Starfield review - a game about exploration, without exploration - Eurogamer

Eurogamer's review of Starfield, a game of typical Bethesda aptitude but without the magic that binds it all together.

[Jin_Sakai]

Agreed. Can’t fly to a planet freely without a cutscene, can’t fly to space freely without a cutscene, no land vehicles, and 1km land barriers. Also no real map for exploring a city.

[bababooiy]

Dont forget how most things are marked to let you know what to expect, killing any sense of surprise. Turning much of what used to make Bethesda games stand out now into one of its weakest features.

[Sonic1881]

Everything you just mentioned, you can do in No Man Sky and that was developed by 15 people. Maybe Bethesda wasn't finished with the game development 🤔

[Jin_Sakai]

That and the fact the Creation engine is garbage.

[solideagle]

are starfield planets also procedurally generated?

[Lightning77]

No. Todd mentioned it back in June you can't go from planet to planet. So why is this a surprise?

Moans and groans for absolutely no eeason at this point. Shouting in the wind.

[shinoff2183]

I've said that since about 24 hours in. It just doesn't feel finished, from the lack of lore in computers and notes, to no maps. It doesn't feel done or they skimped. I still enjoy it and it's fun but it feels like it's missing something

Lightning just cause he said it doesn't mean it not allowed to be talked about in reviews or commentators comments.

[astro_bs-as]

Try it If you can on VR.... It's quite an experience!
Talking about NMS, of course

[Andy_Dee]

I'm still gonna defend Starfield here!

Many mentions NMS and they have no clue that it came on release broken AF.

It has taken them about, might be wrong here 4+ years to get it to where it is now... And people right away after Starfield release are coming out NMS can do this and Starfield cannot..

Well peddle back 4+ years and we'll have another story. We can let modders or Bethesda work on it for 4 years and we can check back then.

Also, Starfield is not a simulator, it's an RPG it's what Bethesda has always done. And IMO it is almost a reskinned Fallout 4 both in good and bad.

However I wish it would be more of an simulator. I hoped it would've been the game to take Star Citizens place while we are waiting for it..

Also, even if I wish they would've had a stronger engine with higher fidelity, I have learned to appreciate Creation Engine 2 in the sense that it seems to be very easy to work in and for the modders.

If they would switch engine it might've been harder in many ways to develop this game and the tools for modders. At least you can use ladders now hahaha. Insane that Creation Engine wan't able to use ladders..

But Starfield is still a beautiful game I have played it on Ultra settings on PC with 92+ fps and it was a blast overall. Story is pretty good with some nice twists. Bethesda has done well here IMO.

I went to about 52 planets. Didn't even get to 100. And the barriers is a non issue, ppl seem to want to find issues in this as well. Why would you want to walk around for couple of hours just to be able to go around the whole planet!?

I don't like regions per se but it works really fast to switch region on the planet and I have found many mysteries, secrets and hidden things without feeling oh no, can't walk further. I haven't even reached a barrier while looking for things and exploring.

I love finding hidden pirate bases, secret ships, legendary items, weapons etc.

Building ships is also a blast, you can do A LOT!

It might not be a game for all but def for some others.

I think this game promised a bit too much but overall it is a great 8/10 game.

I honestly have more fun in this than NMS but that's just me, I like RPG with exploration more than just exploration without objectives and story compared to NMS.

[Lightning77]

https://n4g.com/news/248464...

You're regurgitating old news. That was confirmed months ago ppl didn't seem to have a serious issue with it. Plus you even said you're fine with it. Flip flop inconsistent much?

[lucian229]

stop making excuses for poor game design

[mkis007]

It turns out it is important. Especially because of the loading screens.

[SlothLordPootus]

Just because something was said months ago doesnt mean it makes the game any better. Just means they were setting expectations.

[Viljong]

What "1km land barriers" you are lying without playing the game. I usually travel several kilometes to discover structures, natural locations and abandonded mines-huge dungeon caves full of action.

[rippermcrip]

The 1km isn't true, but there is a limit. Land and go in a straight line and you will hig a barrier.

Land right next to New Atlantis for example. You can see it. Then head towards it. You can't walk into it.

It is fake terrible exploration.

[Plague-Doctor27]

Really curious to know the reason they withheld review codes from these UK outlets. Gives lots of people reasons to discount the reviews as being biased since they're just "getting back" at Bethesda.

[ravens52]

Couldn't pay everyone for 10/10s and 5/5s. Jk... or not, who knows.

[porkChop]

It was only UK outlets, right? Doesn't really come across as cherry picking. I'm curious what the reason behind it is. I know they have the acquisition going on in the UK but I don't know how that would affect reviews.

[dumahim]

I think one of the big ones that kept getting mentioned as well was Australian.

