REVIEW: Starfield is an immersive, fun experience

Starfield is a single-player action role-playing, the latest new intellectual property developed by one of gaming’s most respected studios, Bethesda. The game, which was released in early September, is only available on Xbox and Windows and is set in the year 2330.

Humanity has taken to the stars, creating a new frontier allowing people to settle far across the galaxy as we know it. You as the player are able to visit over 1,000 planets, moons, and space stations. You can not only create your own character, but also choose their background which determines certain skills you start off with, including a wide variety of options. For example you can choose to be a Bounty Hunter who knows their way around guns, jets packs and space combat, or if you prefer to talk your way out of situations you can choose to be a Diplomat, a master of persuasion which is always an option in Bethesda role-playing games. 

You are able to pick up to three traits, or none if you prefer. Each trait generally comes with pros and cons. Such as the “Wanted” trait I choose for my playthrough. You deal with more damage the lower your health is, but bounty hunters will randomly show up to attack you for the bounty on your head. 

Customization is a big part of Starfield. You can not only customize your appearance, and backstory, but also the spaceships you fly and the settlements you call home. You can spend hours creating your own custom ship, settlements on any planet or moon you can land on. If creating your own custom ships does not sound all that appealing, you can skip that by stealing a spaceship you want. Being a space pirate is not only very fun, but very lucrative as well. 

Space exploration is one of the biggest mechanics of the game, allowing you to visit so many planets and moons across the universe. However, since there are so many planets and moons, the majority of the land you will explore is procedurally generated, a method that uses computer randomness to create the terrain. This practice leads to worlds that feel very empty at times, although the world building shines when you visit the major landmarks such as New Atlantis, the biggest most prosperous city in the systems, Neon, a cyberpunk style corporate run city built on a giant fishing port on a water world, or even the space stations such as The Key, a station ran by a pirate force called the Crimson Fleet. 

The story throws you right into the thick of things. You start at humble beginnings as a space mine and soon you become a member of Constellation, a mysterious explorer group after discovering a huge breakthrough for the group. You can follow the main story helping Constellation or choose to get lost in space getting involved in the many other stories found throughout the universe. 

Starfield is one of Bethesda’s most ambitious games to date. While there are some minor issues, it is very easy to get lost in the worlds they have built. Starfield not only has what it takes to be game of the year, but it also has the makings of being another Bethesda classic worrth giving a try.