Review | Starfield | Finally Getting Around To It

EatSplode
26 Apr 202410:49

TLDRThe reviewer discusses their experience with 'Starfield', a game by Bethesda that has been highly anticipated. They did not play it at launch due to the release of other major games and chose to try it later. The review highlights the extensive character customization, noting a lack of diverse hairstyles. The game's combat is compared to 'Fallout 4', with an emphasis on the improved gunplay. The reviewer appreciates the variety of weapons but misses the over-the-top options present in other Bethesda games. They express disappointment with the lack of rewarding loot at the end of dungeons and the fetch-quest nature of the main questline. The exploration of space is criticized for its repetitive environments and reliance on menu navigation rather than direct interaction. The cities in the game are praised for their variety and liveliness. The leveling system is similar to 'Fallout 4', with a focus on perks over detailed stats. The game's visual design is admired, but the reviewer laments the limitations of the Creation Engine. They give 'Starfield' a 6 out of 10, acknowledging it's not a bad game but feels it requires a significant time investment to become enjoyable. The review concludes with concerns about the future of Bethesda's 'Elder Scrolls 6'.

Takeaways

  • 🎮 The reviewer spent a significant amount of time in the Character Creator, noting the uncanny valley effect and limited hairstyle options.
  • 🤔 The game's tutorial was appreciated for its brevity, and the combat system was noted to be similar to Fallout 4 but with more impactful guns.
  • 🔫 A variety of weapons were available, catering to different play styles, but the reviewer wished for more 'over-the-top' weapons.
  • 🏰 The reviewer found the lack of obvious rewards in dungeons to be off-putting and felt the main quest was filled with fetch quests rather than a grand narrative.
  • 🚀 The exploration of space was less engaging than expected, with the reviewer often resorting to quick travel and finding environments repetitive.
  • 🌌 The game's populated planets were more appealing, showcasing Bethesda's strength in world-building.
  • 📚 The leveling system was similar to Fallout 4, with perks chosen upon leveling up, which the reviewer found less satisfying than managing stats.
  • 🎨 The game's visual design and UI were praised for their aesthetic appeal, despite the clunky navigation.
  • 📉 The game's main quest was described as a grind, lacking in fulfilling moments, which were more commonly found in side content and city exploration.
  • 📈 The game's enjoyment increased with more playtime, suggesting it becomes more fun the longer you play, although this was seen as a negative.
  • 🤔 The reviewer and a friend gave Starfield a 6 out of 10, noting it's not a bad game but requires effort to find the great moments.

Q & A

  • What is the title of the review?

    -The title of the review is 'Review | Starfield | Finally Getting Around To It'.

  • What is the reviewer's general opinion of the character creator in Starfield?

    -The reviewer finds the character creator to be quite customizable, allowing for the creation of unique characters, but criticizes the limited selection of hairstyles.

  • How does the reviewer describe the combat in Starfield compared to previous Bethesda games?

    -The reviewer states that the combat in Starfield is similar to Fallout 4 but with more impactful gunplay, which is a positive change as Bethesda games are not typically known for good gunplay.

  • What did the reviewer find lacking in the game's dungeon exploration?

    -The reviewer felt that there wasn't a significant or satisfying reward at the end of the dungeon explorations, which affected their motivation to explore further.

  • What was the reviewer's main issue with the main quest of Starfield?

    -The reviewer found the main quest to be a series of fetch quests that didn't feel particularly rewarding or engaging, which led to a lack of fulfillment during the game's main storyline.

  • How did the reviewer feel about the variety of environments in Starfield?

    -The reviewer was disappointed with the lack of variety in the environments, noting that many planets looked similar and lacked the distinct and memorable journeys they were hoping for.

  • What advice did Unice give to the reviewer to enhance their enjoyment of Starfield?

    -Unice advised the reviewer to stop focusing on the main quest and instead concentrate on the side content, which contained more enjoyable and engaging stories.

  • How does the leveling system in Starfield compare to that of Fallout 4?

    -The leveling system in Starfield is similar to Fallout 4, using a perk system rather than a traditional list of stats. The reviewer prefers the latter for its depth and management of numbers.

  • What is the reviewer's overall score for Starfield?

    -The reviewer, along with Unice, decided to give Starfield a score of 6 out of 10.

  • What are the reviewer's concerns regarding the upcoming Elder Scrolls VI?

    -The reviewer expresses concern about how Elder Scrolls VI might turn out, fearing a continuation of patterns seen in recent Bethesda games that involve a lack of growth and repetition of the same ideas.

  • What did the reviewer appreciate about the visual design and UI of Starfield?

    -The reviewer appreciates the overall visual design of the game, enjoying the futuristic yet retro Space Age aesthetic. However, they find the UI to be clunky, which is a common issue with Bethesda games.

  • How does the reviewer summarize their experience with Starfield?

    -The reviewer concludes that Starfield is not a bad game and contains many great moments, but these moments often feel hard to come by and require searching rather than occurring naturally through gameplay.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Starfield: Bethesda's Space RPG - First Impressions

The first paragraph discusses the author's late entry into playing Starfield, a game by Bethesda, which has been a topic of much debate. The author, a fan of Bethesda games, didn't play Starfield at launch due to other big game releases. The focus is on the character creation process, the variety of hairstyles available, and the author's preference for more options. The tutorial is praised for its brevity, and the combat system is compared to Fallout 4, with an emphasis on improved gunplay. The paragraph also touches on the variety of weapons and the author's enjoyment of the 'old world guns.' However, the lack of obvious rewards at the end of dungeons and the fetch-quest nature of the main storyline detract from the overall experience. The author expresses disappointment with the repetitive environments and lack of engaging content in the main quest, preferring the side content and city exploration.

