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Reviews Starfield Review Thread | 87 OpenCritic, 87 Metacritic

Kinda insane to think a powerhouse open-world developer like Bathesda is struggling with seamless open-world exploration while Nintendo is flexing their muscles with it.
 
HockeyBird said:
The Bethesda gameplay was always going to be the one thing that held this game back. I always say that Bethesda games aren't exactly the best playing games, even at times of release. Morrowind, Fallout 3, and Skyrim all had basic traversal and mediocre combat. But it was the feeling of being in those worlds that made them great. But since 2011, the rest of the industry caught up and they do specific things really well. There's the story and the quests of the Witcher 3. The exploration mechanics and creative problem solving of Zelda. Bethesda games have always been good at going many things decent enough but not specific aspects very well. If the big open world, the thing that made your games special, is no longer special, then you need to excel at other aspects of the game.
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I can understand this kinda post for a game that's getting trashed, but it currently has the same Metacritic score as Pikmin 4 and Final Fantasy 16, so I don't quite get it.
balgajo said:
To think they didn't make a new Elder's Scroll for this. Even though I'm zero interested in sci-fi games I thought they would have a game changing concept.
At least they can improve their mistakes for next ES.
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They are making TES6, but they had to upgrade their engine and decided it was the perfect time to make the space game they've always wanted to make.
 
It's gotta hurt for Xbox/Bethesda, who really need an outright unqualified win at this point, but personally I can't say I'm that bothered by the scores not quite being "automatic lock for GOTY nom at the Keighlies"-tier. New Vegas is my favorite "one of these" and probably in my top 20 all-time games, and that's sitting at an 84 on Metacritic.

I was always going in expecting a pretty Bethesda-ass Bethesda game (but in space) and this sounds to be maybe the most polished one they've done yet; as long as the sidequests are solid-enough, that's really all I need this game to be.
 
HeyItsPulse said:
I can understand this kinda post for a game that's getting trashed, but it currently has the same Metacritic score as Pikmin 4 and Final Fantasy 16, so I don't quite get it.

They are making TES6, but they had to upgrade their engine and decided it was the perfect time to make the space game they've always wanted to make.
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I mean, what's the issue with what I said? I didn't say the game was getting bad scores. I think the scores are pretty good. But it's definitely not getting the reception many people expected. I'm merely pointing to the reason why it's not getting the reception a game like Skyrim got back in 2011.
 
Xaltmas said:
Reviews are exactly what I expected. A great game but not the second coming like many pushed it to be.

Fanboys having been tearing each other up over this game for years now so it’s no surprise the discourse is as toxic and embarrassing as it is. “87 is a complete failure“ is a real comment I’ve read today.
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When Microsoft makes a claim like "All of our QA developers have been working on this game for the past year, just for polish. This is by far the most polished a bethesda game has been at launch". Or "this is the biggest game ever created", or "this is the starting gun for a relay race of first party titles". People will go on "gamers" all the time of having way too high of expectations, but that oftentimes is irresponsible marketing. I don't think we can blame people for having incredibly high expectations when that was how Starfield was marketed for the past 3 years.
bodokoh said:
Kinda insane to think a powerhouse open-world developer like Bathesda is struggling with seamless open-world exploration while Nintendo is flexing their muscles with it.
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An Indie developer in Hello Games did it no problem, on a PS4 and an original Xbox One no less. No Man's Sky had problems other than that at launch, but they also fixed those as well.
 
Can’t remember the last time a hyped up AAA game averaged reviews in the high 80s but got 7s or lower from Gamespot/IGN at the same time. Normally it would only be one of them (mostly gamespot)
 
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Xaltmas said:
Fallout New Vegas has an 84 and is considered one of the best RPGs ever made. People are ridiculous.
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This is not a good example. Fallout New Vegas got an 84 because it was a buggy mess at launch, and its reception as one of the best RPGs of all time is mostly in hindsight. I remember how for years it was just seen as a lesser 3.

It's actually more eyebrow raising that Starfield has these low scores because it isn't a buggy mess.
 
BlackthornOrion said:
It's gotta hurt for Xbox/Bethesda, who really need an outright unqualified win at this point, but personally I can't say I'm that bothered by the scores not quite being "automatic lock for GOTY nom at the Keighlies"-tier. New Vegas is my favorite "one of these" and probably in my top 20 all-time games, and that's sitting at an 84 on Metacritic.

