Starfield Review Roundup: Mostly positive with some slight disappointments

Last Updated on September 11, 2023 by Nahush Gowda

One of the biggest releases and most anticipated games of 2023 is finally here. Although the game will be available to play on September 6, the early game reviews are already out and there are mixed reviews but it is mostly positive.

Starfield is an ambitious project that Bethesda is leaning on to become their next big thing. Bethesda already has IPs like Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Skyrim and hopes to add Starfield to that list.

Let’s dive into the complete Starfield Review Roundup.

“It’s the ultimate sci-fi game, giving players an incomprehensibly massive world to explore and letting them play however they want” – Gamerant

Gamerant gave an overall very positive review of Starfield compared to the Skyrim levels of engagement and playtime. According to Gamerant, Starfield can take some time to get going but when it does, it’s absolutely fun!

Talking about combat, Gamerant makes it clear that combat is not very fun in the starting but gets better when new abilities are unlocked and the arsenal is expanded. On-foot combat can be really entertaining with the right upgrades and skills. However, space combat can be a hit or miss depending on the type of player you are, says Dalton Cooper.

For the main quest line, Gamerant says that it is the best main quest in any Bethesda game with fun encounters, combat, and an engaging narrative. However, in some ways, it can be a letdown as there are repetitive missions and the same enemy encounters. 

“Like Bethesda’s other games, Starfield has enough content to keep players lost in its world for hundreds of hours, but it has even more replay value than expected. Starfield has a New Game+ option, giving players the opportunity to continue their adventures in a way that hasn’t been possible in any other Bethesda game.”

Overall, Gamerant has given a positive review with some mild complaints that might bother some players. Read the full review here.

“Starfield sterilizes the final frontier” – Polygon

Polygon had a mixed review of the game tilting more towards annoyance and mediocrity rather than negative. Polygon talks about experience and immersion getting ruined because of the overwhelming amount of menus. Even space travel gets bogged down because of a series of loading screens.

Talking about the planets to explore, Polygon mentions that there are places that are exciting and surprising but many places become boring after a while as they have the same template of abandoned stations or overrun by pirates. While not uninteresting, it becomes familiar and boring after a while.

“Starfield exists in the push and pull between a carefully crafted world and the vastness of procedurally generated planets. Bethesda embraced the idea of more, and in turn, watered down the parts of space exploration and discovery that are most compelling to me: how humans relate to it. The expanse of Starfield’s world leaves gaps unfilled, and Bethesda has opted instead to simply spread further, rather than flesh out what’s already there.”

Polygon didn’t dwell too much into the positive aspects of the game although Nicole Carpenter makes it clear there are good moments in the game that are worth it. Read the full review here.

“Even after about 70 hours, there are major questlines I haven’t even touched.” – IGN

According to IGN’s review, the game has its share of bugs and technical issues, but overall, it remains fairly stable. Despite its challenges, “Starfield” ultimately captivates players with its vast, morally complex universe, interesting NPCs, and the joy of custom spaceship exploration, making it a recommended experience, especially for patient players willing to invest time.

“The best thing Bethesda’s done since Oblivion” – GamesRadar

GamesRadar gave a positive review of the game with some minor nitpicks. If you are a player who likes to “do stuff” in the game and spend time in the universe, Starfield is the one for you.

Starfield isn’t really a game you play to complete, it’s more about living whatever sort of life you want in the literal universe Bethesda has created. Whatever you’re thinking of doing, you almost certainly can do it, and the scale is almost a release in a way – you’ll probably never see or do it all, so just enjoy the moment. There are months, if not years, of discoveries buried away in here, and even after 80 hours I can’t wait to see more.

Leon Hurley, GamesRadar

GamesRadar gives a 5-star rating while asserting that the game has an incredible world to explore, and has good gunfights, locations, and characters. However, it can be overwhelming in some parts because of the sheer number of things to do. Read the full review here

“A giant leap for Bethesda, a small step for RPGs” – PCGamesN

PCGamesN delves into a detailed review that sums up most of what others are saying. The distraction from the main storyline quest can be good or bad depending on the player you are. Talking about the performance, Starfield doesn’t have any game-breaking bugs given the sheer amount of mechanics put into it.

PCGamesN also says that the combat really gets going as you upgrade your skills and put more time into the game.

While Bethesda has clearly outdone itself with Starfield, that can’t be said of everyone else, and there’s enough feature creep to leave Starfield a jack of all mechanics but a master of none. If you’ve been itching to get your hands on an all-new Bethesda experience, there’s no question you’ll gain a lot of enjoyment out of Starfield. However, there’s very little new ground being broken here, and as I forge my own path across the Settled Systems I’m conscious of the groundwork laid by the likes of Mass Effect and No Man’s Sky. 

Nat Smith, PCGamesN

Overall, PCGamesN is positive about Starfield but gives a score of 7 which most players will agree with. Read the full review here.

If you’re the type of player just looking for the next “Skyrim”, the next “Fallout” and just like embracing the Bethesda gameplay and vibe like a warm blanket, then I think you’ll be satisfied.” – Gameranx

Jake from Gameranx was positive about the game admitting that the game has some flaws like underwhelming space travel, UI barrier with a lot of clicking around for landing and space travel, and occasional bland worlds/planets.

He mentions that “Starfield” is a departure from Bethesda’s traditional RPGs, offering a new space exploration experience with its own lore. Jake shares his personal opinion, expressing that while he likes the game, it has flaws and may not meet the expectations of those hoping for a revolutionary Bethesda title.

You can watch the full review here.

Starfield Steam Reviews

Here are some of the reviews on Steam reflecting a user’s review and experience.

“Don’t expect a super engaging “No Man’s Sky” or Star Citizen killer, the space exploration aspect of the game is meh. But if you play it and treat it like just another Bethesda game, the game is an absolute banger and an upgrade from its predecessors.”

oXDarkEyesXo

“Starfield has a slow start but when you get into it, it’s as fun as any other Bethesda RPG. I’m about 40 hours in as I write this and I had 0 crashes and a minimum of bugs. Those bugs were more funny than annoying, and none of them were game-breaking. Loading screens were a bit of a letdown but I got used to them too. The thing I have to say is the most annoying to me is the surface map. I get that, you can’t have a detailed map on every planet, but at least the major Cities could have it. Most of the time I roam around the City for a long time before I find what I am looking for.”

AdamsCzech

“Overall it’s a weird abomination of a game from the last decade which feels more like beta, early access or a barebone for the modders. It’s completely designed around player putting in hundreds of hours in order to unlock and experience all the mechanics which is a lot to ask, considering how tedious it is to play, how outdated game feels and how uninspired the content is.”

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