This review contains spoilers
I got an ending for this game. And what an ingenious ending this is, jabbing right into the core of what RPGs are. You tell your own story in this universe, and then dip right into a new one with the added knowledge you obtained through your first playthrough. All this, but integrated into the story of the replay loop. Genuinely incredible stuff. Probably my favorite RPG story of the past, idk, decade? The space backdrop is used and elevated to a fantastic degree.
I loved all the mid-late game main quests, they were brilliant. I haven't even touched any big faction questlines. I just ran around, shot at shit because this is the best combat in any Bethesda game ever (the guns feel amazing), crafted my ideal crew, and floated from system to system like a little dysfunctional family, doing any side-quest or interest point I felt like tackling. I told my story, the story of a pilgrim finding his way in life, and eventually I discovered it was among my Constellation compatriots, in the travels along the way. Just the feeling of belonging among this group that barely even interacted with me. But it felt right.
There were some real hurdles to craft this story, however. I think the perk system is discouraging, not even that, straight up preventing experimentation by locking access to wholeass mechanics behind grinding out EXP. You cannot attempt to unlock locks, steal or bribe someone without taking the perk that unlocks this. You cannot pilot stronger ships which you may have been saving up for for 60 hours unless you destroy like 50 ships. You cannot have people fucking sleep on your ship and sit and do nothing unless you unlock a perk to raise the amount of crew you can have there. And even then, you need to have a higher class ship to have more than 4! What the fuck?
I think there's a lot of cool ways to interact with quests, but sometimes you won't even know that until you unlock a perk and those options open themselves up to you. Failed a persuade? Steal. Unable to persuade someone cuz ur skill is too low? Bribe. Unable to kill a group? Use the stun gun to knock some out, run through, grab what you need, teleport back to the ship once you get out. That is if your oxygen limit is high enough. And if you are not overencumbered. Those mechanics to me are old and useless by now, and should not even exist at this point.
There's still jank, but as a new IP, I was able to approach Starfield with an open mind and found the main story, combat and roleplaying possibilities to be genuinely great. However, worth noting is that if the perk system, outpost building and inventory limits actually seep into their third IP with Elder Scrolls VI, I do not think I would want to buy that game. I really love Starfield for what it is, even though it rips quite a bit from Fallout 4 I think it is the most unique game Bethesda put out since Oblivion. I can't wait to make a new character, a solo merc that will complete all the faction questlines and do more in NG+. For now, I can safely say Starfield delivered to me in spades.
I loved all the mid-late game main quests, they were brilliant. I haven't even touched any big faction questlines. I just ran around, shot at shit because this is the best combat in any Bethesda game ever (the guns feel amazing), crafted my ideal crew, and floated from system to system like a little dysfunctional family, doing any side-quest or interest point I felt like tackling. I told my story, the story of a pilgrim finding his way in life, and eventually I discovered it was among my Constellation compatriots, in the travels along the way. Just the feeling of belonging among this group that barely even interacted with me. But it felt right.
There were some real hurdles to craft this story, however. I think the perk system is discouraging, not even that, straight up preventing experimentation by locking access to wholeass mechanics behind grinding out EXP. You cannot attempt to unlock locks, steal or bribe someone without taking the perk that unlocks this. You cannot pilot stronger ships which you may have been saving up for for 60 hours unless you destroy like 50 ships. You cannot have people fucking sleep on your ship and sit and do nothing unless you unlock a perk to raise the amount of crew you can have there. And even then, you need to have a higher class ship to have more than 4! What the fuck?
I think there's a lot of cool ways to interact with quests, but sometimes you won't even know that until you unlock a perk and those options open themselves up to you. Failed a persuade? Steal. Unable to persuade someone cuz ur skill is too low? Bribe. Unable to kill a group? Use the stun gun to knock some out, run through, grab what you need, teleport back to the ship once you get out. That is if your oxygen limit is high enough. And if you are not overencumbered. Those mechanics to me are old and useless by now, and should not even exist at this point.
There's still jank, but as a new IP, I was able to approach Starfield with an open mind and found the main story, combat and roleplaying possibilities to be genuinely great. However, worth noting is that if the perk system, outpost building and inventory limits actually seep into their third IP with Elder Scrolls VI, I do not think I would want to buy that game. I really love Starfield for what it is, even though it rips quite a bit from Fallout 4 I think it is the most unique game Bethesda put out since Oblivion. I can't wait to make a new character, a solo merc that will complete all the faction questlines and do more in NG+. For now, I can safely say Starfield delivered to me in spades.