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Starfield is one of the largest and most ambitious sci-fi RPGs ever created. With a deep and branching story, base building, space and surface combat, crafting, supply chains, romance, and more, there’s seemingly no end to the content. Some features show Bethesda at the top of their game. Others reveal weaknesses in this otherwise brilliant title. Given Bethesda’s devoted modding community, many of the current flaws will eventually be fixed one way or another. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the many things Starfield got right, as well as some ways it could have been even better.
Got Right: Ground Combat
At first, ground combat can feel underwhelming. With a few hours under the player’s belt, however, ground combat becomes one of the most satisfying parts of the game. The biggest factor in this change is the additional tools that players can bring to the table. Between new weapons, skills, powers, and mods, there’s always an exciting way to take down the enemy. Weapons look and feel great. Reload animations feel polished. Enemies ragdoll satisfyingly across the room, especially in zero-gravity environments. Given how lackluster combat in Skyrim often feels, it’s wonderful to see that it’s one of the things Starfield got right.
Could Have Been Better: Spongy Enemies
There is one major issue where ground combat is concerned: spongy enemies. It’s reasonable for hulking robots and other heavily armored enemies to take a beating before they die, but for other enemies, there’s no excuse. An ordinary pirate in light armor should not survive five shotgun blasts to the chest. It feels unrealistic, looks silly, and wastes ammo. Taking certain perks and weapons into combat fixes part of this problem but not all of it. Even with the right build, some enemies tank attacks in ways that feel disconnected from both the lore and gameplay. Rebalancing enemy health would be relatively easy in the scheme of things, and it would make the game better.
Got Right: Ship Customization
The main story hands the player their first ship early on, but it’s far from the only vessel players will control. Throughout the game, there are numerous opportunities to buy, earn, or steal new ships. With each addition to the player’s hanger, there comes a ton of customization options. Choose from multiple weapons, place them where you like, and paint them how you want. If the Grav Drive is getting in your way, move it somewhere else. The default ships in Starfield all look good and work well, but nothing compares to the ability to customize one’s own. A fully modded and customized ship feels as much a part of the crew as any other party member, which is a testament to just how satisfying this system is.
Could Have Been Better: Dialog Options
Conversations in Starfield are a mixed bag. In some, dialog choices feel impactful, and you can see how your words shape everything that follows. In others, it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. This problem is worsened by the fact that the quality conversations is uneven. In general, is dialog something Starfield got right? Yes. Yet many conversations contain multiple underwhelming lines. This issue isn’t enough to ruin the story or the game, but it does detract from an otherwise solid experience. Unfortunately, dialog is one of the areas least likely to change, even with modding. Given that the game is fully voiced, fixing dialog is just too much to ask.
Got Right: Exploration
The more one plays, the more one realizes the sheer depth of Starfield. That depth reveals itself in many ways, but the best and most consistent is exploration. In space, there are random encounters with pirates, bounty hunters, and civilians. In cities and settlements, there are tons of side quests, hidden items, secrets, and easter eggs. Even in the procedurally generated wilderness beyond civilization, there’s plenty to do. Explore caves, collect resources, or find the perfect location for an outpost. There are reasonable complaints one can make about how exploration occurs, but there’s no denying it’s one thing Starfield got right in both quality and scope.
Could Have Been Better: Loading Screens
While the overall quality of exploration is high, many players have a major issue with one aspect of it: loading screens. Whether the planet is preparing to land on a planet’s surface, jumping from one star system to another, or just exiting a bank, there’s a loading screen. To the game’s credit, they’re fast. Unfortunately, they’re also everywhere. Arguably part of this problem is self-inflicted. Fast traveling is the main issue, and no one is forcing players to fast travel rather than explore the game more organically. Even setting aside fast travel, however, loading screens remain a problem. Considering how much Starfield got right, however, we might be able to let this one go.
Starfield is available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
