapon upgrades feel a bit too far apart. There were sometimes 2 whole hours that would go by and I'd not even level up
• Main menu UI could use some work

PROS

• I love the space theme probably more than any of Bethesda's RPGs beforehand. It's captivating and fits perfectly with their sense of exploration
• Their bread-and-butter "stumble upon" events, side quests, and missions are alive and well. I was consistently wowed by how distracted I could get by following a lead of a character's conversation (for example)
• Core story is fantastic and swings for the big sci-fi fences. Complimented nicely by a strong cast of characters who all come with talented voice actors/actresses
• LOTS to do! Some of it I didn't interact with, but even without all of those segments, I was overwhelmed in the best of ways
• Some of Bethesda's best gameplay - and BUG FREE - with the combination of guns, melee, sneaking, and jetpacking. XP unlocks felt like they made true impacts in these areas
• Space combat, while more difficult to master, becomes really fun once you get the hang of it. Being able to subdue an enemy ship and board it is memorable
• Varied weapons that look damn cool
• Gorgeous game for something this big, with accompanying sound effects and music to make it a complete package
• Gamepass Day 1 is jaw dropping
• Hours and hours of exploration, wonderment, and fun (when you're not managing your weight/capacity)...all in space

Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10