Although initial impressions of lukewarm reception for Starfield: Shattered Space has done some damage to the game's reputation, with it now sitting with mixed reviews on Steam. Unlike the game it's often compared with, Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield has yet to redeem itself in the eyes of many who were left underwhelmed by the release.

As someone who has spent hundreds of hours in both games fairly recently, I can tell you that when it comes to a rich narrative, Cyberpunk 2077 has Starfield beat by a pretty massive margin. And while the former game was able to rise from the ashes of its miserable release, I'm not quite sure Starfield can do the same thing, even with the technical bug fixes and other updates.

It's Not Just Technical Issues, It's The Story

Great Games Have Set A New Standard

Even though there's been plenty of discussion on some of Starfield's technical shortcomings, I think most fans would overlook this if the game were actually compelling. Gaming has evolved quite a bit since the days of Morrowind, and the minimum bar to create a compelling narrative has been elevated due to games with superb narratives, like Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last Of Us, and, more recently, Baldur's Gate 3.

I've made my fair share of comparisons between DR's Cyberpunk 2077 and Starfield, but it's merely because the narrative and storytelling are so remarkably different. Cyberpunk 2077 does a great job of setting the stage and world that the narrative is taking place in, with memorable characters, intriguing side missions, and small touches that help immerse players into the world. Games with good stories create a desire for the player to learn more and discover more dialogue, but the same can't be said for Starfield.

I'll it, at first — the shiny veneer of a new Bethesda game blinded me. As a big fan of the company's games, I was excited to see the next entry, especially considering the title that has languished in development for all those years. But, looking back at my experience and then more recently playing through Starfield: Shattered Space, one thing became apparent to me. A lot of missions in Starfield are just plain boring.

Starfield Dialogue Needs Less Narrative, More Emotion

We Need More Missions With High Stakes

There's a common trope, especially in science fiction, whether it be film or video games, where one character conveniently exposition-dumps to fill in all the technical gaps and explain all the plot holes and issues with the story. Instead of teasing out details in the narrative in a measured and realistic way, characters just blankly stare at you while describing the mission in painstaking detail. Some missions are more interesting and better than others, but some just aren't interesting at all, and sifting through the different options (that almost never reward the player with anything meaningful in-game) just isn't worth it half the time.

In Starfield, every mission and dialogue window feels like an exposition dump. And even though it's no consolation to those who play the game, it's not even totally Bethesda's fault. In reality, it's very Bethesda-like. As one of the best-selling game development companies ever, it's no surprise they would stick to this award-winning formula. That said, after experiencing games with visceral emotion and amazing nuance, this simple and direct method of storytelling just doesn't resonate with me anymore.

Maybe some people like it, and I'm just a complainer, but when over 50% of the dialogue feels disconnected, totally irrelevant, or just uninteresting, the desire to go out, explore, and seek out more of that same experience is just not there.

I Seriously Worry For The Starborn Expansion

Can Starborn Save Starfield?

Starfield: Shattered Space completely underwhelmed me. While I didn't have the highest hopes or expectations for it, there was a sliver of me holding out hope that it would surprise or impress me. And no, Todd, it's not because you released the Starfield: Shattered Space review as a "scientific space slog."

Starfield often feels derivative, like it's hitting me over the head with its inspiration.

I just want Bethesda to make bold decisions. They aren't going to satisfy everyone, but at least they can speak to a portion of the community who plan on playing Starfield for the foreseeable future. You don't have to lean 100% into horror, and this doesn't need to be Aliens or some other IP — the game just needs to be original and fun. With the inter-dimensional facets of the underlying story of Starborn, there's a ton of opportunity to introduce players to completely new, odd, or interesting mechanics.

But Bethesda needs to take that risk. Even though the game tells you about the Starborn, Unity, and all these other really cool concepts, it doesn't actually equate to anything in the end. Just a few really fashionable and cool entities who fly sleek spaceships and turn into dust when they are killed, a narrative device to justify the existence of Starfield's New Game Plus, and the lackluster ending sequence. Really — that's basically it — outside of a few rare differences that one can experience.

Is Bethesda Deg Starfield For Diehard Fans?

It Doesn't Feel Like They Are Listening

A question I've asked myself a lot since reaching endgame Starfield and looking back at my experience as a whole is, who exactly is Bethesda deg Starfield for? The game itself is disconnected, at least from a narrative point of view, from the Fallout franchise, which would be the only other game that would make sense in this universe. The game's general lack of aesthetic and risk-taking would make me believe that they were aiming for the largest possible audience. Its eventual inclusion in Game also helps bolster that theory.

Recently, Starfield designer Bruce itted that Bethesda games "could have a higher degree of polish." (via GameRant)

Anyone from my grandma to my 10-year-old nephew could pick up Starfield and probably enjoy it to some degree, and that's certainly commendable. That said, they aren't the same people who are going to keep up with updates, wait patiently for bug fixes, and check up on the blog to see if there is anything new — that's me.

Starfield was supposed to be Bethesda's next flagship, launching a bunch of other related media or IP over the next decade, capturing the minds and hearts of people. But for that to happen, you'd actually need fans of Starfield first, and I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who prefers the universe of the Settled systems more than The Elder Scrolls or Fallout.

From its mixed reviews to valid points made by its hardest detractors, it's hard to envision Starfield making such a mark on the consciousness of the gaming community. Although most games nowadays have cute nods to other titles or forms of media, the good ones retain their own fingerprint. Starfield often feels derivative, like it's hitting me over the head with its inspiration. This lack of nuance mixed with boring dialogue, uninteresting missions, and slow and underwhelming updates makes me think there's no hope for the future when it comes to the game.

Site: GameRant, GameFile