[porkChop]

Australian? Are you sure? I'm asking because I'm looking at a bunch of reports right now and they all say it's exclusively UK-based outlets. Even Pure Xbox didn't get a code on time. Which one was Australian?

[RauLeCreuset]

It seems the argument you're trying to make is that review codes not being sent to certain outlets could not be an attempt to influence the Meta score if the codes were withheld from an entire region. Manipulation can be done this way. The manipulator would base which regions to include and exclude based on their predictions of how the reviews from the regions will impact the score. Those predictions could be based historical record (prior reviews) and some knowledge of the weight Meta assigns to certain reviewers.

Not for nothing, this score from another excluded outlet brought the Meta down to 83.

[dumahim]

Yes, SkillUp didn't get one either.

[Skate-AK]

I know Skill Up said he didn't get a code. He's in Australia. That's all I know about.

[porkChop]

Ah, SkillUp didn't get one? That's surprising. He usually puts out some very comprehensive reviews. Not quite as good as ACG but I do like to see what he thinks of a game. I guess because he's a YouTuber sites just don't count him because he isn't technically an outlet. Weird either way.

@RauLeCreuset
Because it doesn't make any sense. Why would one specific region be blocked? I've never gotten the impression that UK outlets are historically any harsher when it comes to reviews. If that were the case why hasn't it happened before? We've seen specific outlets not be given codes, but an entire region? It makes no sense.

[ChasterMies]

Microsoft does their own internal reviews. They knew this game would be about a 7/10 overall. So they juiced the score at launch by cherry picking reviewers that would give them higher scores. Movies studios do the same thing with Rotten Tomatoes.

[repsahj]

Because they know that critics will see the obvious flaws.

[anast]

Todd said that we could freely fly around the universe with a 1000 planets to explore. The meta is 84 now.

[repsahj]

Maybe he ment by "freely" is "without exploration needed".

[GamingSinceForever]

Maybe what he meant by “freely” is on GamePass. 😂

[anast]

Nice xD

[Shane Kim]

84 is still very high.

[zeuanimals]

Would be lower without the paid reviews.

[Crows90]

It'll go down more. This is a game that should be in the 70s.

It's a step back in every single category...except maybe graphics by very little.

[__SteakDeck__]

@Shane Kim Not for a game that some people hyped as “The Game of the Generation”. Also 84 is low for Bethesda. If Rockstar or Naughty Dog got an 84 on their main AAA game, that would be a disappointment.

[spss11]

And the PC meta is at 87.

To score in the 80's means it's a great game. Just look at Ghost of Tsushima. I would argue it's the best PS4 exclusive and is artistically stunning. Deserved more than an 83 tbh.

So yes, Starfield scoring 84/87 is in no way bad though I'm sure MS wanted it in the 90's.

[anast]

It's 83 now and dropping. It will probably hit around the mid to upper 70s, which will be a mediocre game as I predicted.

[Walweeze]

It is but i rmbr the comment section for ghost of tsushima getting killed for being 83, horizon 2 87, and ff16 87.

[ocelot07]

Not a bad score at all. But remember this was the game that was hyped up for the past 2 years. Was suppose to be the game that finally made millions go and buy a Xbox.

It was suppose to be goty. It was hyped up way to much simply because it was Bethesda. The ones that have us fallout 76.

[PrinceOfAnger]

87 on PC.

DF
"Starfield on PC is the best way to play".

[Tapani]

It is 83 now, and user score is 6.5. Not exactly a smash hit after all the hype. The average of those scores is 74, which is probably about right for Starfield.

Personally, I cannot be bothered with Bethesda games, they feel like they come from a factory without any creativity or vision. The best modern fallout was not even made by them. Plus their writing is just so subpar that I don't understand how you can even write so mundane and mediocre stuff at such a large company like that. There's also zero personality in their characters, no matter how hard they try to make them "quirky" or "different" from each other.

I dunno, I saw the above from all the gameplay footage, and it turned out to be the case. Good that some people enjoy it and all the power to them. Just not my thing.

[BillyCrystals]

I'm seeing 83. With dozens of more reviews still likely to be submitted, I wonder if it will drop into the 70s.

[EvertonFC]

Probably sit around 78 when all said and done.

[randomvoice]

83 now

[Futureshark]

3 stars!!!

Good enough for Gamepass.

[Crows90]

Standard for Gamepass...albeit they do have some good indies on it

[Ninver]

The real reviews are gradually being revealed. Who in their right mind supports such a dishonest company?

[Aloymetal]

100%!!

[Crows90]

The game is so mediocre it's astounding. What a joke!
I'm moving on. I prefer to have my time respected.

