In this review we will examine Starfield, the new Bethesda title that has recently arrived on the market. Let’s see how it runs on PC
The new title from the US software house has finally seen the light after a series of postponements delayed the launch by almost a year. Finally all PC and Xbox gamers will be able to fly among the stars and discover the various worlds that characterize this new universe created by developers. He will be able to keep the promises made by Bethesda over the years or will it turn out to be a colossal flop? All we have to do is start this one Starfield review and discover it together.
A universe of uploads
One of the most important parts of this new title is definitely the completely innovative setting for what Bethesda standards are, at least compared to the two main sagas developed directly by the company: The Elder Scrolls e Fallout. Although there is therefore some innovation from this point of view, the imprint given to the universe remains faithful to the map of a more experienced Skyrim or the much criticized Fallout 76.
But how is something like this possible? The answer is obtained if you give one look at what the shape of the universe is and in this sense it is impossible not to make a comparison with an older one No Man’s Sky, released seven years ago now. If this in fact had a structure that we can define as made up of many “small boxes” fully explorable representing the various solar systems, Starfield, on the other hand, has a more complex structure, characterized by immense maps divided into various levels. The map of the universe will therefore include various maps of the solar systems, which in turn will contain various maps for each planet, which will include other small maps relating to cities or individual explorable structures… which my father bought at the market.
Getting serious, this structure allows you to have larger areas to visitbut it also creates one of the biggest problems that we believe plagues the game: the uploads! We certainly wouldn’t have expected a universe without uploads, but it is not at all tolerable to experience 4-5 consecutive ones just to approach the place where we will have to carry out the mission.
How to make exploration tedious | Starfield review
One of the fundamental aspects that have made the various Bethesda titles enjoyable is certainly exploration. In Starfield we tried to give a similar imprint, especially through the evolution of the main story which sees us from the first moments join Constellationa group of explorers searching for new discoveries that could change the universe.
However, the multi-layered structure of the map with various loadings, it makes everything quite tedious and not very continuous. As if that wasn’t enough, to reach the most distant systems you will have to visit those present along the route one by one, at least the first time we head there. For example, if we want to move towards a system and in the middle we have seven others to visit, we will have to reach them all one at a time, taking 7 loads just to get to the solar system we have designated.
To all this is added a system levels for the various systems, which gradually increase as we move towards the edges of the universe. In short, if we are at the first levels we will be able to explore the most remote points of the universe, but if we unfortunately encounter an opponent we will be wiped out in a few seconds. This will slow us down a lot and we don’t understand why the developers haven’t adopted, at least for the enemy spawn, a system similar to that of Fallout 76. This would have ensured a more balanced experience both at the beginning of the game and towards the end.
Fun solo fights… | Starfield review
Let’s now see, in this review of Starfield, one of the aspects that most positively struck us. The various fights that we will be forced to experience, we refer to the “on foot” ones, are well structured and fun. In fact, the opposing AI is well developed and, although it is not exactly exceptional, more than a few times it happened to us that while we were fighting someone at a distance, some enemies came up behind us to attack us on two fronts.
Attacking head-on will therefore not be the best idea, especially if we approach a camp defended by turrets and robots. Choosing a more cautious approach, at least until the controls for the latter are found, will be fundamental and calculating every detail will be important for Don’t waste ammo and medkits which are hard to come by. In fact, we often found ourselves without ammunition, irremediably complicating the assault.
…less in company… | Starfield review
Although the opponents’ one is well implemented, the AI of our companions is completely ineffective and poorly structured. Let’s start by saying that some companions are truly cumbersome and useless for the purposes of the game, especially those not equipped with ranged weapons and who only fight hand-to-hand.
We often found ourselves with the latter they literally came upon uslimiting our view, preventing us from continuing in the narrowest spaces and even blocking our trajectory as we fired. Everything turns into bullets thrown to the wind, with the enemies who instead continue to hit us, taking away important life.
