Starfield: Instant Classic or Tragic Mishap?

Starfield, that open-ended space game that sees players traversing a galaxy of discovery and danger, has become the target of a seemingly simple debate. Is it good? Developed by Bethesda, the studio famous for its Skyrim and Fallout titles, the game was supposed to be the killer-app that the Xbox Series X (and PC Game Pass) desperately needed. But in the weeks following its 9/6/23 release, fans and trolls alike are currently quite divided on the game’s overall merit.

The complaints I’ve seen are both petty and significant, depending on one’s perspective. Some think the combat is subpar. Others don’t like the lack of true, real-time flight between planets. The locked 30 frames per second is another sore point, at least for the console edition. More complaints include the lack of in-city maps, no dune buggy-like vehicles when navigating planet surfaces, and an overall sense of "sameness" when compared to other Bethesda titles. “Fallout in space,” more than one has said.

In truth, I’m not the most qualified to weigh in on the matter. I’ve never given the developer’s games much attention, viewing them more from afar—through Youtube videos and articles—than from hours of actual play. But, as a subscriber to Game Pass, I did fire the game up on my Xbox to at least get an inkling of what everyone else was either praising or berating the game for. At this point, I’ve put a scant 8-10 hours in, so all I can really offer are my first impressions:

It’s big. It’s bold. It does a lot…but just well enough.

And “well enough” is the key phase. For a game of Starfield’s scope and prestige, is it fair to demand that its every feature, every facet, every aspect and element be absolute perfection? Does the combat need to be an impeccable 10? The space travel? The role-playing? The storyline? The base and outpost construction? That’s the cruel reality a game of Starfield’s ambition always faces—it might present the player with a laundry-list of neat things to do, but it’s also a laundry-list of items that can be nitpicked to death. A simpler game has no such weak points or baggage.

Take the typical 2-D Sonic game. Its essential fundamentals are speed, level-design, and control. Get that trinity of feats right, and the game will likely meet or exceed expectations (good music and graphics notwithstanding). But a game like Starfield isn’t a mere three-course recipe to test, refine, and perfect. Rather, it’s a full cookbook where if just one of its entries tastes a little flat, an unforgiving critic or eager troll will be happy to pounce. In short, it’s very difficult for a game as far-reaching as Starfield to secure the fabled 9.5 meta-score or higher. Unless the game comes from Nintendo, anyway…but that’s a different matter.

There’s an old saying critics cite for a superior game containing a “jack-of-all-trades” ambition: Its quality exceeds the sum of its parts. This phrase is often used to describe a title that might not be excellent in any category, but still excels when taken in full. That’s Starfield; the complete experience transcends its smaller missteps, especially for those with realistic expectations who aren’t anxious to proclaim failure.

From my meager experience, the game is large, daunting, and a little haunting—the depths of outer space always are. Is it perfect? Nope. Will I keep playing? For a time, yes. But it's also true that, for those seeking a more captivating plot or roster of characters, better games are out there.

This isn’t Mass Effect. This isn’t No Man’s Sky. This is Starfield, and that's either more than enough...or not.--D

Some have criticized Starfield's art, and though the human models do underwhelm (the game desperately needs a hot anime-girl mod or something), some of the environments are nevertheless spectacular.

As expected, Starfield's attention to detail is superb, with a 1,000 worlds all containing their own specific characteristics.

Although rarely highlighted, Starfield implements a clever lock-picking mini-game that's both simple but clever.

Thanks to YouTube's theRadBrad for the footage.