5 Things Starfield Got Right & 5 Ways It Could Have Been Even Better

By now, everybody is aware of how a lot effort and time went into Starfield, and it’s clear simply how a lot of that paid off. It’s unabashedly Bethesda, whereas increasing its scope far past the continents of Tamriel or North America and into the celebs. Nonetheless, like all video games, there are all the time going to be some flaws or downsides, so it’s solely honest to level out the place Starfield was missing whereas discussing what it did proper.

What Makes Starfield Out Of This World?

There actually is so much to like about Starfield. The sources put into making the sport what it turned out to be are clearly demonstrated in areas just like the environments, clean fast-travel system and world-building, making the sport memorable for years to come back. If that’s not sufficient, the soundscape and soundtrack are each breathtaking, instilling the sensation of journey in even simply the menus.

The Environments Are Beautiful

Say what you need about how various every of the planets are in Starfield, it’s troublesome to disclaim how gorgeous the visuals are for the environments within the recreation. Take any panorama, swap into photograph mode and snap an image; you’ll discover a fantastic picture nearly wherever you look. One thing concerning the sheer scale of each planet and simply how far-off issues are and look like actually makes it breathtaking simply to sit down and observe the view.

Not solely does this considerably add to the expertise of simply operating round and exploring the worlds within the galaxy, it may possibly make an enormous distinction for selecting a spot on your outposts as nicely. Who needs to construct an outpost on a frozen grey planet with no crops or animals? Certainly some folks do, however there’s nothing like waking up in your spherical Hab, making your self one thing to eat at your Cooking Station and watching the solar rise by way of the timber.

Quick Journey Works Nice

In a galaxy as huge and occupied as Starfield’s, it’s inevitable to wish an efficient system for getting round shortly. Whereas it could have been good to get to see extra direct journey between outer area and any touchdown web site, the truth that fast-traveling works in addition to it does is vital to the sport’s smoothness. This smoothness will get damaged up a bit by loading screens, however for every little thing being loaded without delay in every location, these loading screens are amazingly quick.

Your complete system of Grav leaping from place to put is a extremely intelligent approach to journey, being restricted by a sure distance that you just’re in a position to bounce at a time. Should you have been in a position to bounce so far as you wished from wherever you wished, it could be quicker, certain, however there’s an additional degree of scientific accuracy that’s achieved by solely permitting for sure size jumps relying on the Grav Drive you’ve acquired. It helps hold the sport from being somewhat too simple, whereas additionally preserving gamers immersed within the mechanical points of Starfield.

The World-Constructing is Extra Like Galaxy-Constructing

I’m deeply fascinated with the thought of area journey, and Starfield has carried out nothing however perpetuate that love. There’s simply one thing particular to the thought of touring between settlements on fully totally different planets in fully totally different star techniques within the blink of an eye fixed. Whereas not potential but, it’s thrilling to think about all of the locations humanity may possibly go. The thriller, the range, every little thing about it’s thrilling.

The extra I performed, the better it gave the impression to be to search out myself compelled to simply hold operating round and exploring totally different areas. I selected the Neon Avenue Rat background so I used to be barely obligated to spend time on Neon, however in all places you go there’s somebody round so that you can speak to and do a quest for. Akila Metropolis is stuffed with folks on the lookout for a serving to hand, and somebody may ship you to Cydonia for one thing, providing you with the possibility to maintain discovering extra folks with extra favors to ask.

The characters additionally aren’t simply sat in a vacuum (aside from area), however they assist hold you linked to the galaxy round you. As you full missions, your companions will react to you or folks will see you in another way, based mostly on the stuff you’ve carried out, preserving you invested in your choices based mostly on the characters you need to hold round you.

So That’s What House Sounds Like…

There’s nothing like wandering by way of an deserted constructing on an odd planet, solely to listen to one thing creak and groan across the nook you simply got here from. The sound of the wind whistling by way of the holes within the wall makes the hairs on the again of your neck rise up, and out of the blue your companion sneaks up behind you with footsteps that sound nearly alien. Not each recreation has the sources to spend money on robust sound design, however Bethesda made certain to not pull any auditory punches.