Sea of stars / tunic or one of the others in my backlog...here we go! Cyberpunk 2077 once the dlc lands.

[anast]

I've been playing Baldur's Gate 3 and I am hyped for that Cyberpunk DLC and patch.

[Crows90]

Yeah. Waiting for some updates for baldurs gate 3 before jumping in. I foresee spending a lot of time on that game.

Cyberpunk dlc and updates will keep me so busy too.

[VivaChe]

The article is right about the bungled beginning of the game. Rather than you just going right to the ship on the landing pad, they should have made you go on a short journey through the planet's countryside a bit, having to fend off some enemies along the way. Maybe even a small village on your route. Then, you reach the ship after you've gotten familiarized with shooting, equipping yourself etc.

[anast]

That would be fun. Conversely, Bethesda wanted to develop a minimum viable product

[Crows90]

That would mean the game was handcrafted as they say. This game is mostly procedurally generated...they don't have the time to make the game interesting...that's what modders are for apparently.

Gender pronoun selection...check
FOV slider....what's that?

Priorities are backwards

[Knightofelemia]

The poor mans version of No Man's Sky.

[Crows90]

Gonna have to give no man's sky a try. Love space travel.

[UltimateOwnage]

As a “Space Exploration” game, the experience in No Mans Sky is night and day more mature development wise and seamless than StarField. You’ll enjoy it. StarField has a much better story based campaign experience IMO.

[mkis007]

The introduction is a bit slow..but you can even speed that up with custom difficulty.

[MaximusTKG]

As a whole I enjoy the game ok. My whole issue is that I was just looking for fallout in space, with the drive to explore that comes along with a fallout. Specifically in exploring planets. And my first survey mission I was pumped…. For about 10 minutes. I’m not mad at the game as much as I am disappointed by all the many great ideas in the game (there are several) being given about 25% of its potential. If every great idea in here was fully fleshed out, this would have been that masterpiece everyone was looking for.

[anast]

This is true.

[Northpoint]

It should have been delayed another year.

[Crows90]

But that's exactly the criticism it's receiving. Average game. Interesting mechanics that remained in their first iteration or draft..

This is a game about the vastness of galaxies where you only fast travel to them through a loading screen. Lots to explore....that is blandest form of procedural generation. With ship combat...that feels slow and bland.
With future tech but you gotta walk or jump everywhere.

It's ridiculous that it released in it's pre alpha state.

[Kurt Russell]

Pretty fair opinion. I just hit 25 hours, I am enjoying it... but I can't disagree with majority negative opinions people have with it.

I myself enjoy the slow pace, walking around, chatting, finding little hidden story quests etc. But the way this has all been delivered isn't particularly evolved from Fallout 3 days, in some ways regressed.

[mkis007]

Very accurate. I jist hit a mental wall with the constant loads. I just cant fathom why this got through an internal playtest.

Do something to mask those loads that prevents me from being taken out of the world. They even used a perfectl example on some planets: the airlock chambers. Great use of potentially hiding loads. For space they had 1 crimson fleet mission where you are not piloting a ship as it takes off and you can see the planet out the cockpit as the ship flies away...use that for my takeoffs please! As it is right now it's less planets and more maps...it feels smaller than Obvlion skyrim and all the fallout 3-4.even if it is numerically bigger ( which i doubt when you leave out prcedural generation.)

[randomvoice]

83 on metacritics and falling more. If it wasn't for all the Xbox sites propping up the scores, the game wouldn't even crack into the 80s

[thesoftware730]

Man, some of you guys seem like you are actually praying for the game to have a bad "Meta score", how sad.

The game is out, and so far is successful and mostly praised...people are talking about it, playing it and enjoying, the game will only get better over time...and what's there now is great. No matter how much hate comes from this N4G loud bubble, the game was/is and will continue to be successful.

Notice how every single lower score article on here for this game becomes HOT really fast...the same people saying the same stuff lol.

[RupeeHoarder]

define successful? 6 million players at launch.....how many are Steam vs Xbox GamePass? 22 million Series X|S units sold not including PC numbers. Seems rather tame...and reviews certainly are becoming more mixed. Not the generational game it was hyped to be. It's successful in that it wasn't Redfall all over again, but it certainly isn't anything new.

[Crows90]

Man some of you guys pray that the games meta doesnt go down to where it should be.

The game is out and so far is unknown if it's successful because they don't give sales numbers and it's mixed reception.

There I fixed the beginning for you.

[thesoftware730]

Not for me, I could care less what the "Meta" says, with everything I buy/download/play, because...you know...I like it lol.

I can assure you that the Meta score means absolutely nothing to me...I never even go to that website, as a matter of fact the only time I ever mention it is when you guys hope, pray and put so much stock in it.