Even the stealth parts are real torture, with comrades who instead of following us will take different paths, often attracting the attention of enemies even though the opposing AI, at least in this type of approach, is not flawless. They will also have some difficulty following us when we do not respect the recommended routes, such as when we go to explore some areas looking for alternative routes to reach the destination more quickly. In these cases we will remain alone and only after a while they will reach us, giving us jumpscares worthy of the best horror films.
…monotonic in space | Starfield review
Let’s now talk about another of the main elements of this video game. THE fighting in space we will be engaged in destroying or boarding the various enemy ships depending on whether we simply want to disintegrate those who stand between us and our goal or rob them of all their possessions, including the ship.
Although it may initially seem quite funny, the mechanics that characterize these moments are quite simple and can be monotonous in the long run. In fact, the combat will not reward the player’s skills, but it will mainly consist of keeping the enemy in the center of our screen and in pressing three buttons to hurt him as much as possible.
Pointing will be automatic, making it completely useless to aim at the opposing ship and the shots, if the target is acquired, will all hit the mark. Furthermore, once we have managed to get behind an enemy, this will do nothing to try to break free from our grip, exposing his ship to the continuous barrage of shots that will destroy it in a short time. The fact that enemies use more ships can increase the possibility that they will destroy our hull, but once you develop the necessary technological skills, you will become almost immortal.
Great variety of ships of unquestionable beauty | Starfield review
Continuing to talk about ships, one certainly cannot discuss the beauty that characterizes them. There will be various models in the game, each designed to carry out completely different tasks, from those focused on combat to those for the transport of resources and trade. Although the difference is not that huge, you certainly won’t be able to engage in naval battles with a cargo ship equipped with terrible maneuverability and attack systems reduced to the bone.
To obtain ships we can steal them from their owners or simply purchase them from the technicians present in each city spaceport or aerospace base. It will be possible then enhance them by implementing the various systems which they are equipped with for better performance. We can also replace some parts to create a shielded hold, install of additional components or move those already present to other positions. All this combined with the possibility of changing the colors of the spacecraft will allow us to create boats without equal. Our only limit in this case, besides the monetary one, will be our imagination.
Construction is important, but skills even more so | Starfield review
Just as we model ships, we will also be able to build our camps where we see fit. We can choose planets or satellites that are deserted but rich in useful materials, or build a corner of paradise in some remote place with an unparalleled view. Even from this point of view the game allows us to create real strongholdsa bit like what happens in Fallout 76 so to speak.
In fact, it will be possible to equip our camp with all the structures necessary to produce raw materials, install the various workbenches to improve weapons, armor and create food and more. Plus we can also defend our possessions by installing turrets or robots that they patrol and protect him from any invader. It will also be possible assign our companions to a certain fieldso as to be able to carry everything forward in the best possible way.
Obviously to unlock many constructions we will have to access the final nodes of the technological branch of the skill tree. It will therefore not be possible to build a full-style camp in the opening stages of the game, although basic structures can still be built. Each skill node is vitally important, both for the search for new components and for surviving the various hostile environments that we will encounter during our adventure.
An average technical sector | Starfield review
Let’s face it, after Fallout 76 which still uses the Skyrim graphics engine we would have expected important innovations from the brand new graphics engine Creation Engine 2. Indeed, the difference is clear with other Bethesda titles. The characters, although a bit below average compared to those present in other competing video games, they are however very realistic compared to the pastboth in their patterns and facial expressions.
The glance then brought by the various landscapeseven the bare and completely “empty” ones, it’s truly impressive and manages to offer spectacular views in any circumstance. Although there are no important technologies, such as ray tracing, the lighting is well managed and guarantees excellent atmospheres in any context. Again, it’s not the best game in this respect, but it certainly knows how to defend itself from its rivals.
Although there are many good things in this Starfield, we could not fail to mention in this review i various bugs that plague it. Let’s be clear, this is not about…