September 4th 2023.
The Monday letters page was abuzz with the comparison of the death of Saints Row to the fall of PES, as one reader enjoyed visiting the Sea Of Stars. It's a topic that has caused quite the stir, and many have expressed their own opinions on the matter.
Scotty wrote in that the thing that upsets him the most about Starfield is that the idea is so appealing, yet Bethesda didn't seem to have fully embraced it. Instead, they kept much of the game similar to Skyrim and their other games. Scotty wanted the game to be an epic space trading/exploration game, yet the space elements of it didn't seem to be much more than set dressing. He also questioned where id Software was in terms of helping out with the gunplay, as Doom and Rage were top notch.
Rispa wrote about the chaotic mess that Bethesda created, with 7/10 scores from IGN and GameSpot, and the fact that nobody knows what Eurogamer and GC are going to give it. She hoped Bethesda was happy with the chaos they caused, while Microsoft was likely not pleased. Instead of enjoying the game, people have ended up fighting with one another instead.
Bobwallett commented on Bethesda games, saying that he likes to just wander around the map and explore - something that it seems Starfield may not feature much of. He hopes the complete review will give him more insight, but until then he is unsure what to make of the game.
Finally, Ciara wrote in that she was faced with a decision of either purchasing a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X if Starfield proved to be a classic, and was disappointed with the reviews, so decided to purchase a fancy new handbag instead - money well spent!
Starfield - Worth a Go on Game Pass
The Monday letters page brought up an interesting comparison between the demise of Saints Row and the fall of PES, as one reader enjoyed visiting the Sea Of Stars. The topic of discussion has sparked a lot of interest, with many readers emailing in to share their thoughts.
Conceptual Issues
I find it quite upsetting that Starfield's concept is so obviously appealing, yet Bethesda didn't fully embrace it. Instead, they kept a lot of elements similar to those found in Skyrim and other games they had developed. I was hoping for an epic space exploration game and I don't think that the space elements are much more than just decoration. Furthermore, where is the help from id Software with the gunplay? I haven't heard anyone describe Starfield as having top notch gunplay, even in the most positive of reviews.
It seems to me that the main problems were conceptual years ago and that the design stage should have been more decisive. Despite this, I'm still going to play the game on Game Pass. Unfortunately, I've heard that the beginning is the worst bit, so I'm not sure how that's going to go...
Sowing Discord
The chaos that Bethesda has created is causing a lot of animosity amongst the fans. IGN and GameSpot gave it a 7/10 score, and nobody knows what Eurogamer and GC are going to give it. It's a complete mess. I can't help but wonder if Sony is happy with this, as they had expected it to create a trinity with Zelda and Baldur's Gate, but instead it's just caused arguments.
It's certainly created some buzz around the game, but it's not of a positive or healthy variety.
X Marks the Spot
It's quite concerning that Sony didn't even bother to have a State of Play for the PlayStation Portal and that its release date didn't even get a blog, just a tweet. This makes me think that Sony isn't confident that this is going to be a hit. It's a waste of time, and I hope the rumours of a September event are true. It's quite clear there's no real plan at the moment.
Focus
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Wandering the Galaxy
Reading the preview for Starfield, I was quite surprised. I usually like to just wander around the map and explore as much as I can, but it seems like Bethesda has removed that option and made fast travel the default. This makes me think there aren't any secrets to be discovered, as you can't just fly around or explore. I've walked across the maps of Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3, 4, and New Vegas and loved the exploration, even if it did sometimes lead to me being killed by overpowered enemies.
I'm still not sure if Starfield will feature deeper exploration, so I'll have to wait for the complete review before I make up my mind.
Bobwallett
GC: You can explore most planets and there are secrets to be found, as well as random incidents in space. It’s the missions that are a chain of fast travel journeys.
Priced Out
I'm saddened to see that Volition has gone bust too, like the Reader's Feature mentioned at the weekend. I think the truth is that they were priced out the market. It's reminiscent of the rivalry between PES and FIFA. PES was able to hold its own for a time, but then EA started to spend more money on FIFA, making it its own ecosystem. This, combined with the increasing cost of good graphics, meant that PES was out of its depth. The same happened to Saints Row and the publisher should have seen this coming and suggested they do something else.
Third Option
In my weekend Reader's Feature, I talked about buying either a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X, and if Starfield proved to be a classic. The reviews are in now, and from reliable sources such as GC's, they are not as complementary as expected. This has forced a decision - the third option of buying a fancy new handbag! It's beautiful and I will get daily use out of it, so I think that money has been well spent.
Ciara
GC: Is that a GameCube reference?
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