Ensuring your recreation sounds nice is much more than bringing a microphone exterior whereas it’s raining and calling {that a} job-well-done. Contemplate the sounds which have to enter each totally different weapon, in addition to the sounds of your boots operating on any floor possible, on prime of the ambient noises which can be consistently constructing the world to really feel increasingly more natural. It may get overwhelming making an attempt to wrap your head round every little thing they needed to design sounds for in Starfield.

To not point out simply getting inventive with the sounds the ship makes or the opposite points of the sport that don’t exist as a result of humanity simply hasn’t cracked the Grav Drive but. It’s lots of work to make all that sound plausible, but it surely’s definitely not for no motive. Sound design is among the most necessary components of creating content material really feel immersive, and Bethesda actually nailed it down.

Can You Hear the Music?

This has to go individually from the remainder of the sound design part as a result of there’s simply one thing to the music in Starfield that hits all the proper notes. It’s not simply the truth that every music provides you that “area exploration” feeling in your abdomen, however there are 79 songs and practically 5 and a half hours of music composed by Inon Zur to evoke that sense of limitless ambiance for infinite places.

The music in Starfield is a masterpiece proper off the bat, and this was completely Bethesda’s intention. As an alternative of leaving the music composition for later within the improvement cycle like the vast majority of the business, Todd Howard knew full-well that this recreation needed to be totally different. The music needed to evoke a way of surprise for the journey whereas additionally resonating on the frequency of isolation in a large galaxy.

Possibly it was as a result of I used to be spending lots of time in sure places, however I acquired to the purpose of having the ability to acknowledge what planets have what music simply because it’s all so distinct, whereas additionally being cohesive. Personally, I discover Cydonia’s music to be probably the most recognizable but in addition a number of the coolest, whereas Neon is available in at a detailed second. It’s the form of music that makes you need to load up the sport as quickly as you hear it.

What’s Retaining Starfield On the Floor?

There are all the time two sides to each coin. Whereas Starfield is a wonderful recreation and a blast to expertise, there are nonetheless a couple of issues that maintain it again from being as nice because it may have been. From the construction of the quests to the maps — or lack thereof — there are some things in Starfield that I might be remiss to go away out.

Too Many Quests Are Too Easy

I actually do take pleasure in going across the Settled Techniques and assembly all of the colourful folks of the galaxy, however typically it felt like the sport wished me to take action greater than I did. The Ryujin faction quests have been a pleasure as a result of I used to be targeted on the larger image of the company construction, however the majority of the quests consisted of being instructed to “go someplace and do a factor” after which return to work to report that it was carried out.

To not say that the subject material of Starfield’s quests wasn’t fascinating, as a result of quests just like the Juno mission actually had fascinating and intelligent ideas, however some missions within the recreation have been simply so simple as having a dialog. After doing 30 or so quests, I got here to search out myself hoping for one thing aside from a gaggle of pirates or Spacers to be between me and the target.

That being stated, there have been some quests that turned out to be inventive and compelling, just like the Mantis quest being a little bit of a thriller so that you can piece along with a puzzle in the midst of it, or the Deimos Armored Transport flipping the gravity on and off as you attempt to make your means by way of. Avoiding spoilers, the Entangled mission additionally has a really cool twist, but it surely takes lots of “go someplace and do a factor” to earn your approach to that time within the story.

Too A lot Want For Quick Journey

It’s been a typical sentiment among the many neighborhood for the reason that launch of the sport, however Starfield makes me really feel like I’m fast-traveling means an excessive amount of. I do know that I’m not, as a result of that’s simply how the sport is, however that doesn’t make it really feel any extra fulfilling. Take the Temple anomalies for instance. You’d need to go to the Eye or the Lodge to talk to Victor from wherever you’re, then fast-travel to no matter planet the anomaly is on, and as soon as you bought the ability, quick journey proper again to do it another time.

Quest strains begin to really feel such as you’re actually simply enjoying the sport from the pause menu as a result of when half of the mission aims are to journey to a location and the one approach to journey is to pop into the menu, it pulls me out of the immersion of the sport. Fortunately these load instances aren’t too lengthy, however even when there have been an animation of the ship touring in the course of the loading display, it could hold that course of from feeling so dry.

