Reaching for the stars, but falling short

Starfield

Bethesda Game Studios,
2023

Starfield is the first new Bethesda intellectual property in about two decades. Even those unfamiliar with this game studio might be intrigued by the website’s description of this fictional space journey: “In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.”

Starfield has big shoes to fill. When Microsoft acquired the studio Bethesda for 7.5 billion dollars in 2021, gamers worldwide eagerly anticipated what the deal would mean for games. Bethesda is responsible for the hugely successful releases Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Skyrim, and seemed poised to change Microsoft’s Xbox brand, particularly Xbox Game Pass –  a subscription service similar to Netflix, but for games. Bethesda’s earlier games in the Fallout and Elder Scrolls franchises are considered some of the most beloved games of all time.  

Starfield was originally set to release on PC, PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series consoles. However with the Microsoft acquisition of Bethesda, the version of Starfield for Sony’s PlayStation was quickly cancelled, and it was announced that Starfield would appear on Xbox Game Pass “Day One.” This meant that Starfield would be available on release day for subscribers to the service.

As eager as I was to start the game, I found the beginning a bit trying. The intro reads like the writing was focus-grouped to death. The main characters are more like caricatures than unique creations. It also took me at least a couple of hours to learn how the menus work – fast-travelling between planets, solar systems and galaxies. But once I adjusted, I started to enjoy the game. 

I found the gameplay loop exciting. The time flew by as I repeated the actions of investigating an outpost, taking down people, looting the area for new items, travelling to a different planet, and selling items. As with any Bethesda game, Starfield has plenty of random encounters to keep the player deeply engaged. There are many interesting side-quests which draw the player in and for many fans of Bethesda’s games, those side-quests are the highlight of the experience.

Most of my time with Starfield was spent on the main quest – which is usually the first thing I do with Bethesda games. Still, I did get a good taste of the creativity and strength of the side-quests. I mostly stayed away from the ship, outpost and character customization. But again, these activities could have much to offer those who prefer to place their focus there. 

I grew annoyed with the game’s presentation of science as a religion, rather than one area of life affected by a religious worldview. The game takes the modern secular worldview for granted, projects it into the future, and ramps it up to make science a kind of idol. Without spoiling the story, there is a shift toward the end of the game that makes the theme of science as a religion more interesting – particularly for a Christian. However, I still found it a pretty flat story and worldview, especially when comparing it with the depth of the stories in earlier Bethesda games, such as 2011’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. 

I would easily recommend Starfield to those who already have Microsoft’s Game Pass – and many people signed up for the service because of Starfield. It’s the best example of what Microsoft’s Game Pass can deliver: a high-quality game added to a person’s library on release day. Otherwise, it’s a bit tougher to recommend Starfield as a full-priced game. 

I had a lot of fun playing Starfield, but I understand that people expect a lot from Bethesda. I prefer journeying under Skyrim’s night skies to reaching Starfield’s stars. Even so, if you want to immerse yourselves in space for a few hours, there’s an entertaining game to be played in the solar systems of the Starfield.