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One of the greatest aspects that Starfield has to offer is its freedom. In terms of build, character development, ship and weapon customization, and so much more, players are free to play the game however they choose. The biggest contributor to the freedom of Starfield is its massive open-world map. With their trusty spaceship, players can explore the far reaches of the galaxy, hopping from planet to planet. In a way, out of any Bethesda RPG released so far, Starfield has set a new bar for the amount of freedom afforded to players. However, Starfield does have more linear progression systems, which include its main story. For some players, it can be difficult to decide whether to explore or complete the main quest line first as there are advantages and disadvantages to both choices. Though it comes to each player’s preferences, exploring the freedom of Starfield is arguably stronger than doing the main quest first.
Some Gear and Experience First Will Help Starfield’s Main Quest
Starfield can be a difficult RPG to get into at first. Systems, such as status effects, planetary exploration, and space travel in its entirety, can initially be a bit difficult to grasp. You can easily find yourself having learn via trial and error for the first few hours of Starfield, and this applies to quests as well. Until you are more intimately familiar with Starfield’s systems, some quests can feel overly long and drawn out. This isn’t a problem with Starfield’s main questline or difficulty, but rather more of the structure of the game itself. If you’re struggling with the early parts of the main questline, we highly recommend getting some side content done first.
Next, the level scaling of Starfield’s main quest expects you to get a bit of side content done. By rushing straight into the main story, you may find some enemies to be a bit too tough to handle. While this doesn’t make the quests impossible, it does drag out the amount of time it takes to complete them. Without proper skills, and upgrading from some subpar weapons, some quests can take much longer than you anticipate.
Exploring On Your Own Is More Satisfying
Lastly, at its heart, Starfield is a lot stronger when players are free to explore as they choose. At times, being stuck on Starfield’s linear main questline can be a bit frustrating. This is especially true when a vast universe beckons you to explore it. While Starfield’s main quest does do a good job of showcasing diverse places, exploring on your own is far more satisfying. In a way, it feels more like an adventure rather than a pre-planned path for you to travel on. Encounters feel more unique and spontaneous leading to a lot more fun. To many, these fun roleplaying moments are when Starfield is at its strongest. However, by exploring through the main story, some of these moments of self-discovery are lost.
Doing The Main Story First Has Some Benefits
Despite this, there are a few reasons to power through Starfield’s main quest and story first. Firstly, the main story quest allows you to unlock your important companions like Sarah, Sam Coe, Barret, and Andreja. If players put off the story, then they won’t be able to work on companion quests and romance. Additionally, some players find it annoying to have a massive quest sitting in their backlog. For completionists, it may be best to just get the quest out of the way.
However, for everyone else, we highly recommend doing at least some side content before Starfield’s main story. The side content will help Starfield feel more like a space roleplaying adventure rather than a predetermined, mission-based game. Additionally, by the time you’re back from the side content, the main story should be a breeze to get through. Boasting your new knowledge, experience, and gear, you’ll be able to find the Artifacts in no time. In the end, you can play Starfield however you want due to the game’s virtually limitless freedom.