I was always going in expecting a pretty Bethesda-ass Bethesda game (but in space) and this sounds to be maybe the most polished one they've done yet; as long as the sidequests are solid-enough, that's really all I need this game to be.
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Xbox has been having wins, but they are games that aren't typically celebrated by awards and the "hardcore" crowd. Biggest example of this is that Xbox had the highest reviewed game on 2021 (Forza Horizon 5 with a 92) yet was snubbed because "it's just a racing game".
 
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IGN and Gamespot reviewing it poorly is pretty much the worst case scenario in the context of everyone else reviewing it well. The majority of reviewers absolutely love it, but the two biggest names don't, and that's what people are gonna remember the most.

It's big enough to pull some GOTY wins and get nominated just about everywhere, which is still nothing to scoff at.
 
Thunder84 said:
IGN and Gamespot reviewing it poorly is pretty much the worst case scenario in the context of everyone else reviewing it well. The majority of reviewers absolutely love it, but the two biggest names don't, and that's what people are gonna remember the most.

It's big enough to pull some GOTY wins and get nominated just about everywhere, which is still nothing to scoff at.
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There are some other outliers besides those two. Pretty sure it would be in the 90s even with those two if they were the only ones
 
Lozjam said:
When Microsoft makes a claim like "All of our QA developers have been working on this game for the past year, just for polish. This is by far the most polished a bethesda game has been at launch". Or "this is the biggest game ever created", or "this is the starting gun for a relay race of first party titles". People will go on "gamers" all the time of having way too high of expectations, but that oftentimes is irresponsible marketing. I don't think we can blame people for having incredibly high expectations when that was how Starfield was marketed for the past 3 years.

An Indie developer in Hello Games did it no problem, on a PS4 and an original Xbox One no less. No Man's Sky had problems other than that at launch, but they also fixed those as well.
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I mean let’s no forget no man’s sky’s own infamous launch
 
Haven't had the chance to watch a review yet, but I'm curious if the UI complaints are alleviated with keyboard / mouse, or it's a worst of both worlds situation
 
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Lugia667 said:
There are some other outliers besides those two. Pretty sure it would be in the 90s even with those two if they were the only ones
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Sure, but only a couple. And that wasn't really my point anyway, it's that the two biggest names giving it a relatively poor score are going to influence people a lot more than it probably should. Swap out the IGN and Gamespot scores with pretty much any other outlet, and the reaction would be a fair bit more positive right now, even though the score would be identical.
 
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Read Polygon's review just now and that probably brings up the things that always concerned me about Starfield: whether it'd feel too sterile and I'd spent too much time bogged down in loading screens and menus.

It does sound like there's still excellent stuff there, though, and I'm glad Series S holds up well with the game. Being able to play this on a subscription is ultimately the deciding factor for me. Worth getting back on GamePass and seeing if it sticks; if not, I can try some other stuff or get back to my Switch.

I'll be waiting until the end of September to jump in, though - gonna try and get more Switch stuff done first.
 
Pretty impressive scores, much better than No Man's Sky or Fallout 76 which is all I needed to hear. Surprised IGN remembered to list Xbox as a platform for this one.
 
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The reviews are all still good so we’ll see but let’s be honest this place would be in full on crisis mode had IGN and Gamespot both randomly gave Tears of the Kingdom 7s just before it launched regardless of how positive the other outlets still were lol
 
Hero of Hyrule said:
starfield-afbeelding-groot-gcd.png


METACRITIC: TBD
OPENCRITIC: 86



Game informer: 8.5/10



Destruction: 10/10



VideoGamer: 9/10



GamesRadar: 5/5



PC Gamer: 75/100



GamingBolt: 10/10



Stevivor: 8/10



RPGSite: 9/10



Paste: 5/10



PCGamesN: 7/10



WCCFTech: 9/10



VGC: 5/5



Siliconera: 9/10



Noisy Pixel: 8/10



IGN: 7/10



GameSpot: 7/10



Game Rant: 5/5
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WOW this is worse that i expected, i expected 90/94 for the game, did the game ambtious actually hurt itself?
 
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YolkFolk said:
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Yikes, this is probably the most un-bethesda thing that I have ever seen. Bethesda has been the king of "See that mountain, you can climb it". Having to go through multiple menus, just to go to an area that you cannot interact with at any sort, and just look at it is massively disappointing. A game like Fallout 3 even got that right, even with negative spaces that just existed. They used to be the kings of these liminal, inconsequential spaces, and that was a pretty big positive a lot of times. The fact that the world is basically just a fancy level select screen is kind of crazy.
 
