The emotions that accompany a trip can be unique and spectacular and remain etched in our minds for years or even forever. Now, imagine these emotions applied to the potential and beauty of video games. Add us theendless deep space spectacularity and a balanced mix of action, exploration and research: welcome aboard Starfield.
Without a doubt we are faced with one of the most anticipated video games of recent years and the anticipation and excitement for this title is really (pass the pun) sky high. The importance that the brand Bethesda has achieved in the gaming landscape, the years of development and the high expectations from developers and players, make Starfield a potential video game milestone; a title capable of generating a “pre and after Starfield” in the videogame scenario, as happened in 2011 with the immortal The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Ma the opportunities of space are matched only by the risks and over the months, between expectations and impatience, many doubts and perplexities have lurks regarding the successful release of the game. Accomplice the extraordinary greatness of the game and some past stumbles by Bethesda, the gaming world was divided even before the game’s release.
Thanks to Bethesda, we were able to get an early start on this interplanetary trip so we could give you a taste of what awaits you in Starfield in this reviewall of course WITHOUT SPOILERS.
Why “review in progress”?
A important premise, which altered the title of this article, is that the Starfield review is still ongoing. This means that in the coming days we will update our review as we discover all the secrets of the rich, very rich texture that characterizes this game. The elements of which Starfield is composed have gone beyond our expectations and we want to be ready to give you a complete opinion also on the end-game, still far from our horizons.
Exploring over a thousand planets (and satellites) is challenging and our speed does not exceed the speed of light yet, but we will get there!
Our Starfield review (in progress)
Describing Starfield in a paragraph (or an article) is not easy and does not do justice to the greatness of the game. We are facing a great sci-fi RPG that provides a new and rich universe to explore. Indeed, the story is set in a corner of our galaxy where the hero of our adventure, whom we could freely create, will take his first small step into the universe.
Our simple career as miners in space will be turned upside down by the discovery of a mysterious artifact of unknown origins. Contact with it will give rise to mystical visions of stars and galaxies in our minds that will suddenly bind us to the destiny and nature of the artifact itself. Luckily for us, a handful of scholars have been on the trail of their origin for some time, the Constellation group. In less than no time, we are approached by members of the organization who will decide to hire us to find other pieces of the artifact scattered across the galaxy so as to try to solve this great and fascinating mystery.
Our adventure takes off from here and will take us into the deepest and most unexplored meanders in space where many other missions, opportunities and dangers are hidden, friends to meet and enemies to face. All immersed in fantastic worlds to be explored and admired in that ultra-terrestrial beauty that only space can offer.
Equipment, oxygen, gear, personality…
In practice, Starfield is a shooter with RPG mechanics and third or first person camera. During our adventure we will control the protagonist of the game that, as anticipated, we will create at the beginning of the game. In addition to being able to customize the physical appearance in a rich and complete editor, we will be able to choose some characteristics of his personality and his past. These will affect some of the statistics e ability of the character and will give him a background which will have an impact in his adventure. Not only that, some of these will offer unique interactions with other characters and allow them to have new opportunities but also disadvantages.
Our past from alien hunter could give us an edge in combat against creatures while have living parents could result in extra gear from time to time (“the pack from down”). But our beloved relatives will ask for periodic financial support to live peacefully. We will have a series of pre-set scenarios and we will have to choose carefully to have a nice balance between advantages and disadvantages.
This is in addition to RPG mechanics featured in Starfield. Characteristics and abilities can be modified by both our past and our future. Discover new places, eliminate enemies and finish missions will provide us experience points with which to level up. At each lvl-up we could choose a upgrading between five different skill branches that will affect combat, the use of technologies, our ability to maneuver spaceships and so on. Each branch has a good number of upgrades which in turn can be developed on several levels in order to improve the advantages even more. It all translates into many, many possibilities that will require as many hours of play to allow you to create the space explorer of your dreams.
The tools of the trade
To defend ourselves from the dangers of the depths of space, we will have many useful tools available. From firearms, to laser weapons, pistols, melee knives and so on. Offensive items will have to go hand in hand with suits, space suits, helmets and backpacks that will provide defensive characteristics and useful buffs such as more weight to be able to carry or a jetpack to float with grace. The amount of items is really high and they can all be modified and improved through the various workbenches.
Added to these are also consumable items such as food, medical care, performance enhancing substances, alcohol and so on. In addition to the classic life bar, which can be altered or reduced by the atmospheric or physical conditions of our character, there is also an oxygen bar. This, in addition to indicating the tiredness of our character during the race, will be a fundamental indicator of the atmospheric conditions of the planet or of the area in which we find ourselves.
In this regard, the unique and important characteristics of each planet should be noted, such as breathable air, gravity or temperature, which will influence the way we play and move in space.
The wonders of deep space…
The hours of gameplay that await us are matched only by the incredible amount of things to do, elements to discover and lands, indeed, planets to explore. The main mission is accompanied by hundreds and hundreds of secondary quests perfect Bethesda style, planets to discover and plants, animals and mining (and non-mining) elements to scan. Added to this are outposts to build and customize on various planets, spaceships to fly, buy, build or why not, steal! Ship crew to be hired and placed on various planets and much, much more.
We could go on for several hours writing lists upon lists of items, actions to perform, areas to discover, items to craft, weapons to modify and so on, but we won’t. Starfield embodies the theme of exploration and discovery and we want to leave you the pleasure of discovering the almost infinite gameplay possibilities. How you live your adventure will depend only on you, isn’t it exhilarating?
Fallout in space?
If you are accustomed to Bethesda titles and if you have read around the Internet about Starfield, you will certainly be aware of the doubts that orbit around this title. Even just by reading these “few” paragraphs you may have realized that beyond the spatial theme and the size and quantity of contents, never reached in a company title, theo Bethesda mold is present everywhere; lots of side quests, exploration, NPCs to interact with, dialogue choices and so on. According to some, a standard too similar to itself so as to lead Starfield to have already been defined as a simple “Fallout in space”.
If we take a moment to think carefully about this definition, we will realize in a moment that having a game like the F seriesallout set in space is an unprecedented show!
We will not tell you that Bethesda with Starfield has revolutionized its style, distorting its way of doing. The elements that we loved in The Elder Scrolls and Fallout are all there (thankfully!) but are now revisited in a modern key and above all filed away from those technical and non-technical defects that we have encountered in the past. An expanded universe, more dynamic gameplay, more engaging action scenes and greater depth make it the most glorious Bethesda title ever.
And the anomalies?
Obviously we are not facing a game without flaws or disappointments. How could it?
The more a title is broad and ambitious, the easier it is to fall into problems and failures. The first and perhaps biggest disappointment that we have experienced concerns precisely travel theme…