I Guess I’m The Only Starfield Fan In The Universe

There’s no other way to say it: I like Starfield. I like Star Wars Outlaws. And just wait until I tell you I liked Concord as well.

There’s a pattern. And that pattern is space games that people don’t like, I seem to be drawn to. You remember No Man’s Sky? The game that launched in 2016 to very high expectations, lots of promises, and a whole universe of possibilities?

What we ended up getting was not quite that, but I still loved No Man’s Sky, even pre-redemption arc. I played it so much, enjoying the simplicity of exploration, gathering minerals, and flying from planet to planet. I even got the Platinum Trophy in this barren state.

It certainly wasn’t what was promised, there’s no denying that, but I’ve stuck with the game through all these years to the incredible and still-ongoing point it’s at now. Back then, though, I felt alone – both in a vast universe, but also in this universe, as a No Man’s Sky fan.

Even if it didn’t evolve the way it did, it would have remained in my good books as a game I was fond of and thought of in a good light. Now I feel like I’m in the same ship once again, but with Starfield.

Is There A Curse On Space Games Or Something?

Little did I know that was the start of the pattern of loving space games that wouldn’t really get good for another seven years or so – but to be clear, no, I’m not talking about Star Citizen. I’m not getting involved in that money sink until it’s a complete game, if that ever happens.

I’m talking about Starfield, a game that came out in 2023, after high expectations following Bethesda Game Studios’ history of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.

I’ll be honest, I was very cautious. I was into the idea back when it was announced with a title screen, and then as the years passed with no real news or proper looks, my expectations began to turn into skepticism. I started to think it might be something like Fallout 76, something that wouldn’t appeal to me, or something that would already have been outdone by another game by the time it launched.

But then we got a deep dive, from the big boy Todd Howard himself, and suddenly, I was back in.

Starfield Is Pretty Great, Actually

Contrasting to the arcade-esque, old-school science fiction novel style that No Man’s Sky was going for, Starfield is more grounded in realism. A fiction within our own future, boasting a NASA-punk aesthetic (I still don’t quite understand what that means, but at the same time, it makes sense). It felt like the perfect pairing to No Man’s Sky for me – the other end of the sci-fi spectrum, with Bethesda Game Studios at the helm.

However, it didn’t launch to the level of popularity that a game like Skyrim has. And it was never going to, of course. It did score good reviews, but the community of people who ended up really enjoying it was small by Bethesda’s standards, and the masses mostly picked at it, demanded The Elder Scrolls 6 instead, or wrote it off entirely.

It’s completely fair to dislike Starfield, and I can certainly see why it has nowhere near as widespread an appeal as The Elder Scrolls or even Fallout. But at the same time, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout are often defended with a comfortable rose-tinted veil of nostalgia.

Bethesda Has Never Been That Great, But Everything Else Has Improved

A big criticism is that Bethesda has not evolved its formula or gameplay, and I agree, it didn’t come as far as it could have in the eight years between proper BGS games. But it’s still one small step forward, and a giant leap for the future of the genre.

Bethesda’s Lead Writer even said they believe Starfield is the best game Bethesda Game Studios has ever made, and honestly, that’s completely true. Technically.

I’m not saying you have to like this game, or even that it does everything better than Skyrim and Fallout 4. I’m not even saying there aren’t improvements to be made on Starfield – I have my own long wishlist of features and tweaks, trust me.

But when looking at the steps Bethesda has made, from gameplay improvements to graphical accomplishments, Starfield is impressive from a technical standpoint when compared to the studio’s previous works. Even with its quest design, I’m happy enough with the main story, but the best quests in Starfield are the side missions you’ll get caught up in. And the same can be said for Skyrim, to be honest.

But look, I’m not going to convince you, and that’s okay. I can understand the criticisms as much as anyone, and I do think this game is very suited to me, which is a shame because so many other people were waiting for Bethesda’s next game for so long, too. I do hope that The Elder Scrolls 6 can incorporate some of the accomplishments from Starfield, while making sure to bring more of those fans back in with something truly special.

Starfield

Systems

4.0/5

Released

September 6, 2023

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence