starfieldThoughts on Starfield so far?
starfieldThoughts on Starfield so far?
Personally, I've enjoyed the game a lot. The weapons feel great, the movement is smooth, and I really like building ships.
I dislike ship building, especially the clunky interface. It’s confusing why parts aren’t organized by type or damage like a regular inventory. It’s tough to decide what fits your ship best. I wish there was a way to pick a current part and see compatible options with stats comparisons. Still, I enjoy ship combat and the rest of the game. It feels like a mix between Fallout 4 and Skyrim in space, but it has many issues from both. The companion system is really flawed, and they haven’t fixed the problem of NPCs talking over each other or repeating lines. I think it was meant to be more ambitious, but it’s just an evolution rather than a complete overhaul.
It really feels stiff, that’s the main issue. Still, the rest of the experience I can talk about is this—it blends aspects like weapon handling from FO4/76 and the quest-driven style of Skyrim, and it builds on those ideas in a way I believe they could’ve definitely improved over their last two titles (keeping modern 76 in mind, not just the original release).
To date, I've invested considerable time into this game and really enjoy it. There are some issues that need fixing, such as bugs or glitches (like missing ship technology at neon docks, or treating pirates who use stolen UCs as hostile if they’re killed), minor dialogue problems, and difficulty locating the ECS constant over time. Some content was omitted, perhaps more main faction material will appear through DLC in the future. The main storyline could also be extended, though I’m skeptical about changes. Regarding ship combat, adding features like boarding options would make strategy more engaging—imagine defending your ship if pirates disable your systems and board you. Assigning different weapon systems to crew members would add depth. A quality-of-life update improving vendor pricing, maybe linked to experience or perks, would be welcome too; waiting 80 days just to sell adaptive frames from power level-ups is frustrating.
I'm about 96h in at level 52 right now and really enjoying it. I've been doing about every side quest/faction quest I can before finishing up the main story line, and I still don't feel like I'm nearing the end. The ship building has been a ton of fun, but a bit clunky. I do have some troubles getting the components to connect where I want them to and tend to get ladders in places where I don't want them. Then again maybe I just suck at it. It's also worth noting that I'm playing on a 32:9 monitor and the ship building and planet maps were not designed to use that aspect ratio, my selection point and curser are offset by probably six inches, so selecting specific things is a challenge. When I drop it down to 16:9 like a normal person, the problem goes away, but I like the added width, so I struggle through it. I also get annoyed by the vendors having such a low amount of credits, I get that they wanted to slow down payer progression, but sitting and waiting for 48h to sell one last case of human organs gets a bit old.
I was around level 9 but lost interest after adopting a puppy that required constant supervision. It lasted roughly six months.
I've spent around 25 hours and reached Level 16. The experience is decent overall, with some enjoyable side quests like the Ryujin chain. However, the game itself comes across as somewhat lacking. It seems to outperform Fallout 4 in most areas except a few minor flaws. While there are more opportunities for roleplay and solid character creation, the main story feels average, and the game feels sparse compared to other BGS titles I've played. It was poorly optimized before any mods, and I noticed the absence of native DLSS. I'm likely to finish it soon, but unless improvements come, I might not stay much longer than finishing the main story. Meanwhile, I'm tackling Alan Wake II, Phantom Liberty, RE4 Remake, and Baldur's Gate 3—see how that progresses! Right now, I'm giving it about a 6 out of 10.
I’ve logged 280 hours in Steam. I’ve begun three characters, two of which I’m using command-line tools just for fun while constructing things. My actual character progression is now at level 122. I’m still enjoying it, though I’m uncertain how much longer that will continue. Side missions are disappearing fast—I’m worried they’ll vanish before the first DLC arrives.
Review: I really like ship construction, but it’s frustrating not being able to save a half-built vessel even if it isn’t your main ship. You have to piece parts together just to leave the builder and switch yards for different components. Better control over internal passageways when snapping habitats together would be nice. The interface feels a bit awkward, but I quickly adapted and can build ships efficiently. I’ve completed 15 distinct designs, optimized them, and am still making progress.
Base building is my favorite part, though it feels incomplete overall. Issues like being unable to link a habitat to a landing pad are annoying. Transfer containers don’t work well for multiple items. The biggest frustration is that outposts offer limited value—there are better ways to earn money, and resources for research or upgrades aren’t easily accessible.
I’ve set up a base for XP farming (producing thousands of frames and magnets per XP) and added a landing pad to ease ship construction. Some decorative elements and fun features are hidden behind skill points and research, so they’re not worth the effort during regular play. Exploration becomes tedious once you’ve seen many procedurally generated bases; it starts to feel repetitive.
Occasional quests appear at planet outposts, but they become monotonous quickly—mostly finding lost people or placing sensors. The best strategy seems to be dedicating about 25% of your time to main objectives and the rest wandering through cities, chatting with NPCs, and picking up side missions. Many of these are simple, though some can be quite engaging. Reading books and slates also unlocks additional side content. Companion backstory quests have been helpful—three out of four were solid.
For the new game plus, it feels like a fresh start but still requires building a decent ship. You don’t need to upgrade your vessel if you can get a solid Class C. I appreciate the space suit available at NG+4.