With Starfield on everyone’s space radars, not entirely for good reasons, some players are asking what is the biggest problem with Starfield. We have gone into detail below covering some of the biggest problems with this game and how the community is reacting to this game.
Starfield is an upcoming open-world role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios. The game is set in the 23rd century and allows players to explore a vast galaxy full of planets, moons, and space stations. The Space Opera epic will be available on PC and Xbox consoles upon the game’s release launch after being the star of the Xbox games Showcase earlier this year.
Bethesda’s Starfield is a familiar experience for fans of Skyrim and Fallout, but it also has the potential to be something new.
What are the biggest problems with Starfield?
The game promises a vast open world with thousands of planets to explore, as well as familiar elements like level-up points, crafting, and romanceable NPCs. However, some fans are concerned that Starfield will be too similar to previous Bethesda games and that it will not live up to the hype.
Others are more optimistic, arguing that Starfield’s space setting could offer a fresh experience that is unlike anything Bethesda has done before. They also point to the game’s ambitious scope, which could make it one of the most impressive open-world games ever created.
What are the Top 5 problems with Starfield?
While Starfield is still in development, some potential problems could impact its overall experience. Here are some of the biggest problems with Starfield that fans and players who have already started playthroughs are voicing their opinions about:
1. The Creation Engine
Starfield is being built on the Creation Engine, which is the same engine that was used to create Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76. The Creation Engine is powerful, but it is also known for its bugs and technical limitations. Some of the problems that have been reported with the Creation Engine in Starfield include poor optimization, frequent but fewer bugs and glitches, and lack of mod support.
2. Lack of innovation
Starfield is being developed by Bethesda, a studio that is known for its traditional open-world RPGs. While there is nothing wrong with this, some fans may be hoping for a more innovative game that pushes the genre forward. Starfield does not appear to be doing anything particularly new or groundbreaking, and it could end up feeling stale compared to other recent open-world RPGs.
3. Too ambitious
Starfield is a massive game with a lot of content. This could be a good thing, but it also means that there is a risk of the game feeling bloated and unfocused. Starfield will need to be very well-designed to avoid this problem.
4. Overhype
Starfield has been heavily anticipated for years. This could lead to some fans being disappointed with the final product, no matter how good it is. Bethesda will need to manage expectations carefully to avoid this problem
5. Character engagement
The facial animation and dialogue in Starfield are not looking very promising. These are two areas that Bethesda has struggled with for many years, and it does not seem that they have been able to make significant improvements.
Reddit users and Starfield fans are saying that the gameplay is repetitive already and the exploration quests are bland:
Why is Creation Engine problematic?
The Creation Engine is a game engine that Bethesda has used for all of its recent games, including Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76. It is a powerful engine, but it is also known for its bugs and technical limitations. Some people are concerned that Starfield will suffer from the same problems.
Here are some of the specific problems with the Creation Engine:
- Bugs: The Creation Engine is known for its bugs, which can range from minor annoyances to game-breaking glitches.
- Technical limitations: The Creation Engine is not as powerful as some of the newer game engines, such as Unreal Engine 5. This could limit the graphical fidelity and performance of Starfield.
- Limited modding capabilities: The Creation Engine is not as mod-friendly as some of the newer game engines. This could limit the creativity of the modding community.
- Creation Engine Age: It is something to note that Creation Engine is over years old as its release was November 2011. The leaps and bounds that have been taken in video gaming technology since then only highlight the lack of optimisation from it.
Does Starfield Lack innovation?
For those not intimately familiar with Bethesda’s Publisher previous titles, Starfield presents an opportunity to experience a fresh take on open-world gaming, with missions set across galaxies. While scepticism surrounding the genre’s corporate giants is warranted, there’s a sense of wonder and curiosity that open worlds can inspire when they transcend mere killing and looting. Starfield, despite its potential shortcomings, seems to be striving to rekindle that dream of a truly open and immersive gaming experience.
So far it seems through screenshots and graphics at Starfield Direct that the lack of innovation that could have been taken with this game has become a clear disappointment for fans.
Is Starfield Too Ambitious?
