620°
4.0

Starfield - Empty Spaces (Review) | The Jimquisition

Starfield is a shallow ocean, hiding its lack of creative ambition behind the physical size of a universe that’s minuscule where it counts.

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thejimquisition.com
Jin_Sakai322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

I’ve been watching lots of gameplay footage and it’s literally a loading simulator. You fly to space “loading screen” you land on a planet “loading screen” you exit your ship “loading screen” you open a door “loading screen” It will honestly put you to sleep watching people streaming the game. And don’t get me started on the dead eyed NPCs that literally stare into your soul.

CrashMania322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

Yep, there's nothing seemless about it, I think a 4/10 is harsh, I finished the story the other day and I'd rate it a 6, maybe a 6.5, not a bad game per se, but very underwhelmed is how I'd describe it for me.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I just can't fathom the 9 and 10 scores, interested to see where it'll end up score wise on metacritic, as it's definitely skewed with the selective code distribution so far

z2g322d ago

But have you played it….

ken2813322d ago

The 9 out of 10 comes from Xbox players having a new game to play after a record horrible drought. If you drink only water for 3 years a new green tea will be the greatest drink ever. PS fans are sipping on different kind of Sodas so we looking at XBox fans like whatever.

crazyCoconuts322d ago

Yeah 4/10 means flat out broke, it's obviously not that bad. Gotta throw out the outliers

notachance322d ago

yeah definitely not a 4/10.. I'm 6 hours in and I'd rate it 6-7/10.
It truly gets boring fast, and I don't know why but there seems a bit too much loading screen between plays even though I always use fast travel in other games too, but they're never as annoying as the one here.

It's fallout 4 in space.. literally, there's nothing different to the gameplay from their previous games other than space dogfight.

Rdeal321d ago (Edited 321d ago )

Sounds like you rushed through the story so that explains why your score it so low and if you followed a decent critic score site like opencritic, you would see it has a lot more reviews with a higher score

LordoftheCritics321d ago

Jim's final attempt at relevancy.

CrashMania321d ago

@rdeal

I had an early copy and did not rush the story, I never rush games like this. I tried to enjoy the exploration but when it's mostly just procedurally generated barren wastelands with repetitive actvitis it got old for me fast.

andydalum319d ago

I feel for many including myself that rate the game as a 9 or a 10 because of all the game elements combined make it that fun for us. Between designing our own ships, our own settlements, NG+ variants, exploration yes it exists even though many claim it doesn't, gunplay is good (much better than fallout 4). I love being able to store whatever I want on my ships, I love being able to take everything I can see mostly. If you only focus on the main story and that's it I could see people thinking it's a great game. I find it hard to believe anyone who enjoys alot of the different aspects of the game would be that low on it.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 319d ago
outsider1624322d ago

So i was right all along. There's nothing unique experience about it as Mr.obscure put it.

thesoftware730322d ago

So this review, from 1 site I never heard of makes you right?

wow.

outsider1624322d ago

@software
I was talking about obscure's comment about being a unique experience when he hyped it. As i replied there's nothing unique about it..

neutralgamer1992322d ago

Software

You never heard of Jim Sterling ?

LightofDarkness322d ago

Hot take: TES and Fallout are also pretty mid as a whole. BGS just keep cranking out the same basic game and it’s always been quite shallow, certainly after Morrowind.

Crows90322d ago

Yes Morrowind was incredible. Their games have only gotten shallower and shallower.

My hot take is the following...maybe starfield not being open world is a good thing. Do we even want them to go assassin's creed on their games?

I prefer smaller areas with more content. Too much walking in these planets though.

neutralgamer1992321d ago

Light

It’s not hot take. Fallout new Vegas was the best and it wasn’t even developed by Bethesda. If you look at it fallout 3 was their best work and since than they have been good not great

Fallout is TES with guns
TES is fallout without guns
Starfield is fallout in space

BaughJaughs322d ago

Literally don’t understand the word literally.

execution17322d ago

That's what's putting me off from playing. So many loading screens when I'm just getting handed fetch quests or go to that planet in another solar system and kill a leader but first I need to chart a path with means going to a bunch of other systems first which means even more loading screens and menus

Traecy322d ago

LOL!! I noticed the bugged eye npcs, looking like they're tweaked off of meth.

