Bethesda is first and foremost known for its titles with strong RPG elements, such as the fantasy roleplay of Skyrim or the faction system of Fallout. Considering this, players expected a lot from the character writing, story, and dialogue in Starfield. However, many are disappointed with how Bethesda has handled everything and that Starfield is too corny to be immersive.
A user on the r/Starfield subreddit made a post titled, "Are the people at Bethesda really this corny? (Overall tone of the game)", and it gained a lot of traction and agreement from most of the subreddit. The key accusation here is against the tone that Starfield has gone with. Here is a list of all the tacky and corny things that bother a lot of players:
- The Astral Lounge feels too safe, almost like it was based on a child's idea of what a club is.
- Despite belonging to a legendary pirate hunter, the Mantis Spacesuit is very goofy.
- The Crimson Fleet is a parody and seems like a caricature of a group of criminals.
These are only some complaints listed, but the overall issue is pretty clear.
'Almost all the characters that I came across felt like children acting like adults.'
After having spent over 100 hours in Starfield, I can't help but echo this statement. The lack of depth in Starfield doesn't simply come from how the world is designed but also from how character writing and atmosphere have been handled. It's hard to take anyone seriously because most characters feel one-dimensional.
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The game tells you about many things happening and hypes them up (Looking at You, Red Mile). However, the execution for these is so bland that all of it ends up being incredibly disappointing—a very show-do-not-tell approach to the design and story of the game. There is nothing very epic about this cinematic space epic.
"Starfield has about as much edge as a ping pong ball.
It's, without a doubt, the most PG rated M rated game I've ever seen."
One of the most common opinions in the comments section has been players calling Starfield bland. No risks are taken, and nothing in the design appeals to the fun side of gaming. It's supposed to depict a realistic execution but is done embarrassingly to anyone expecting gritty realism.
We suggest taking a look at the thread in question to get a gauge of how people feel about Starfield.
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