Starfield backlash...?
Hello lads and ladies,
So I finally picked up the PS5 version of Starfield and started playing for the first time. My biggest regret?? Why the hell did I not purchase this game sooner!!!
Back when it launched in 2023, I remember the internet absolutely tearing this game apart. Everywhere I looked people were calling it bland, boring, repetitive, shallow, disappointing, etc. I kept hearing complaints about weak, generic planetary exploration, poor gameplay mechanics, bad writing, forgettable characters, and an unsatisfying story — especially stacked against other Bethesda titles.
After playing the game now, I can't stop thinking… What the hell am I not seeing here?
I'm about 40 hours in now, and I've experienced NONE of the issues the internet whined about.
I know I’ve probably only scratched the surface, but this game has been absolutely incredible so far. I have not found myself bored..ONCE. I've honestly been blown away by the sheer amount of things I'm able to do.
- The Hundreds of skill combinations available allowing the creation of a unique character developed for a specific, unique, style of playthrough.
-Ship building/customization: Modify a ship you buy/steal or basically build one from scratch. Everything from small, agile fighters for bounty hunting, to clunky cargo haulers for moving merchandise, to hulking battleships for sporting large crews and massive weapon systems.
-Outpost construction: Construct an unlimited number of compounds on any of the literally hundreds of unique worlds visited through the exploration of different systems that in turn contain a plethora of cities, colonies, space stations, planetside compounds/facilities, as well as numerous points of interest to visit at your behest.
-There are also numerous scripted encounters with NPCs possibly initiated upon travel through the various systems leading to additional tasks/activities for completion.
-There are literally hundreds of faction quests, side missions, dailies, ect. — it feels endless.
Honestly, the characters and crew members have been way more engaging than people made them out to be as well. Of course there is Bethesda's signature romance options available as well. I’ve actually been enjoying the story as too.
Then you throw mods into the mix and it feels like a game I could easily sink 900-1000 hours into across multiple playthroughs without breaking a sweat.
So now I’m wondering… was Starfield basically another Cyberpunk 2077 situation? Was it rough or borderline broken at launch and eventually patched into a near masterpiece?
Because from where I’m sitting right now, I genuinely cannot understand why so many people trashed this game right after it launched, and why I listened, when I could have been enjoying an awesome game much sooner than now.
I just can't help but be curious what others thought of the game at launch and what they think now???