Yui_Suzumiya321d ago

Just like Jim was when he wrote this review, lol

z2g322d ago

You should try actually playing games before forming opinions by watching others play. I’ve been playing it for 5 days straight and having a lot of fun. Maybe it’s not for you but watching videos isn’t experiencing the game.

EvertonFC322d ago

I agree starfield doesn't stream well with lots of loading screens and inventory management, must seem boring to watch, however other types of games do well and can still be experienced watching.
I just don't think starfield is one of them watchable games with the points I mentioned above.

chronoforce321d ago

As Bethesda have demonstrated for decades, it is possible to have fun with their games despite all the issues present in them. They can't even properly procedurally generate interiors, I have already visited several duplicated abandoned robot research facilities. How hard could it have been to create some more variation?

There are load screens everywhere, how on earth can there be a load screen when walking into a shop? Bethesda have been making the same game for decades but every step forward, is another 2 steps back.

BaughJaughs321d ago

There are a heap of people that are watching hamfisted videos of other people trying to make the game look bad and forming their opinion from that. If you like Skyrim/fallout then you are very likely to enjoy this. I’m having a blast and the game gets better and better the longer you play

S2Killinit321d ago

I wish. But Skyrim was inspired. This isnt imo

DaleCooper322d ago

Honestly, there are a lot of loading screens (quick, but many) and menu navigation. That definitely detracts from the core gameplay, which is classic Bethesda RPG and still fun. I'm only a few hours in and will keep playing. Currently it's landing at about an 8 out of 10 for me, and this score is only because the missions have been a lot of fun. Navigating the map and space exploration is quite cumbersome and, frankly, boring. Other games have found a good balance with navigating planets, flying in and out of atmospheres, and generally have better exploration on planets*. It makes me realize Bethesda's engine doesn't match well with true open "worlds" gameplay.

* Elite Dangerous, Starlink, Outer Worlds, No Man's Sky

thesoftware730322d ago

How do you manage to comment first on every article, especially ones related to SF?

Bro, you really need to get out more.

Nonsense review lol.

322d ago
322d ago
cammandogreen322d ago

You are the one complaining about every comment he makes, take your own advice.

BaughJaughs321d ago

It is nonsense. Jim sterling is trying to stay relevant by a publishing a ridiculous review.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 321d ago
SyntheticForm321d ago

He's mad about how Bethesda "treat trans people."

+ Show (9) more repliesLast reply 319d ago
ChasterMies322d ago

The later, negative reviews reminds of the recent articles involving Rotten Tomatoes. Studios would have early screenings for friendly critics, some of whom were paid by the studios’ PR teams, to pump up the early Tomatometer rating. Then when the larger audience of critics could see the movie, the score would drop. But the studios got their great Tomatometer rating for the first weekend. Anyway, don’t be surprised by the less than enthusiastic response from later reviews.

343_Guilty_Spark322d ago

Jin must have wrote this lol….crazy review

Luckily there is now a PC mod that lets you put in a PlayStation boot sequence in the game.

VersusDMC322d ago

Why do people keep bringing playstation into this? He gave death stranding a 7 and forespoken a 5. A playstation logo on the game wouldn't help it.

__SteakDeck__322d ago

@VersusDMC He also gave FF 16 a 7.5.

Lightning77322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

Maybe Jimbo needs to get a new hobby he clearly doesn't like gaming and doesn't play to have fun it seems. She also has countless hate vids on how bad AAA gaming is. There's definitely truth to some of the stuff that she says however her hate with AAA gaming often reflects her scores across most AAA games now no matter how good said AAA game is she always find something wrong with it. A very extreme pessimist in the gaming space.

outsider1624322d ago

Naah..keep it. Xbox needs it more than PS does.