It's weird how both the 10/10 reviews as the lower re iews sound valid in their critique and not just being edgy for the sake of... It makes me curious to play the game.
 
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Honestly pretty surprised. Figured a 90+ was a lock for sure. Still it's reviewing pretty well and will get some GotY nominations and awards so it's not like it's a disaster or anything
 
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People don't get it. They think they get it but they don't. You can tell who these people are and honestly it's so sad.

This was the most important game of the generation. More important than Cyberpunk. More important than Elden Ring. This was the game that had to win. It would be ridiculous to get in to why, and frankly beneath me, so if this doesn't make sense to you then this game and this thread are not for you. For those of us that get it, all we can do is try to pick up the pieces and figure out where to go from here. The future is absolutely bleak. Mustering the will to continue from here is going to take a lot. We are going to have to band together as a community, check in on each other, support each other, make sure we are all here tomorrow. Because honestly nobody could imagine it being this bad and that means nobody is prepared for what tomorrow looks like.

I'm going to take a shower. On the way I'll stop in the kitchen and grab some gruyere and crackers, some kalamata olives and maybe slice up some apple. I'll have it with some crackers and bread, and some butter, and I will try to center myself and feel whole and correct again. After my shower I will clean the counters, mop the floors, wipe the windows, try to turn things over and feel comfortable in my own home. I'm not going to check my texts or read my emails. I will call out of work for the rest of the week, and probably on Monday. I will listen to some Schubert. I know that this is what I need. Calm ritual, quiet meditation, and maybe when it's over I'll feel normal again.

I still can't believe this happened. This is not the worst day of my life but it's up there. I can safely say I've put terrible things behind me. I hope I can do it again. Sorry to everyone who gets it.
 
I really don't understand the sugar rush people get when it comes to review scores.

Like... If its metascore were literally just a few points higher, that could be cause maybe one or two other people liked an aspect a bit more than someone else.

But anyway, I don't even go here (never played Bethesda stuff). Hope people who are interested have a good time with starfield
 
Hero of Hyrule said:
People don't get it. They think they get it but they don't. You can tell who these people are and honestly it's so sad.

This was the most important game of the generation. More important than Cyberpunk. More important than Elden Ring. This was the game that had to win. It would be ridiculous to get in to why, and frankly beneath me, so if this doesn't make sense to you then this game and this thread are not for you. For those of us that get it, all we can do is try to pick up the pieces and figure out where to go from here. The future is absolutely bleak. Mustering the will to continue from here is going to take a lot. We are going to have to band together as a community, check in on each other, support each other, make sure we are all here tomorrow. Because honestly nobody could imagine it being this bad and that means nobody is prepared for what tomorrow looks like.

I'm going to take a shower. On the way I'll stop in the kitchen and grab some gruyere and crackers, some kalamata olives and maybe slice up some apple. I'll have it with some crackers and bread, and some butter, and I will try to center myself and feel whole and correct again. After my shower I will clean the counters, mop the floors, wipe the windows, try to turn things over and feel comfortable in my own home. I'm not going to check my texts or read my emails. I will call out of work for the rest of the week, and probably on Monday. I will listen to some Schubert. I know that this is what I need. Calm ritual, quiet meditation, and maybe when it's over I'll feel normal again.

I still can't believe this happened. This is not the worst day of my life but it's up there. I can safely say I've put terrible things behind me. I hope I can do it again. Sorry to everyone who gets it.
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i wish my autism didn't make reading posts like this confusing because I can't tell your joking or not
 
Hero of Hyrule said:
People don't get it. They think they get it but they don't. You can tell who these people are and honestly it's so sad.

This was the most important game of the generation. More important than Cyberpunk. More important than Elden Ring. This was the game that had to win. It would be ridiculous to get in to why, and frankly beneath me, so if this doesn't make sense to you then this game and this thread are not for you. For those of us that get it, all we can do is try to pick up the pieces and figure out where to go from here. The future is absolutely bleak. Mustering the will to continue from here is going to take a lot. We are going to have to band together as a community, check in on each other, support each other, make sure we are all here tomorrow. Because honestly nobody could imagine it being this bad and that means nobody is prepared for what tomorrow looks like.