"The game is out and so far is unknown if it's successful because they don't give sales numbers and it's mixed reception."

First, we can measure the launch sucsess by different metrics, that for some reason you guys can't get through your skull, not only for this game, but MS games. The goal is to drive GP subs, nobody can be honest with themselves if they think with GP being MS total all in startegy that they expect massive game sales. They played that game before and loss to Sony everytime. GP, GP, GP...get it through your head.

Second, we can use our heads and see the increase in Xbox console sales (don't matter how much, it went up) Steam users, and collectors editions being sold out for a while....it even cause people who hate Xbox and MS to play the game...then there is the reported 6 mill engagement...so with most of the Facts that is stated, your instincts say it wasn't successful when, all indicator point the opposite direction...smh.

It's only 1 game, stop having nightmares of Sony losing ok...

[Armaggedon]

They do. Notice how any very high scoring reviews are a barren wasteland in the comments section. I dont think these people are “haters” they are just disappointed, and want others to share in their disappointment. What Bethesda puts effort into is not what alot of players are looking for in games, and Bethesda is not concerned with meeting industry standard. Since Skyrim, I had always thought Bethesda would slowly fall out of favor,, and it looks like I was right. What Starfield suffers is the inverse of other games right now. Take Baldurs gate. People are so impressed with the improvements made that more closely align with industry standard, it causes people to not even bring up some of its “issues “, which are similar to starfields. Character faces and animations are something that I see people bring up against starfield, as well as bugs and loading screens. Baldurs gate has these things as well, but people are so impressed with its upfront qualities that some of these issues dont even come up.

[BehindTheRows]

A pivot to Sony (typical) doesn't change that the game has disappointed a lot of people. When things are hyped beyond what the results show, this is the consequence. PlayStation is not at fault for what's going on with Starfield.

Thus, it sounds like you're in your own nightmare.

[Mandingo2020]

Eurotrash is another website that can go pound sand. This game easily a four out of five.

[Valkyrye]

Annihilated

[PhillyDonJawn]

It's crazy how some ppl downing the game for not being something it never claimed to be. Ppl assumed it was a big budget NMS then when it turn out to be its own thing or.....like other Bethesda games!!! some wanna rate it lower.

[Christopher]

As opposed to the people saying before release that it blew NMS out of the water as far as exploration goes? C'mon now. Bethesda set the tone, others just drank of it way more than others.

[PhillyDonJawn]

Nooo ppl said the game blows NMS out the water (which it does) no one said exploration specifically. Bethesda even said it's not like NMS yet ppl still set NMS as the template for this game. So if you judge it on how well is it as a AAAA NMS yah it would be 6/10. But that's not the premise of the game. If you judge it for what it is. 8+/10

[shinoff2183]

It was advertised as an explorer

[Crows90]

Its not like other Bethesda games. It's far worse.

Not open galaxy. Or world.
No stats. No skills. Perks that are bogged down by busy work challenges. No minimap. No interesting story hook just boring galaxy cliche. It was touted as explore the galaxy...but you don't. You just fast travel from a to b.

Procedural generation replaced the hand crafted dungeons and variety.

Combat is fallout 4 without the vats system. So it's worse and more bland.

Side quests amount to fast travel and talk to NPC then fast travel back.

So many issues. Oh and less factions/guilds as well.

The dumbed down every system from previous games. The perk system is a bunch of crap. It has mandatory perks you must take in order to use mechanics in the gane.

[PhillyDonJawn]

Yeah I don't think you played the game lol

[Soulsborne]

God damn BG3 is fuckin good.

[TheColbertinator]

Disagree with Eurogamer.

[Aaroncls7]

hate bonerrrr

[Viljong]

Lol theres plenty to explore did they play the game
Or rush the main quest line - noob review

[Viljong]

Im 40 hours in and barely scarched the surface and havent even started many content activities - but sure there is nothing nothing. Theres no trusting in reviews about any matter. Sour noobs who rush main quest line fast as possible and miss 95% of the content.

[Viljong]

Starfield is an expansive and beautifully crafted open world experience full of endless discovery and opportunities.

[Viljong]

Starfield’s vast universe is home to unique planets, factions and characters and offers a wide array of choices. It allows you to become whoever you want to be, and savor both the light and dark sides of the universe the way you want to. Starfield doesn’t only improve on Bethesda’s previous games, but gives birth to an entirely new universe that is the company’s best open-world RPG yet

[Viljong]

Maybe if he learned the game mechanis beyond main quest tracker he knew you can scan the planet with scanner and discover many locations far away and wide. That where most of my game time goes and where i find the best items. You founs huge cave dungeons full of routes, combat and loot. Or natural locations etc other landmarks.