Starfield is easily one of the biggest releases of 2023, but also one of the most divisive. While some players consider it a masterpiece, others believe that it failed to meet all expectations. Along these lines, it is undeniable that some design decisions disappointed a sector of the community.
Now, a fan shared a harsh and extensive review on Steam where he outlined the points where, in his opinion, the RPG was left to duty. His comment caught the attention of the community, and even a Bethesda developer joined the conversation to defend the open-world title.
In his criticism, the user known as Soso attacked elements such as missions, exploration, history, enemies, the “extremely empty planets” and many other things. He said that, after playing 93 hours, he came to the conclusion that Starfield “is a big step backwards not only in the industry in general and the RPG genre, but also for Bethesda ”.
Bethesda responds to criticism and justifies Starfield's empty worlds
In the comments section, developer with username Bethesda_FalcoYamaoka responded to Soso's criticism and justified some of the decisions behind the sci-fi RPG philosophy. Additionally, he provided some tips to make the game more fun and engaging.
“We are sorry to hear that Starfield did not live up to your expectations. Some of the planets in Starfield are designed to be empty, but that's not boring (…) The intention of the exploration of Starfield is to evoke a feeling of smallness on players and make them feel overwhelmed,” said the Bethesda developer.
Next, FalcoYamaoka indicates that the missions can be approached in various ways, and that there are even moments in the campaign where fans can decide the fate of a character. He also recommended increasing the difficulty if they consider it too easy and advised addressing the ship construction and outpost creation systems.
Before the official premiere, director Todd Howard confirmed that there would be 1000 planets in the open world video game, but only 10% of them would have life. The news raised doubts and concern, although there is a logical reason behind this controversial decision.
Ashley Cheng, CEO of Bethesda, indicated that the goal was to make the universe of Starfield would be enjoyable and authentic at the same time, which represented a challenge. “Not all places are Disney World (…) Everyone worries that the planets are boring, but when the astronauts went to the moon there was nothing there; certainly, they were not bored,” he commented.
But tell us, do you agree with the player? Do you think the developer is right? Let us know in the comments.
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