The Bethesda-Jank Pigeon-Holes the Sport Instantly

There are some individuals who love Bethesda video games like Fallout and Elder Scrolls due to their jank, whether or not it’s the NPCs or the varied physics mechanics within the video games. Whereas these little issues do add a sure degree of allure to the sport, personally I really feel like they maintain the sport again from being a lot greater than Skyrim in area.

Whereas this isn’t inherently a nasty factor in any respect — simply take a look at the success of Bethesda’s franchises — there’s one thing to be stated about having the ability to take a look at a raggedy character mannequin idly opening and shutting their mouths and eyes and level out, “Bethesda” with out even realizing for certain who made it. For the period of time that Starfield was in improvement, I feel my expectations may need simply been for one thing extra totally different than they have been prepared to develop.

Don’t get me flawed, I really like when a studio leans into what they know they’ll do greatest. Nonetheless, I really like much more after they take a threat and do one thing somewhat bit totally different to say, “I’m not simply what you already know me to be.” Think about how totally different Starfield could possibly be with cleaner animations and sharper character graphics on the sacrifice of possibly 20 or 30 star techniques. Simply notice — that’s me being very nit-picky, as a result of the characters do look excellent, however the digicam framing and animations are nonetheless unmistakably Bethesda.

I Want I Had Superpowers…

That is one thing that may be each good and dangerous, however I didn’t know that there have been Starborn powers in Starfield till after over 25 hours of gameplay. The constructive side of that is that there was sufficient recreation to occupy and entertain me with out having pursued the primary story line. Then again, I really feel like I shouldn’t have been allowed to stray away from that principal quest with out having all the options unlocked to a point.

Once more, it’s very cool to know that the sport is playable and fascinating with out having the powers, however given how a lot of the sport is revolving round that, you’d assume they’d have hard-locked you into the primary storyline to get your first energy earlier than you exit by yourself with out even realizing it’s an possibility.

This can be a totally different form of scenario from the Internal Neuroamp as a result of that comes on the finish of the Ryujin questline, however provides you a major benefit if you understand how to make use of it. In terms of your Starborn powers although, there have been loads of conditions that I might’ve cherished to have them all through my gameplay, if solely I’d recognized they even existed.

The place Am I Going?

Starfield is a completely large recreation, and it takes care of the problem of getting an enormous galaxy by having a clean, complete Starmap. Sadly, it looks like Bethesda’s cartography work stopped proper about there. Not one of the floor maps within the recreation are something near helpful, being grainy, topographical representations of the panorama. This isn’t such a nasty factor while you’re roaming a barren planet with nothing on it, however when you’re in a metropolis it turns into practically not possible to search out your means based mostly off the map.

It doesn’t even permit you to set a waypoint on your vacation spot when you’re on the planet. In case you have a mission lively you may observe the waypoint to that, however if you happen to have been making an attempt to make your approach to Terrabrew and didn’t know the way off the highest of your head, you’re not going to search out any luck checking your map to search out the best way.

I perceive that there can be lots of maps to make for all the totally different planets and settlements in Starfield, however it could definitely function a high quality of life replace for gamers. You may see icons from the map and quick journey to them, however something greater than that’s out of attain. It comes off as unusual to have the maps be so ineffective on the floor given how complete the Starmap seems to be.

Even with its shortcomings, Starfield acquired an excessive amount of proper to actually hold knocking it for the sake of knocking it. The sport has somewhat little bit of one thing for everybody, even when it’s important to slog by way of a couple of fetch quests to get to it. Irrespective of how a lot I’d complain about having to pop into the menu to quick journey, it’s a small worth to pay for attending to discover the galaxy to my coronary heart’s content material.

In regards to the writer

Nick Rivera

Nick Rivera graduated from the College of Pittsburgh in 2021 learning Digital Media and began as a Freelance Author with Twinfinite in early 2023. Nick performs something from Halo to Stardew Valley to Peggle, however is a sucker for a magnetic story.