#starfield @bethesda Review By Brett Keane

#starfield is the latest sci-fi RPG from Bethesda, the studio behind Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. It's a game that promises to let you explore a vast galaxy of over 1,000 planets, each with its own unique culture, history, and environment. You can create your own character, choose your own background and skills, and shape your own story as a member of the Constellation, a group of space explorers who discover a mysterious alien artifact.

But does Starfield live up to the hype? Is it worth the wait? And is it worth buying an Xbox or a PC to play it? In this review, I'll give you my honest opinion on Starfield, based on my experience playing it for over 40 hours.

The Good

Starfield is a stunning game to look at. The graphics are amazing, especially on the Xbox Series X and PC. The planets are diverse and detailed, from the futuristic city of New Atlantis to the cyberpunk slums of Neon. The lighting, shadows, and reflections are realistic and immersive. The animations are smooth and natural. The sound design is also impressive, with a rich orchestral score and realistic sound effects.

Starfield is also a fun game to play. The combat is satisfying and challenging, with a variety of weapons and enemies to face. The space battles are thrilling and dynamic, with the ability to attack and board other ships. The exploration is rewarding and addictive, with plenty of secrets and surprises to find. The quests are engaging and varied, with multiple choices and consequences. The dialogue is well-written and voiced, with interesting characters and factions to interact with.

Starfield is also a deep game to dive into. The character creation is extensive and flexible, allowing you to customize your appearance, background, skills, and traits. The progression system is rewarding and meaningful, with perks and upgrades that affect your gameplay. The crafting system is complex and creative, allowing you to modify your weapons, armor, ship, and base. The lore system is rich and immersive, with books, terminals, holotapes, and artifacts that reveal the history and secrets of the galaxy.

The Bad

Starfield is not a perfect game. It has some flaws and drawbacks that may affect your enjoyment of it. Here are some of them:

- Starfield is buggy and glitchy. As expected from a Bethesda game, Starfield has its fair share of bugs and glitches that can ruin your immersion or even break your game. I encountered several crashes, freezes, clipping issues, floating objects, missing textures, dialogue errors, quest bugs, and more. Some of them were minor annoyances, but some of them were game-breaking issues that forced me to reload or restart my game.
- Starfield is exclusive to Xbox and PC. This means that if you don't own an Xbox Series X/S or a powerful PC, you won't be able to play Starfield at all. This is a shame for PlayStation fans who have enjoyed Bethesda's previous games on their consoles. It's also a shame for PC gamers who have to deal with Microsoft's Windows Store or Xbox app to play Starfield on their platform.
- Starfield is expensive. Starfield costs $60 for the standard edition or $80 for the deluxe edition that includes some extra content and perks. This is a lot of money for a single-player game that may not have much replay value or longevity. It's also a lot of money for a game that may not be fully polished or optimized at launch.

The Verdict

Starfield is an ambitious and impressive game that delivers on its promise of letting you explore a vast galaxy of your own. It's a game that will appeal to fans of sci-fi RPGs who love immersive worlds, engaging stories, and meaningful choices. It's also a game that will challenge you with its combat, space battles, crafting, and progression systems.

However, Starfield is also a flawed and exclusive game that may frustrate you with its bugs, glitches, exclusivity, and price tag. It's a game that may not be for everyone who prefers more stable or accessible games.

Overall, I enjoyed Starfield a lot and I recommend it to anyone who has an Xbox or a PC and loves sci-fi RPGs. I think it's one of the best games of 2023 and one of the best games from Bethesda.

I give Starfield 4 out of 5 stars.