Starfield - Review: The Bethesda Feel, With Less of the Soul

Satisfaction: 4/5

Starfield is generally a fun game, especially for fans of Bethesda’s style of open-world RPGs. I’ve spent over 140 hours with it, first playing through at my own pace, then doing a second run via New Game Plus to see what changed. The combat is solid, arguably better than Fallout 4, which is welcome given how frequent battles are. However, exploring planets often feels repetitive and dull due to procedural generation. The limited flying mechanics are fun but fall short of their full potential; you can’t actually land your ship manually, which is a missed opportunity.

Tech: 3/5

Starfield debuts Bethesda’s new Creation Engine 2, and it’s clear there have been major improvements, but also areas that remain stuck in the past. Support for ultrawide resolutions and unlocked frame rates is a long-overdue addition. The scale of the game’s universe is impressive, but that scale is often undercut by artificial limits: you’re confined to a single grid on a planet until you reload somewhere else via your ship. Large open cities are a step forward, but interiors still rely on loading screens, though load times are much improved.

Atmosphere: 5/5

Despite its flaws, Starfield is undeniably beautiful. Handcrafted locations shine the brightest, but even the procedurally generated environments can produce striking sights.

The soundtrack by Inon Zur elevates the experience, perfectly capturing the tone of space travel, combat, and quiet exploration alike.

Replayability: 3/5

Replayability is typically a strength of RPGs, but Starfield stumbles here. While there are meaningful choices, they often don’t significantly alter the story. For example, you can’t really choose to be evil, your moral path is fairly constrained.

That said, New Game Plus adds an intriguing twist: your character remembers past choices, and that can change how things play out. It’s a fantastic mechanic, but it’s undercut by the limited variety in how the game can be played overall.

Story: 4/5

Starfield follows the story of, you. You create your character, select a background (which unfortunately doesn’t impact the story much), and begin as a miner who touches a mysterious artifact. This event leads to visions and ultimately to joining Constellation, a group of explorers chasing down the secrets of the galaxy.

The story is compelling and kept me interested, though I sometimes felt like my impact on the world was more limited than it should have been.

Final Score: 3.9/5

Pros:

• Stellar atmosphere
• Great graphics
• Interesting story

Cons:

• Mediocre performance
• Lackluster choices and limited replayability

Where to buy?

Affiliate Link(s):

• GreenManGaming (Steam)
• Fanatical (Steam)

Elsewhere:

• Steam