MatrixxGT322d ago

Not his fault he’s never felt a vagina since he was born. 🤷🏻‍♂️

jznrpg322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

are you the watcher of his penis to know this ?

MrDead322d ago

He was married. Seems more like your comment is projection.

CrashMania322d ago

Jim was married for quite some years so that doesn't really add up does it? I also fail to see how that relates in any way to reviewing a game? lol

Sonic1881322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

Denial is hitting you hard. The review scores is starting to drop

https://www.metacritic.com/...

ziggyzinfirion321d ago

That is a surprising drop. last time I checked it was 88 with 50 reviews. It further went down to 85 when 11 new reviews came in. I can only imagine if this had 110+ review.

Gunstar75321d ago

Sterling's review was not at all influencer by his perception of how a trans staff member reported transphobic bullying at BGS? No. Not at all 👍

Huey_My_D_Long321d ago

Sure...its gotta be that and not the game isn't game that good.
When I watched my boy play starfield via discord on gamepass and when he took his weapon and started shooting around people as they just didn't react unless a bullet hit them. yeeeeeah, Cyberpunk looked better than this game ..within 20 seconds at a city, I'm sitting there looking at everyone either standing or walking...thats it though...so unrealistic and uncanny as the game facial animations.
You guys enjoy your subpar space RPG.
Looks like Baldurs Gate and LoZ are the only real contenders for GOTY so far.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 321d ago
Vengeance1138322d ago

Oh wow! This review just made the XSX version Metascore take a dive! Down to 85 now.

__SteakDeck__322d ago

@Vengeance1138 Yeah Jim is known to do this. I think his 7.5 of FF 16 is what brought the Meta score down from 88 to 87.

Vengeance1138322d ago

Seems Metacritic has as much integrity as Rotten Tomatoes right now lol Really shouldn't allow just anyone's review to count towards the Metascore.

shinoff2183322d ago

7, 7 5 seems about what I'd rate ff16 to.

Sonic1881322d ago

It's worse for Xbox though because they need more games with higher review scores. Sony has been doing that for decades now

DOMination-321d ago

"Yeah Jim is known to do this. I think his 7.5 of FF 16 is what brought the Meta score down from 88 to 87."

Serious stuff..

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 321d ago
solideagle322d ago

I didn't know it was on Meta...

__SteakDeck__322d ago

@Vengeance1138 Jim isn’t just “anyone” he’s a respected journalist and reviewer.

Vengeance1138322d ago

LOL good one! I nearly spat out my drink I laughed so hard.

ravens52322d ago

Think that'd be a double edge sword with all those 10/10s and 5/5s.

MarkSony2322d ago

Ah! Good news. Now we are seeing the real scores come through

tagzskie322d ago

@vengeance1138 if werent for xboxaddict, generacion xbox, somosxbox, mondxbox and other xboxes reviewer this game doesnt review high though. Its a good game compare to other released by xbox and im happy for them.

Tedakin321d ago

A nosedive and it's still higher than Hogwart's Legacy, Ghost of Tsushima and many other "masterpieces".

ziggyzinfirion321d ago

@Tekadin
Ghost of Tsushima - 83 Meta/ 122 Reviews
Hogwarts Legacy - 84 Meta/ 94 Reviews
Final Fantasy XVI - 87 Meta/ 143 Reviews
Forbidden West - 88 Meta/ 126 Reviews
GoW: Ragnarok - 94 Meta/ 140 Reviews
Elden Ring - 96 Meta/ 85 Reviews

Starfield - 85 Meta/ 61 Reviews

You may also want to consider the total number of reviews. Starfield is sitting at 85 with only 61 reviews.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 321d ago
anast322d ago

The meta dropped to 85 for critics and is a stable 6.1 for users. The game isn't good. To think Todd has been planning this game for 25 years...

