Starfield was released to a massive reception from the global gamer audience. As Bethesda's first new original IP in over a decade, there was a lot of hype surrounding Starfield. The overall reception has been fairly positive, with mixed and negative takes rearing their heads from other takes. However, those who enjoy Starfield seem to love the game very much. Here are some reasons why players love Starfield.
If you don't agree with any of these, you might feel more at home with our list of things players hate about Starfield instead. For the rest of you, here are the things that Starfield players love the most.
Things Players Love About Starfield
Diverse Roleplaying
Starfield brings back the iconic silent protagonist that we all love to see. The character creator has a lot of depth, and you can pick your story from various backgrounds.
Not only this, but you can mess around with traits for some additional personalization, such as getting a bounty, gaining parents or even a new dream home. Experiment with the dozens of builds in the game and figure out a play style you love.
Gunplay is Fun
The gunplay is simply fun. People have complained about the enemy AI, but that does not detract from how smooth the base combat can feel. Shooting down enemies while using a boost pack is one of the most satisfying experiences in Starfield.
Add to this the wide diversity in the weapons, and you have the recipe for a very fun looter shooter. Just get those combat skill upgrades and pick up the best weapons.
Getting Sidetracked is Amazing
One of the most immersive parts of any Bethesda experience is when you start a quest to go from point A to B but get sidetracked into a dozen different side quests.
You can easily spend several hours in Starfield being distracted until you remember that there is a main story to complete; this is one of the best compliments that can be given to any game.
The various factions and questlines are immersive and fun, breathing life into the Settled Systems. We recommend spending time away from the main story to lose yourself in the other stories throughout the galaxy.
Good Worldbuilding
Speaking of getting sidetracked, Starfield is so fun and immersive because the various factions and regions of the Settled Systems have been fleshed out exceptionally well.
The history between the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective has been well documented, and you can see the aftermath from past events like the Colony Wars and migration from Earth still impacts the people of the Settled Systems.
Good Sound Design
There was a lot of effort put into the sound design for Starfield. Sounds from airlocks hissing open to gunfire during combat are all executed well, with nothing feeling out of place. The same goes for things like footsteps, wildlife and a lot more.
While the soundtrack sets the overall tone of deep space exploration, it's easy to truly appreciate the whole package once you notice the various sound design choices and how the music changes as you load into new areas.
Typical Bethesda Shenanigans
A Bethesda game is only complete with some signature hallmarks from previous games, such as the classic Bethesda dialogue checks, stealing, factions, base building, and so much more.
Bethesda has taken everything they've learned from previous titles and put it all into this giant labor of love. Say what you want about Starfield, but it's Bethesda doing what they're known for the best.
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is a mechanic that a lot of players already love. While outpost building has yet to have the same love shown by the community, shipbuilding has a fervent fan following, with players creating their dream ships and showing them off proudly.
Some players even figured out how to build ships enemies can not target. Others chose to fill their ships up by spawning a million items. Having your own spaceship is pretty cool, and you should learn advanced shipbuilding tricks.
The Modding Community
No Bethesda game is complete without mods, and Starfield is no exception. It was stated that Starfield is meant to be easy to mod, and we've been seeing some fantastic mods come through already.
You should check our list of the best mods to see what has been trending this past week. The mods created range from simple texture and performance upgrades to new missions, stories, enemies and mechanics.
Skyrim's Powers Are Back
Yes, you heard us. It might be a spoiler for some, but if you didn't know already, Starfield gives the Spacefarer a whole assortment of powers to use.
These powers work similarly to the shouts from Skyrim, and their abilities range from creating clones to stopping time and launching powerful fireballs. You can even upgrade them by playing new game plus and eventually become an unstoppable space wizard.
The Dialogue Options
Goodbye to the annoying dialogue wheel from Fallout, and a big welcome back to the standard dialogue list. Bethesda has improved the overall dialogue system by adding some new mechanics and giving it a good polish.
The persuasion mechanic got an overhaul where it relies on chance rather than a skill point check, and you get to make some tough choices. Each dialogue choice will branch you down different paths and make the experience more immersive.
That concludes our list of things players love about Starfield. You should also check our outpost of the week and the Alex Hay tribute note.
For more Starfield, stick with us at the Starfield Portal!