Starfield to Infinity and into the Great Beyond!

I am always worried that a game I look forward to with great expectation, might have a serious let down too…
But sometimes that great expectation pays off, like the time with Red Dead redemption 2.

The excitement around Starfield stemmed from Bethesda’s approach of applying their open-world RPG formula to a vast cosmic universe, full of undiscovered planets and cosmic mysteries. Think of it as the Elder Scrolls meeting Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky.

In many aspects, Starfield lives up to its potential. It’s undeniably vast, and its main storyline revolves around the excitement of exploration and adventure. I couldn’t help myself getting excited to step into the emptiness of space just to find out that it was far from empty.

There I was off on a grand adventure journeying to remote and perilous cosmic locales, driven by a quest to uncover the universe’s origins and humanity’s role in it. To me the game’s scale is grander, it largely adheres to Bethesda’s go-too RPG blueprint, with familiar moment-to-moment activities. Moreover, from a technical standpoint, Starfield represents Bethesda’s most polished and stable release to date.

Starfield begins modestly, casting you as a miner on a dusty planet who stumbles upon a peculiar, possibly alien artifact. Strangely, this discovery connects with you on a metaphysical level, giving you into an out-of-body experience.

This revelation guides you to Constellation, a diverse group of Indiana Joneses, including a theologian, a wealthy cowboy, and a business magnate. Their shared goal is to unravel the mysteries of the universe and you get put right, front and centre.

While Starfield’s feel and scope set it apart from previous Bethesda titles, the fundamental gameplay remains familiar. It combines RPG elements with shooting mechanics, allowing you to develop your character through various traits and skills. These choices often influence your approach to missions, where you may negotiate for your objectives or engage in combat as needed.

Dialogue plays a significant role in Starfield, with plenty of close-up conversations. You interact with companion characters to build relationships and engage with others for information or to navigate sticky situations. Despite the extensive voiced dialogue, Starfield impressively maintains high-quality writing and acting throughout.

Starfield’s space theme introduces fresh gameplay elements, drawing comparisons to No Man’s Sky. You have the freedom to land on numerous planets for exploration, equipped with a scanning device to gather information about local flora, fauna, and minerals.

Space travel is a key aspect, requiring a spaceship. The ships look great and offer upgrades, I found piloting them fun and here and there challenging. I love the fast-travel between planets and enjoy the space pirate encounters, as the dogfighting mechanics are just all out fun.

Similar to most Bethesda games, the experience can be almost divided into two parts: the main questline and everything else. For me Starfield offers a vast experience with an abundance of activities, strong character development, and role-playing elements, though the action is somewhat average. It also addresses past rough edges from the studio while introducing a new theme and narrative that align with Bethesda’s longstanding grand ambitions.

For me Starfield is worth every minute and for 3 reasons:
1. Starfield offers a massive amount of gameplay with randomly generated content.
2. The game features witty and meta-commentary dialogue, such as NPCs acknowledging the unstoppable nature of video game protagonists.
3. And playing it you will encounter intriguing quests and missions, including uncovering the mysteries of the universe and navigating alternate realities.

All I can say is “To infinity and shoot that”