Aloymetal322d ago

It's all to hype their games, The whole thing about Halo half a billion$ to make was just bs and the same goes for Sf, 25 yrs planning/ making...Bunch of lies from them.

MatrixxGT322d ago

Meta critic must be that new Sony exclusive everyone’s playing.

Old McGroin322d ago

@ anast

85 out of 100 means a game isn't good now? Seriously, some of the takes on here are ridiculous. And if you take user scores on Metacritic seriously...maybe stop commenting on public forums.

EvertonFC322d ago

Nobody is saying it isn't good, just not a 9 or 10 game.
It's a solid 8 for me with some improvements needed to the enemy AI and map over haul via an update would bump it up to a 9.
Reviewers are on crack for 10s.

aconnellan322d ago

@everton

“Nobody is saying it isn’t good”

Plenty of people are saying it isn’t good, and using fringe scores to justify their position

Cernunnos322d ago

When they say "planned for 25 years", what they mean is, sometime 25 years ago one of them said: "It would cool to do a space game once".

MarkSony2322d ago

25 years in the making . Have you seen how good the AI is and how great the NPC's look? Bethesda in a league of their own🤣🤣🤣 🤣🤣🤣

EvertonFC322d ago (Edited 322d ago )

Heavy rain, la noire and other titles have better facial animations and detail and that's 2 gens ago.
The copy and paste trees also look shite.
Enjoyed the story and writing though but I don't think it's a stunning looking game overall, it's kinda all over the place gfx wise, some parts look great then other area poor looking.

pezking321d ago

have you played it?

plus jim starting saying he was a woman when it became trendy to do so, who cares what he thinks.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 321d ago
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290°

10 "Bad" Games I Actually Enjoyed

TNS: "We're shining a light on a bunch of "bad" games that may've been left wanting when it comes to their critical or audience reception."

Read Full Story >>
thenerdstash.com
Profchaos2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Good list I've had similar reactions to some games even ones on the list like the order and Callisto

Also I recently grabbed forspoken for, 5 dollars at a eb games Clarence sale and I am actually enjoying it more than I thought I would

Sometimes you just need to give critically panned games a chance

FTLmaster2d ago

Oh gosh, good shout on Forspoken! Genuinely forgot about that one, and haven't got around to playing it. It's on my to-buy-in-a-sale list!

Cacabunga1d 12h ago (Edited 1d 12h ago )

Knack was great ! Had a blast with the first one. Haven’t tried the second one though due to backlog

The Fight: Lights Out was also a game i enjoyed very much and highly detailed with great motion control when you understand how they work, which is what pushed people away from this game..

LoveSpuds1d 10h ago

Both The Order and Calisto were harshly treated in my view. I am not saying they are perfect, but the were both really solid games. I personally really liked them despite acknowledging their flaws and coincidentally, got the platinum trophy for both games.

Evil West is another really fun game that's worth checking out for sure.

andy851d 10h ago

Forspoken was great. Never really understood all the criticism. 2nd best traversal in a game after Spiderman

Profchaos1d 4h ago

Yeah gameplay wise I get huge infamous vibes with its combat starting out as low level eventually becoming a unstoppable power spewing killing machine with a wide variety of powers infamous is one of my favourite franchises obviously it's not the same but I love the combat of it so far.

ChasterMies2d ago

I feel like we’re finally starting to see a sea change in how we treat our favorite games. Sure, we all acknowledge that a game can suck and we can still enjoy it. Hopefully this results in meaningful review scores. Personally, I find a lot of bad games are better if you blast through them on the easiest difficulty. Callisto protocol on the image is a good example of this.

LoveSpuds1d 10h ago (Edited 1d 10h ago )

I really liked Calisto, harshly treated for sure and I don't necessarily think it needs to be played on easy to enjoy it. It's not perfect, but it's not the car crash the media portrayed it as either.