Starfield’s premise of interplanetary exploration diverges significantly from the familiar landscapes of Skyrim and Fallout. The absence of real-time, in-game transitions between space and planetary surfaces, as seen in competitors like No Man’s Sky, results in a more segmented gameplay experience. This shift in design may make the game feel more like a collection of isolated quests and exploration rather than a cohesive, immersive world.
Furthermore, the scope and scale of Starfield, while impressive, could be seen as merely promising more of the same. The challenge lies in recapturing the magic of older titles like Skyrim, which managed to blend RPG systems with a captivating world that felt distinct from the typical open-world formula.
Is Starfield Overhyped?
Since its announcement it has been 6 years ( including delays ) and as such interest and hype have waxed and waned repeatedly throughout this time resulting in disappointment for early reviewers who were originally excited about this game.
The notion of Starfield as a game tailored for returning players may inadvertently disregard a significant portion of Bethesda’s audience – those who have grown critical of the developer’s open-world RPG design. Bethesda’s open-world games often inspire a unique blend of admiration and contempt among their player base and modding community, a phenomenon less common in response to rival franchises like Souls or Assassin’s Creed. This causes a problem with Starfield for returning players as the hype around this game will be compared to older classics that they have nostalgic feelings for.
Part of this contempt stems from Bethesda’s grandiose marketing descriptions that contrast sharply with the often high bug counts and unstable nature of their games although it seems that Starfield has the fewest bugs of any Bethesda game so far. Starfield’s trailers portray a sleek and cohesive experience, but history suggests that it may still harbour its own share of technical hiccups.
While such imperfections have added a certain charm to past Bethesda titles, they might be less forgivable in a new IP, especially one positioned as a flagship Xbox exclusive. This combined with the other problematic issues above creates a world of high expectations for this game.
Are the Characters engaging in Starfield?
The final problem with Starfield that we have found within community discussions and after gameplay is that the character models are stiff. This is a criticism Bethesda has received before with many well-known memes containing bland-faced Skyrim NPCs interacting with ridiculous scenarios only to keep their blank demeanour.
Facial Animation
One of the most common criticisms of Bethesda games is their poor facial animation. This has been a problem for many years, and it seems that Bethesda has not been able to improve it much.
In the Xbox Games Showcase, Bethesda said that they had made improvements to the facial animation in Starfield. However, the footage that was shown afterwards did not seem to support this claim. The facial animation was still noticeably stiff and robotic, and the character designs were quite boring.
It is possible that Bethesda will be able to improve the facial animation in Starfield before the game is released. However, based on what has been shown so far, it is unlikely that the facial animation will be a major improvement over previous Bethesda games.
Dialogue
The dialogue in Bethesda games is also often criticized for being hokey and basic. This is a problem that has persisted for many years, and it does not seem to have been addressed in Starfield.
The dialogue in the Starfield trailers is just as hokey and basic as the dialogue in previous Bethesda games. It sounds like it was written by a programmer, not a professional writer. Even the voice acting is not very good.
It is possible that Bethesda will be able to improve the dialogue in Starfield before the game is released. However, based on what has been shown so far, it is unlikely that the dialogue will be a major improvement over previous Bethesda games.
Overall, the facial animation and dialogue in Starfield are not looking very promising. These are two areas that Bethesda has struggled with for many years, and it does not seem that they have been able to make significant improvements to create engaging and realistic characters.
Final Words
These are just some of the potential problems with Starfield. It is still too early to say how serious these problems will be in the final release of the game. However, if they are not addressed, they could significantly impact the game’s overall experience. Ultimately, only time will tell whether Starfield is a success. However, it is clear that the game has the potential to be both a love letter to fans of Bethesda RPG’s previous games and a bold new step forward for the studio.
However, one thing is for sure: Bethesda has its work cut out for it. As Bethesda ventures into the unknown with Starfield, the gaming community must grapple with questions of innovation versus repetition. Will Starfield breathe new life into the open-world RPG genre, or will it fall victim to the overfamiliarity and technical issues that have plagued its predecessors? Only time will tell whether Starfield can strike a balance between nostalgia and innovation, offering both returning players and newcomers a gaming experience worth exploring.
If you want to know more about Starfield, check out our other guides to work out if this game is for you such as, Is Starfield multiplayer? and Is Starfield bigger than Skyrim?