Unlikely. Bethesda has carved out a slot for itself as one of the most popular and profitable devs. Starfield sold extremely well, even though the reviews and hype have seemingly crashed down back to earth now. My point being they can get away with mediocrity, unfortunately
Bethesda has that niche because they earned it with many of their previous titles.
A lot of this hate comes off as residual (and deserved) anger from the release state of Fallout 76. In the years since that games release though it’s gotten a lot better in large part due to seeing what fans wanted (questlines and NPC’s) and implementing that in the game.
Starfield had the unfortunate luck to release in the same year as a once in a generation game Baldur’s Gate 3 (which Larian Studios was basically built from the ground up to make over a decade of work) and the final complete form of Cyberpunk (which took years after a poor release to finally be in a state that it should have been and was advertised as).
The game and its engine are certainly showing its age, I don’t think many people who have played Starfield for more than a few hours would dispute that, but it’s still certainly a fun experience if you go in wanting a Fallot/Skyrim in space.
Graphics I'll give it, but that's the sort of thing that gets better over time regardless.
Gunplay? Not particularly seeing Starfield's as better.
Character creation? Absolutely not. There's a system of traits and backgrounds that's in stark contrast with the game, so it HUGELY takes you out of it
Just in my run, I was a Diplomat who at multiple times said "I'm not a diplomat, why am I doing this?", I was a Snake Worshipper who had, for most of my Andreja romance, had her tell me that it was so awful I wasn't a snake worshipper and I was going to hell, and when I ditched her to move on, I had Kid Stuff and two loving parents who didn't even come to my wedding with Sarah.
AI? Once again, no. I go into Skyrim and draw my sword in a town, guards cautiously mention it. I dragon shout to the sky, one approaches me to tell me while there's no laws against that, I should stop.
I draw my gun and start blasting around people in Aquila City, no one flinches. Nothing happens. Enemies aren't better, their tactics haven't advanced, they're stagnant.
Gunplay? Not particularly seeing Starfield's as better.
Easily better than Fallout 4 with a far bigger array of mods.
There's a system of traits and backgrounds that's in stark contrast with the game, so it HUGELY takes you out of it
Gonna respectfully disagree boss. It is by no means a perfect system, but it improved VASTLY over Fallout 4 and Skyrim.
I get it, the backgrounds/traits are lacking in some aspects. Fully agreed. But are you really unable to understand how they are still vastly better than Fallout 4's mandatory Concerned Parent background, or Skyrim's Ambushed Prisoner one?
AI? Once again, no.
Strawman fallacy. I never said "AI", I said "Enemy AI". Guard behavior has nothing to do with Enemy AI.
Enemies aren't better, their tactics haven't advanced, they're stagnant.
This is just downright false. They are demonstrably smarter than Fallout 4/Skyrim enemies which is patently obvious to anyone who played these games.
Easily better than Fallout 4 with a far bigger array of mods.
Pffh, no. Fallout 4's mods were actually cool and relevant to the gun, even unique guns, making some look very cool. It was awesome turning a minigun into a tri-barrelled spike machine.
Starfield just lets you throw anything together half-heartedly. Knife with double magazine capacity, lmao? Do better.
Gonna respectfully disagree boss. It is by no means a perfect system, but it improved VASTLY over Fallout 4 and Skyrim.
No. I'd rather have no traits than traits that are constantly contradicted in ways that ruin immersion and cripple role-play.
But are you really unable to understand how they are still vastly better than Fallout 4's mandatory Concerned Parent background, or Skyrim's Ambushed Prisoner one?
Skyrim just held that I was trying to cross a border for some reason. That can work for any character I want to roleplay.
Weirdly, you're leaving out that Starfield also has a mandatory background, Argos Miner. Me, experienced Diplomat, or whatever my background, who for some weird reason, left that life to go melt rocks.
An obvious downgrade.
I never said "AI", I said "Enemy AI". Guard behavior has nothing to do with Enemy AI.
Alright, just another inferior part, then.
This is just downright false. They are demonstrably smarter than Fallout 4/Skyrim enemies which is patently obvious to anyone who played these games.
No, they're as unimpressive as ever, quite patently. Played 100 hours of Starfield before I couldn't bear finishing and had to admit I'd wasted my money.
Fallout 4's mods were actually cool and relevant to the gun
Starfield has every mod FO4 has...
even unique guns
You gotta be joking, Fallout 4 has like, 3 unique weapons. Everything else are generic weapons with a Legendary effect.
I'd rather have no traits than traits that are constantly contradicted
God no, screw that shit. Imagine what modders can do with Starfield's system of traits & backgrounds! Damn glad they don't need crazy workarounds because Fallout 4 and Skyrim are so restrictive.
ruin immersion and cripple role-play.
Sounds like you need to roleplay better mate. /s
Skyrim just held that I was trying to cross a border for some reason. That can work for any character I want to roleplay.
Uh no, it cannot. Skyrim forces you to be a criminal breaking Imperial law, incompetent enough to fall to an ambush, and places you into an antagonistic situation against the Legion.
