September 11th 2023.
Starfield - how many bugs are too many? This is a question many gamers are asking themselves as the Monday letters page prepares for an influx of belated Starfield reviews. One reader has revealed their destructive, anti-gaming pet, prompting many to consider their own experiences with the game.
Above Average Bugs
From my own experience playing Starfield, I would agree with the Reader’s Feature which says that it is mediocre. I don't think it is a great insult to call it average, as it is no crime to be average. I would even say that Starfield is a bit above average, as it does offer something different. However, it doesn't do any one thing especially well.
The other reader was also quite right to say that it is a bit boring. It is quite repetitive and some missions drag on for too long. Bethesda can claim that this was intentional, but there is one issue that cannot be hand-waved away - the bugs. Starfield has more bugs than usual, and I have experienced crashes multiple times, AI sitting down to have a picnic, companion AI being stuck in panic attack mode, objects floating in the air, physics engine throwing a wobbly, and dialogue not appearing when it should.
When I consider a game like Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, which is a vastly more complex game on a far less powerful console, I had no bugs in the 200 hours I was playing it. That wasn't due to Nintendo magic, it was because they put aside a whole year for spit and polish. I feel that Bethesda should switch off the hype machine and put more work into fixing the bugs.
Power Matters Not
I have been a gamer since 1985, having bought close to a thousand games, including the Fallout series and Skyrim. Despite having a powerful machine - 11th generation Intel Core i7-11700 @ 3.60GHZ, NVidia GeForce RTX 3070, and 32GB DD4 RAM installed on a Samsung SSD using a BenQ EW3270|U monitor - Starfield still freezes and stutters, the audio is not synched, and when I sell items, my credits reduce rather than increase. I feel that this game should never have been released in such a state, and Bethesda should be ashamed.
Drunk Reviewing
I have had two hours playing Starfield and so far, it has been impressive. I can see why people are playing it. I am optimistic that the end of the game will be outstanding, and I look forward to reading the full review when it is released. I can assure you that I have not been drinking - yet.
Cat Sith
I can relate to r-s-w’s pain. I was playing Star Wars Squadrons a couple of years ago when my headset suddenly switched off. On removing it, I found my cat had been chewing the cable. I ended up buying a second-hand headset and wrapping the cable in protective trunking and masking tape. I guess it’s a good job she is cute.
Unsaid Assumption
I was surprised that the Lego games weren’t mentioned in the Hot Topic. They are great co-op games, and the best console to play them on was the Wii U. Being able to play one player on the TV and one on the pad was amazing. The performance might not have been as good as other formats, but the two-screen mechanic made it much better.
Sliding Scale
Gravity Rush 2 has been enjoyable for the most part, though the side quests are quite dull. What has prevented me from beating it is a bugbear I have with platform games of this type.
I find that there is too much emphasis on combat, not just with bosses but also with the minions and grunts. The combat system might be good, but there is too much of it. By the time I got to running a gauntlet of them in the elevator sequence, I was just so sick of fighting. Combat shouldn't be the main appeal of the game.
Starfield – how many bugs are too many? The Monday letters page is preparing for an influx of belated Starfield reviews, as another reader reveals their destructive, anti-gaming pet. To join in with the discussions yourself, simply email us.
Above Average Bugs
Playing Starfield, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving it a review. The Reader's Feature saying it's mediocre is probably the closest to my feelings. To me, 'mediocre' just means 'average', which isn't something to be insulted by. I'd even say Starfield is a little above average, since it offers something different. But so far, nothing stands out as being especially great.
The other reader was right – it is boring. Maybe not the most boring of the decade, but it's repetitive and some of the missions drag on far too long. Bethesda can justify this by saying it was intentional, but there's one problem that can't be ignored – the bugs. Sure, it's not on the same level as Fallout 76 or Cyberpunk 2077, but it still has a higher than average number of glitches.
The game has crashed on me multiple times, the enemy AI just sits there, the companion AI is either in panic mode or uninterested in what's going on, objects float in the air, the physics engine can be wonky, and dialogue sometimes doesn't appear when it should. When I think of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, which is a much more complex game on a much less powerful console, I never saw a single bug in my 200 hours of playing it. That wasn't because of Nintendo magic – it was because they put aside a whole year for spit and polish. Bethesda needs to switch off the hype machine and put in more work to fix these problems.
Power Matters Not
I've been buying games since 1985, with the release of Operation Market Garden on the 48K Spectrum. That includes the Fallout series and Skyrim. Despite having a powerful 11th generation Intel Core i7-11700 @ 3.60GHZ, NVidia GeForce RTX 3070, and 32GB DD4 RAM installed on a Samsung SSD using a BenQ EW3270|U monitor, Starfield still freezes and stutters, the audio isn't synched, and when I sell items, my credits reduce rather than increase. Bethesda should be ashamed for releasing a game in this condition.
Drunk Reviewing
I've only had two hours of Starfield so far, but it's been impressive. There's so much you can do, and I'm hoping to get many hours of gameplay out of it. I'm looking forward to reading your full review when it's released – I'm optimistic that the end of the game will be outstanding, and you'll give it a 9!
Cat Sith
R-S-W's pain is understandable – the same happened to me while I was playing Star Wars Squadrons. I was happily immersed in the Star Wars universe when my headset suddenly switched off. On removing it, I was faced with my cat chewing the cable. I ended up buying a second-hand headset and wrapping the cable in protective trunking and masking tape. It's a good job she's cute!
Unsaid Assumption
I was surprised the Lego games weren't mentioned in the Hot Topic. They are classic co-op games, with one player using their power on something and the other going to move something else. I think the Wii U was the best console to play them on – being able to play one player on the TV and one on the pad was amazing. The performance wasn't as good as other formats, but the two-screen mechanic made it play so much better.
Sliding Scale
I've been enjoying Gravity Rush 2 for the most part, taking a break from it now that I'm going through the World Tour in Street Fighter 6. The side quests are mostly dull, but what has prevented me from beating it is a problem that I have with platform games like this – too much emphasis on combat. Not just bosses, but skirmishes against the rank-and-file, the minions, henchmen, and grunts. The combat system was good, but there was simply too much of it. By the time I got to the elevator sequence, I was so tired of fighting. Combat wasn't the main appeal of the game.
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