I have said it before, but part of the issue is that there is a mind share going on in games coverage, with all the main outfits being personal friends and talking too each other. As such, there is a risk that everyone ends up sharing in the same opinion rather than thinking from themselves. I reckon that's why some games get a universal bashing when consumers actually like the game and equally, games get great reviews across the board and the game doesnt land with consumers.

RaidenBlack2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Actually, I started liking FO76 after the wastelanders DLC ... it has been my guilty pleasure
other games I can think of Order 1886, Driveclub, Resident Evil 6 (only the Leon part), Alpha Protocol (pretty unique, needs a remake), XIII Remake (after patches), Medal of Honor 2010, Medal of Honor Warfighter, Homefront The Revolution, Enemy Front, Legendary The Box, Faces of War, Conflict: Vietnam, Conflict: Global Storm & Codename: Panzers – Cold War

CosmicTurtle2d ago

Driveclub was genuinely a good game with a poor launch. Alpha Protocol is superb, just a few archaic design choices for the time.

RaidenBlack1d 12h ago

I want past games with interesting setups/mechanics but having some flaws (due to crunch or budget) to be remade so that the gaming community can appreciate and enjoy them as was envisioned and intended by the developers. In contrast to a successful game being remade again just with prettier coat of paint.
Alpha Protocol tops that and I'll include FO:NV as well as an exception (it is popular but features were cut due to limited dev time). And also Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines I, Singularity, KOTOR II and maybe Daikatana.
There might be others which I can't recall atm.

SonyStyled2d ago

I loved Enemy Front. I pre ordered it months prior and remember calling the store to check if it came out that day. The guy never heard of it but confirmed my copy was ready to pick up. Game was simple and basic in a good way. Didn’t have any tacked on extras. A simple mission and objectives in each level. Kind of reminded me of the first Crysis in a way

gold_drake2d ago

The Order was really good. abit short

RiseNShine2d ago

I loved The Order, ridiculous graphics for it's time and a very interesting setting, it was linear but not as bad as people say. Similar thing with Callisto Protocol, i admit that i played it a long time after release so maybe issues were fixed by then, but it was a fantastic Dead Space-like horror game with some of the best graphics i've seen in my life.

LoveSpuds1d 10h ago

Yup, I am afraid to say I waited on Calisto and picked it up for around 30 quid. Once I played it on felt really badly for the devs because the game was really decent.

Show all comments (26)
100°

Earth Becomes Habitable Again in Starfield, Thanks to this Mod

Thanks to the Starfield Creation Kit, the "Earth Restored" mod has transformed the Earth into a Pine Forest and filled the sea with life.

Read Full Story >>
gamerstones.com
4d ago
130°

Starfield DLC needs to be as awe-inspiring as Shadow of the Erdtree to win players back

Shadow of the Erdtree saw a 1000% player count surge at its launch. Will Starfield’s Shattered Space be able to do the same?

Read Full Story >>
starfielddb.com
Brazz14d ago

Spoiler... It Will not. Bethesda is outdated.

anast14d ago

If it gets rid of the loading screens and adds space exploration, it will.

phoenixwing14d ago

loading screens and zones are hardboiled into the game, they would have to remake it to change it. which if they had just made a new engine or used someone else's they wouldn't be in this mess

purple10114d ago

only PSpro release will get rid of there loading, at at minimum, half the time it takes.

lucian22914d ago

nah cuz game has multiple things that have to happen before transition to outer space; issue is it isnt seamless

BoneMagnus14d ago

I played Starfield this past weekend. I enjoyed it and overall was about 30 hours in, but as soon as I got the e-mail about the GamePass price increase, I cancelled my account and deleted Starfield, Halo, Forza and others off my Series X.

If I want to play those games, I’ll just buy them outright - and truth is, I’m pretty sure I won’t. They aren’t worth it to me.

Ninver14d ago

Brutal truth. Thanks gor being honest.

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