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After years of rumors, leaks, and trailers, fans are finally set to get their hands onย Starfieldย this coming September. The game will surely be massive and likely consume dozens of hours of our lives! It has even been labeled as a “combination of five or six games in one” by Bethesda’sย Todd Howard. However, there is still one more month of waiting ahead, meaning players will need something to help pass the time. Here are 10 great space games to play while you wait forย Starfield.
10: No Man’s Sky
We all knew this pick would be here!ย No Man’s Skyย was released to mixed reviews in 2016. Since then, however, the game has receivedย vitalย updatesย and improvements, turning it into a solid, highly regarded space exploration sim.
Although it may not contain many of the RPG elements that we are looking forward to inย Starfield,ย it no doubt shares that same feeling of isolation and exploration. Plus, the game is constantly being iterated on, so if there’s something you wish it had, there’s a good chance it will be added in the future.
9: Star Citizen
Star Citizenย is not a game for the faint of heart. Many die-hard fans of the game call liken it to franchises such asย World of Warcraft,ย where all other forms of entertainment pale in comparison.
The title ofย Star Citizen isย self-explanatory. Players will assume the role of an ordinary human as they attempt to gain a reputation amongst the millions of others in the settled systems. This involves taking on jobs such as cargo runs, bounty contracts, and much more. In this aspect,ย Star Citizenย is quite similar to Bethesda’s upcoming game, making it the perfect title to indulge in until the wait forย Starfieldย is over.
8: Kerbal Space Program
If building a personalized rocket to traverse the galaxy is the sole reason you are anticipatingย Starfield,ย then check outย Kerbal Space Program! Despite its rather cartoonish style, the game has been praised mainly for its impressive gravitational and orbital mechanics. This, in conjunction with a drip-feed progression system, makes KSPย impossibleย to put down.
We highly recommend sticking to the first entry in the series, as the sequel is a bit of a bummer. Don’t fret, though, because a hyper-active modding community has ensured thatย Kerbal Space Programย is as fresh as the day it was released.
7: The Mass Effect Trilogy
The first three in theย Mass Effectย series were aย cultural phenomenonย when they first hit store shelves. Despite being some of the first AAA space RPGs, the games were executed masterfully.
Gameplay-wise, the series is quite different fromย Starfield.ย However, stellar characters, gorgeous set pieces, and hard-hitting story beats are all aspects we expect the two to share. Pick up the legendary edition for the most streamlined version of the trilogy, and prepare for an emotional rollercoaster while you wait forย Starfield.
6: Cyberpunk 2077
Although the two games are stylistically different,ย Starfieldย andย Cyberpunk 2077ย have more in common than what initially meets the eye. In fact, CD Projekt RED took clear inspiration from Bethesda’s line-up of titles while developingย Cyberpunk. Side quests, skill trees, and dialogue options are all an important part of the game.
Cyberpunk 2077ย has alsoย improved drasticallyย since its launch. After a few years of constant patches and updates, the game is the most stable it has ever been – and just in time. Theย Phantom Libertyย DLC is set to release on September 26th, just 20 days afterย Starfieldย finally launches.
5: Fallout 4
Chances are that if you are anticipatingย Starfield,ย you already have a hefty amount of time spent in Bethesda’s previous few games. However, on the off chance that you have never playedย Fallout 4,ย it offers the perfect gameplay experience while you wait forย Starfield.
Fallout 4ย tells the story of a parent who, after being cryogenically frozen, loses contact with their infant son. The whole game will feel very familiar to those acquainted with Bethesda RPGs, even despite the lackluster dialogue options. The ending of the game is astonishing and not talked aboutย nearlyย enoughย in gaming culture. Do yourself a favor and play throughย Fallout 4ย as the perfect appetizer toย Starfield.
4: Deep Rock Galactic
Deep Rock Galacticย is all about mining for precious metals on exotic alien planets. The game absolutely refuses to get old, offering players a plethora of classes, biomes, and weaponry to spice things up.
If playing through a massive RPG right before diving intoย Starfieldย sounds like a bad idea to you, then giveย Deep Rock Galacticย a try. The game is light-hearted, the community is welcoming, and the 4-play coop makes for someย hilarious adventuresย with friends. Just be sure not to take the losses too hard, asย DRGย can be unexpectedly tough!
3: Destiny 2
Bungie’s live-service shooterย Destiny 2ย is bombastic and over-the-top in all the best ways. The game clearly caters to fans ofย science fantasyย and is not afraid to prove it by offering some of the most stunning visuals in any sci-fi game ever created.
Destiny 2 has a lot going for it right now, despite having come out way back in 2017. Some of the best gunplay of all time, along with constant content updates, means it has plenty of life left! At the end of the day, the base game is free, so don’t be afraid to give it a go.
2: Elite Dangerous
Elite Dangerousย offers what is possibly the greatest space-flight gameplay available right now. Combined with a complete recreation of the Milky Way Galaxy, the game is a fantastic placeholder forย Starfield.ย
It differs fromย Starfieldย in that the game is an MMO rather than a single-player RPG. This creates some experiences that areย truly unique in the gaming space. There are even reports of a 3,000+ player battle that took place over the course of several days! Some epic space fights and pirating should hopefully make that long wait forย Starfieldย feel just a bit shorter.
1: The Outer Worlds
Developed by Microsoft’s Obsidian Entertainment,ย The Outer Worldsย is pound-for-pound the closest thing you can currently get toย Starfield.ย For good reason, too โ designing a multi-planet RPG is a nearly impossible task.
The award-winning single-player RPG has been heavily praised for its fantastic script and character writing – something that isย endlessly evidentย through the game’s potent dark humor. If the first one has you hungry for more, rest easy knowing that a sequel is actively in development.
Related:
Starfield Wonโt Feature Mounts or Ground Vehicles
Starfieldย is scheduled to release on September 6, 2023.
