It's full OF STARS
Is 'Starfield' The 'Skyrim' In Space Everybody Wants? Here's What The Reviews Say
This open-world sci-fi RPG has been in the works since at least 2015, and got announced a whopping five years ago. Bethesda is the studio behind some of the industry's biggest games, like "Elder Scrolls" and "Fallout," so the hype has been high even as "Starfield" received delay after delay.
At long last, reviews are out, and OpenCritic has an average score of 87/100 based on more than 70 aggregated reviews. That's about the same as "Fallout 4's" score, but substantially behind the near-universal acclaim "Skyrim" earned.
The standard edition of the game launches on Xbox Series X/S and PC on September 6, but those who pre-ordered the expensive premium edition of the game will get early access today (8/31) at 8PM ET. Is it worth jumping in at launch? Let's find out what critics think.
It has better tech than any previous Bethesda game
"Starfield" is a solid day one experience, with consistent performance and great visuals across both console platforms. Whether you're gaming on Series S or Series X, "Starfield" arrives with solid, consistent performance and a level of polish that gives you the confidence to begin your journey right on day one.
"Starfield" is Bethesda’s most polished game yet. It has a ton to do but falls flat on the exploration aspect. Without vehicles, walking around planets is not an efficient way to travel. The story is fantastic however and the game is visually stunning. It's a unique experience you shouldn't miss out on.
It's big — maybe too big
With "Starfield," Bethesda has put all of its efforts into exploring the dark, vast corners of outer space. In the process, it has drained a lot of the humanity I was hoping to find in its wake. In trying to do everything, "Starfield" obfuscates its most compelling mysteries.
The biggest fundamental contradiction within "Starfield’s" design is that while this is a galaxy-spanning adventure with literally hundreds of worlds you can land on and explore, it can feel extremely small when each of them is separated by little more than a (thankfully) brief loading screen.
Its imagination is rather limited
Despite the nigh-limitless possibilities the final frontier offers, "Starfield's" version of humanity remains largely homogeneous — 300 or so years into the future across the galaxy, and the game's imagination rarely extends beyond the sci-fi archetypes we've seen many a time.
Unfortunately, "Starfield's" cultural porridge extends to its religions. While Bethesda has clarified that real-world religions have endured across "Starfield's" timeline, I never encounter them on my travels. Instead, the Settled Systems are split into two distinct belief systems: the Sanctum Universum, a monotheist religion that marries pseudo-Christian beliefs with space exploration, and The Enlightened, a somewhat charged title for what amounts to well-meaning atheism. Between these binary opposites lies House Va'ruun, a nomadic cult of religious zealots that believe in the existence of a Jormugandresque Great Serpent predicted to consume the universe. It's by far the most intriguing of "Starfield's" religions, but it's hardly pushing the theological boat out.
TL;DR
It took me a long time to fall in love with "Starfield," and even after I did, certain aspects didn't work for me.
It tries to give us the universe, but it’s so weighed down by its own ambitions and a fundamental lack of inspiration that it can’t even get into orbit.
[Image: Bethesda]