I'm going to take a shower. On the way I'll stop in the kitchen and grab some gruyere and crackers, some kalamata olives and maybe slice up some apple. I'll have it with some crackers and bread, and some butter, and I will try to center myself and feel whole and correct again. After my shower I will clean the counters, mop the floors, wipe the windows, try to turn things over and feel comfortable in my own home. I'm not going to check my texts or read my emails. I will call out of work for the rest of the week, and probably on Monday. I will listen to some Schubert. I know that this is what I need. Calm ritual, quiet meditation, and maybe when it's over I'll feel normal again.

I still can't believe this happened. This is not the worst day of my life but it's up there. I can safely say I've put terrible things behind me. I hope I can do it again. Sorry to everyone who gets it.
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Oh my god. When I got to "I will listen to some Schubert" I completely lost it.
 
Review scores are like (American) grading curves, where 75 is not great, 85 is 'ok' and above 90s are what are considered 'good grades'. It's psychological, even if it doesn't really align with how we should evaluate video games. The disappointment is like a star pupil getting a GPA below 90. (separate discussion on whether or not you consider Bethesda a "star pupil" at this point)

That being said my expectations for this were just 'I want Skyrim but in space' so if it gives me that at a minimum and isn't boring, then the 3 points from an A grade it currently has is meaningless.
 
YolkFolk said:
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That seems pretty much how I was expecting Space travel to work, we already knew that not every planet was going to be explorable or landable so there is not much reason to let you go too near a planet that you can't do anything on.

For the planets you can explore they had already confirmed that you wouldn't be able to land on the planet in real time, I can understand why some would be let down by this though, but for me I am still pretty jazzed to play this game.
 
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Skittzo said:
Wow, the exploration is way more abstracted than any of the marketing has indicated.

I mean, I get that there are tech limitations and that there's only so much you can do right now but they should at least be a bit more open about this stuff.
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Well, I knew that "landing" on planets wasn't seamless and you'd just warp to curated entry spots. But:
1) I expected that, at least for the important planets (like you'd think Earth would be!), those entry spots would be interesting. The limitation of having this set entry point would enable them to even do... Level Design. But this might as well have been entirely procedural, and it's not even interesting at that. Maybe Earth is just a totally unimportant planet of no significance and you're never directed there or something. idk.
2) Despite the above, I expected you would a least be able to traverse freely in space in your ship, in a manner similar to Elite Dangerous.

But then I never watched the big showcase video so whatevs.
 
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YolkFolk said:
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I find it funny that she's still allowed to do stuff like this while working for Sony Santa Monica. It's like if after Pikmin 4 released Miyamoto made a youtube video about Final Fantasy 16 and how the RPG elements are flawed.

No hate for her, get that bag from both sides if you can, it's just funny to me.
 
Serif said:
Review scores are like (American) grading curves, where 75 is not great, 85 is 'ok' and above 90s are what are considered 'good grades'. It's psychological, even if it doesn't really align with how we should evaluate video games. The disappointment is like a star pupil getting a GPA below 90.

That being said my expectations for this were just 'I want Skyrim but in space' so if it gives me that at a minimum and isn't boring, then the 3 points from an A grade it currently has is meaningless.
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I definitely think review scores are inflated and compressed at the top end, but I don't think it's quite at the level of American school grades

To borrow your analogy, I would say this is more like the top student in the high school class took some extended time off, and so when they came back everyone was expecting them to ace their exam, but they also needed to ace their exam in order to get into their dream college. And then they got a (what would usually be quite good) score of B+
 
BlackthornOrion said:
It's gotta hurt for Xbox/Bethesda, who really need an outright unqualified win at this point
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I genuinely don’t think that Microsoft care much about the Metascore. What they care about is how much people it’ll bring to Gamepass, and it’ll probably be one of the best games they ever released in that regard.

The Metascore for these type of games doesn’t mean much unless they’re really awful. It’s like we see everytime with Ubisoft and games like AC Valhalla that generated more than 1 billion $ in revenue despite a 83 Metascore : the general public still love the Bethesda formula and I think a lot of people will be talking about the game in the next few weeks. BG3 is the critical RPG darling of the year, but I’m sure Starfield will appeal a lot more to the general public.
 
Hailinel said:
So a good, possibly great game, but not a generational monument like Skyrim, at least based on the reviews.
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I am getting the impression that it is generally viewed favorably to Skyrim, but Skyrim hasn't aged very well. And it's the similarities to some of their older games that holds it back... But if you like those other Bethesda games, you will like this quite a bit also.
 
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