No wonder Alternate Start mods are so popular for Skyrim.
you're leaving out that Starfield also has a mandatory background, Argos Miner.
Yes it does, and it is limiting as well, but not as much as Skyrim/Fallout 4 because backgrounds exist.
Me, experienced Diplomat, or whatever my background, who for some weird reason, left that life to go melt rocks.
Sounds like you need to roleplay better mate. Unironically this time.
Surely you have heard of e.g. doctors and lawyers on hard times leaving for gold rushes, or working menial jobs post-Great Recession. Not impossible to picture out.
An obvious downgrade.
How the fuck is being able to pick a previous profession + being a miner is a downgrade, let alone a obvious one, from being a prisoner about to be beheaded? You are trolling, gotta be.
just another inferior part
Uh yes, that's what we already defined. Why are you pointing out the obvious?
Played 100 hours of Starfield [...] wasted my money.
Then you are the biggest "idiot" I met this week.
Either because you are a troll-liar who never played these 100 hours, or you are a masochist who took 100 hours (?!?!) to realize you don't like a game (lmao), or because you actually like the game and wish it to be better, you just suck at expressing it and resort to randomly bashing it on the internet as an escape valve.
Starfield lives rent-free in your head. Let it go, mate. You'll feel better.
I love the game and play it every day. It's NOT perfect, but pretty damn good. OF COURSE it's in my head, nothing free about it.
Question is: why the fuck would trolls like you bother commenting about a game you "dislike" so strongly (if you even played it)? It does live rent-free in your tiny heads. Instead of forgetting about it like normal people, you whine and moan like a slut in heat.
Now admit it, capitalizing up and down whatever that sentence means was the most effort you put in all day. Lmao
The Argos Miner origin definitely could have been so much better. Why not something like survivor of a spaceship crash so the player is better able to role play their origins?
Unfortunately exploration and the sense of discovery and wonder is what makes Bethesda games shine. It just isn’t fun to explore in Starfield. I also think crafting is better in Fallout 4. And outpost/settlement creation.
I completely agree with you that exploration and sense of discovery is why most people play their games. I also think that the settlement building took away from that.
I don’t think it’s the settlement building for me. Fallout 4 had a similar system and it didn’t bother me at all. It’s the repeated POI’s and most planets just being reskinned lifeless rocks with absolutely nothing interesting to see or do
I’m just talking about FO4 in comparison to FO3 and FONV. Made for fewer interesting pois in comparison as well. I want a fleshed out sandbox to explore.
Enemy AI is god awful still. Also improving on graphics is not much of a accomplishment. Gunplay is fine but not great
Also the story, the one redeeming element of bethesda games is terrible. Besides there's not a lot of freedom anymore, it's a sandbox without the appealing elements. Let me just load my way from one planet to the next without ever wanting to discover anything.
It is markedly superior to previous Bethesda games.
Also improving on graphics is not much of a accomplishment.
That's moving the goalposts. So Starfield has made no positive progress compared to past games, except where it did? Sounds like bullshit.
Gunplay is fine but not great
It feels great to me, best I ever saw in a RPG since Cyberpunk. Gunplay is better than Fallout 4 and that's the point.
the story, the one redeeming element of bethesda games
Man this anti-Starfield circlejerk is so annoying. Are you fucking kidding me? Bethesda games, redeemed by their story? Why are folk inventing stuff is beyond me.
The ONLY Bethesda game with a passable story was Morrowind. Arena, Daggerfall, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4, each and every one of those have the most cliche-ridden stories one could think of. Starfield improved a lot on the quality of side quests writing-wise, some are superb, but mostly follows the safe playbook.
"I cried after that one quest in Skyrim", said no one ever.
Bethesda games became icons due to their unique commitment to sandbox freedom + moddability.
I would have been happy with Skyrim in space, but Starfield isn't that at all. The defining characteristic of Skyrim is that you can walk in any direction and encounter hand crafted content; this form of exploration is simply not present in Starfield to any appreciable degree.
The Elder Scrolls Daggerfalls map is the size of the UK in 1998.. The problem with games today is everyone’s a disingenuous critic.. What’s making things worst is you guys speak with no knowledge and because you typed it confidently it’s getting almost 20+ upvotes of people liking a FALSE statement lol.. “Looked out and see handcrafted content” smh.. Skyrim was made by 90 devs if you believe they handcrafted the content go back and watch the documentary on Skyrim from No Clip.. Todd explains they usually have LITTLE handcrafted content and start with Proc gen on almost everything to be made.. And have since TES daggerfall in the 90s…
Again, hopefully Bethesda takes all of that criticism seriously and makes their next game better for it.
As for Starfield, not every game is for every player. If you enjoy it then great, if not then also great. Find one of the many other games to play on Game Pass or elsewhere.
Lmao. People have been saying this about Bethesda for almost 10 years now. They ain’t taking shit to heart. They’re fulfilling their internal roadmap and that’s it.
No offense I stg whatever ten you’ll say EVERYONE can name JUST as many problems for..
