{"id":36347,"date":"2023-08-31T18:00:23","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T16:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1882056"},"modified":"2023-09-01T06:52:39","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T04:52:39","slug":"starfield-review-set-phasers-to-slow-burn-in-this-epic-new-sci-fi-game","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/starfield-review-set-phasers-to-slow-burn-in-this-epic-new-sci-fi-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Starfield review: Set phasers to slow burn in this epic new sci-fi game"},"content":{"rendered":"

And maybe get your expectations in check. <\/p>

By Rob Leane\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 31 August 2023 at 16:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n
<\/div> 4.0 out of 5 star rating<\/span> <\/span> <\/div> <\/div>

To some, the arrival of Starfield<\/a> has taken on near-mythic status.<\/p>\n

Fans of Bethesda\u2019s previous games in the Elder Scrolls<\/a> and Fallout franchises have long hoped this could be the company\u2019s biggest and best release of all time. Others will look at Bethesda\u2019s current ownership, Microsoft, and argue that anything short of a perfect landing could spell trouble for the Xbox brand on the whole.<\/p>\n

With the game launching into early access<\/a> tomorrow, with its full launch next week, we\u2019re here to tell you that Starfield is just a game. It\u2019s a very good one at that, but if your expectations are epic in themselves, you might want to realign them somewhat.<\/p>\n

If you were hoping this release would change your life, maybe think again. It will certainly take up a fair chunk of your life, with a main story that will take tens of hours<\/a> and plenty of side content on top of that, but it doesn\u2019t so much reinvent the wheel as it does mush a few different wheels together to make something reasonably impressive.<\/p>\n

Starfield is a sci-fi RPG in the vein of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic<\/a>, Mass Effect<\/a> and The Outer Worlds, with all of the planet-hopping missions and collectible companions that you would expect. It\u2019s also a Bethesda RPG, so expect numerous factions and plenty of choices to tailor your experience. It\u2019s a galaxy exploration game, too, with base-building mechanics, a bit like No Man\u2019s Sky or even Outer Wilds, to an extent.<\/p>\n

Bethesda should be applauded for doing all those things pretty well, in one handy package, but we wouldn\u2019t say Starfield is the best in class of any of those categories. It doesn\u2019t have the humour of The Outer Worlds, the truly loveable companions of KotOR, the properly open-ended feel of No Man\u2019s Sky, or the structural uniqueness of Outer Wilds.<\/p>\n

But enough about what Starfield doesn\u2019t have. It does have a lot going for it, after all. For one thing, the number of ways in which you can customise your character is properly impressive, so much so that you may feel a bit overwhelmed by all the traits and backstories you can choose from at the start.<\/p>

Starfield is also very quick to let you off the leash. Once you\u2019ve completed the tutorial content and picked up your ship, there\u2019s nothing really to stop you from hopping about between different planets and doing whatever the heck you want. If you want to build outposts and scan the local flora and fauna, you can.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019d rather head out in search of action, you\u2019ll find plenty of enemies and stories dotted around the universe. Any approach is valid, you can ignore anything you don\u2019t fancy, and it\u2019ll be interesting to see what players discover once the game is in their hands. Whether you love collecting companions or crafting upgrades, or just want to look around, Starfield is supportive of your unique play style.<\/p>\n

One thing that players might be disappointed by, in this day and age, is the fact that the game does have a lot of loading screens that it doesn\u2019t try to hide. Open the door of a police station? Loading screen. Get in the lift to go upstairs? Loading screen. Take off in your spaceship? Loading screen. All these little breaks in the action do hinder the immersion somewhat, especially with this being billed as a next-gen experience.<\/p>