05:01

🌌 Starfield's Main Quest vs. Side Content - A Mixed Bag

The second paragraph delves into the contrast between the main quest and side content in Starfield. The author describes the main quest as a grind with little reward, which is not very fulfilling. The advice from a friend to focus on side content, where the more enjoyable and memorable moments are found, is shared. The paragraph also discusses the game's leveling system, which is similar to Fallout 4, and the author's preference for a more traditional RPG approach with visible stats and numbers. The gunplay is highlighted as an improvement over previous Bethesda games, and the visual design of the game, including the user interface and aesthetics, is praised. However, the limitations of the Creation Engine are noted, and the author expresses concerns about the pattern of game design choices made by Bethesda, hoping that mods will enhance the game experience as they have with previous titles. The game is given a 6 out of 10 rating, indicating that while it's not a bad game, it requires effort to find the enjoyable aspects.

10:02

📚 Back to Bethesda RPGs - Nostalgia and Future Content

The final paragraph reflects on the author's experience with Starfield and how it has led to a renewed interest in playing other Bethesda RPGs, specifically Morrowind and Oblivion. The author expresses gratitude for the opportunity to revisit these older games and mentions upcoming content related to Oblivion. There's an invitation for viewers to subscribe for more video game discussions and reviews, and a note on checking out previous content on the channel. The author thanks the viewers for watching and signs off with a goodbye.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Starfield

Starfield is a highly anticipated video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios. It is the central subject of the video review, where the reviewer discusses their experience with the game after not playing it at launch. The game's mechanics, story, and overall reception are key points of discussion.

💡Character Creator

The Character Creator is a feature in Starfield that allows players to customize their in-game avatars. The reviewer mentions spending a significant amount of time in this tool to avoid the uncanny valley effect and to create a character that feels unique. It's an important aspect as it sets the player's first impression and contributes to the role-playing experience.

💡Combat

Combat in Starfield is a gameplay element that the reviewer compares to that of Fallout 4. They note that the guns in Starfield feel more powerful, which is a positive aspect considering that Bethesda games are not typically known for strong gunplay mechanics. This relates to the theme of the video as it discusses the gameplay experience.

💡Fetch Quests

Fetch quests are a type of mission in RPG games where players are tasked with retrieving items. The reviewer expresses disappointment with the prevalence of fetch quests in Starfield, as they were expecting more variety and depth in the game's main questline. This keyword is tied to the video's theme of evaluating the game's design choices.

💡Exploration

Exploration is a core aspect of Bethesda's RPGs and a significant part of the Starfield experience. The reviewer discusses their excitement for exploring new environments but ultimately feels that the exploration in Starfield lacks the depth and reward system they were hoping for, which is critical to the video's overall critique.

💡No Man's Sky

No Man's Sky is another space exploration game that the reviewer mentions when comparing their expectations for Starfield's exploration elements. They reference the unique and diverse planets in No Man's Sky, expressing a desire for a similar level of variety in Starfield, which they feel was not fully realized.

💡Main Quest

The Main Quest in Starfield refers to the primary storyline that players follow. The reviewer finds the main quest to be less engaging than the side content, criticizing it for being a grind without substantial rewards. This forms a key part of their critique regarding the game's narrative and gameplay structure.

💡Leveling

Leveling in Starfield is the process by which a player's character progresses and becomes more powerful. The reviewer discusses the game's leveling system, comparing it to that of Fallout 4 and expressing a preference for a more detailed, stats-based progression system over the perk-based system used in the game.

💡Perks

Perks in Starfield are special abilities or enhancements that players can choose as they level up. The reviewer feels that the perk system simplifies the RPG experience, which they find less satisfying than a system that allows for more granular control over character stats.

💡Visual Design

The visual design of Starfield includes the game's aesthetics and user interface (UI). The reviewer appreciates the futuristic yet retro-inspired look of the game's UI and environments, although they note some clunkiness in navigation. This relates to the video's theme as it evaluates the game's presentation and artistic direction.

💡Creation Engine

The Creation Engine is the game engine used by Bethesda for Starfield and other titles like Fallout 4. The reviewer mentions that while the game looks visually appealing, they also note that the engine struggles to deliver the next-gen experience that was anticipated, which ties into the video's discussion about the game's technical performance.

Highlights

Starfield has been highly anticipated, with many questioning if Bethesda still has what it takes to deliver a great game.

The reviewer did not play Starfield at launch, choosing to review it after the initial hype had died down.

Character customization is extensive but limited in certain areas, such as the selection of hairstyles.

The game's tutorial is surprisingly short and quickly introduces space pirates and combat.

Combat in Starfield is more satisfying than in previous Bethesda games, with guns feeling more powerful.

The variety of weapons in Starfield complements different play styles, although the reviewer wished for more unique options.

The reviewer found the lack of obvious rewards at the end of dungeons to be off-putting.

The main quest of Starfield is filled with fetch quests, which the reviewer found disappointing.

The exploration in Starfield often involves looking at menus and quick traveling, rather than organic discovery.

The game's populated planets are the most visually appealing and provide a sense of variety.

The leveling system in Starfield is similar to Fallout 4, focusing on perks rather than individual stats.

The gun play in Starfield is a notable improvement over previous Bethesda titles.

The game's visual design is praised for its futuristic yet retro aesthetic, reminiscent of the 70s.

The reviewer and their colleague gave Starfield a score of 6 out of 10, noting it has great moments but requires effort to find them.

The reviewer expresses concern for the future of Bethesda's RPGs after their experience with Starfield.

Despite its shortcomings, Starfield has reignited the reviewer's interest in other Bethesda RPGs.