In all honesty it’s weird how Starfields the ONLY game I’ve ever seen judge based on what’s it’s NOT???
BG3 is TERRIBLE in EVERYTHING but choice.. Which guess what?? It’s a D&D game, that’s GOING to happen..
But the story’s bad, combats terrible, bro basically EXACTLY what you just listed for Starfield..
But why people also IGNORE the THOUSANDS of bugs, bad pacing, boring filler storylines, the overhead view which just isn’t… It.. It’s like playing Diablo jr.. Plus all things you named for Starfield..
Gamers are fickle af now.. If enough media people would’ve said it was greatness you would’ve accepted it as a goat..
Just like BG3 or even worst Spider-Man which was just not good even if it didn’t have a bug.. We gotta stop acting like cause you can find flaw in a game it makes it bad cause every game can be done that way..
And even to those saying “the games not good” if you ask how MAJORITY say “Idk it just isn’t the same”… That’s what happens when you follow..
Name things you can insert anywhere while ignoring those SAME points when saying “but this games greatness”..
I dont know why you are taking people disliking a game as a personal attack.
As someone who has played baldurs gate 3, spiderman 2 and starfield.
It's just very clear it's not on their level.
The other two games are flaws experiences too. As they both had some bugs and issues
I'm not giving starfield shit for what it's not.
I'm giving it shit for what it is.
What it is. Is subpar. Nearly every aspect in that game. Is done in mediocre fashion. Combat, side objectives, hell even the story is lack luster.
Yes there are good elements. But. There's a reason starfield isn't getting the accolades the others are.
It's not a conspiracy. It's just not that great to most. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And feel differently. But it's not an attack on you
Also worth noting "If enough media people would've said it was greatness you would've accepted it as a goat"
There's a reason they didn't say it was greatness. It was a flawed experience.
I played it. Put a ton of hours in it. It's not bad. It's just. very mediocre.
Baldur's gate and spider-man have flaws as well. But what they do well they do exceptionally well.
Starfield has nothing i felt was done exceptionally well. Maybe ship customization. But that's about it.
That’s LITERALLY applied to BG3 and Spider-Man but you’re proving me right... They BOTH have those flaws.. Again BG3 story IS subpar, like LITERALLY doesn’t get good until halfway through the 4 act..
Spider-Man 2 story was NOT subpar to you???
Spider-Man 2 is MM and 2018 together with NOTHING new.. And it’s 17 hrs long with JUST as many bugs as Starfields 50 hr main quest.. Side quests almost don’t even exist in terms of Spider-Man dude..
Truth is I didn’t enjoy Starfield.. I LITERALLY bought it and it’s off my Xbox at this point.. The point is I’ve bought BOTH the other games and they were JUST as bad 😂..
Fuck Starfield and Bethesda, BG3 and Spidey.. Hogwarts legacy is GOTY THATS facts..
The other fact is BG3 isn’t some “Elden Ring” Elden did well on ALL platforms not just PC..
Fact is Spider-Man 2 is about as good as watching paint dry.. Like bro I can sit my controller down, walk away, and it’s STILL sitting..
No lbh it’s a Xbox thing.. Ghost of Tsushima was a 83 meta is “mediocre” now??? Cause it got a GOTY nom, and has ALWAYS been seen as one of the best RPGs PS ever made??
What Starfield does better than either is be FUN..
Spider-Man’s NOT fun.. It’s nice to watch.. But NOWHERE is it fun..
BG3 is in all honesty just good outside of choice.. It’s why the games selling point isn’t “This epic story” or “A great this”.. It’s “You can fuck bears”….. Yes media tells you guys what to say cause as I said from start..
You guys have no explanations of your own.. You keep saying yeah all these games are flawed but ONLY Starfield is REALLY subpar because… Well.. The other games better at what they good at…
Dude it’s clear your reasoning for not liking those games is Microsoft didn’t make them. Those games are reviewed highly and nominated for several awards for a reason, they’re amazing. Starfield missed the mark, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game it’s just not as good as those other ones.
Nah, the anger started before Fallout 76 was even released. Fallout 4 received a similar amount of hate by the online “community” in much the same fashion. So many complaints about the damn game it was ridiculous. The subreddit was a shithole and r/fallout was even worse.
Somehow now it’s the golden standard and Starfield is the shitheap. It’s a predictable cycle with literally every release in a franchise, aside from titles that are absolutely special/rare achievements.
The problem with Starfield is much more fundamental than the engine showing its age. The game feels lifeless and boring to explore in a way no other Bethesda game has before imo. The inventory management and menu navigation is a atrocious. Travel feels terrible. But I could all of that if it wasn’t for the recycled points of interest. I’ve never had something ruin my sense of immersion worse than when I realized that “oh shit this is the exact same mine”.
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u/APunnyThing Nov 20 '23
Cool, hopefully it gets better over time and Bethesda takes the criticism to heart on whatever project they make next.
Starfield is a fun enough game but it could have been a lot better and a lot less tedious to navigate both in menus and in space.