The recent Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase gave gamers a sneak peek at what they can expect from Microsoft’s first-party studios soon. A spotlight was shone on plenty of upcoming games includingForza Motorsport,Overwatch 2, and Asobo’sA Plague Tale: Requiemwhich will serve as the sequel to the 2019 sleeper hitA Plague Tale: Innocence. Gamers also got a long look atStarfield, Bethesda’s highly anticipated space RPG that the studio has been working on for over a decade.
In addition to receiving further confirmation that the game has been pushed back to early 2023, a gameplay trailer was also revealed which showed off a bit of the gunplay and puzzle mechanics. The trailer proved that fans of Bethesda will feel right at home withStarfield, as it builds on mechanics that the studio has used in other games. However, given that the studio has a new IP on its hands, it should use the opportunity to go beyond merely replicating what it has done before, and it should instead attempt to introduce some new environmental puzzles.
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Fallout in Space Is Too Easy
Asthe 15-minuteStarfieldtrailerrevealed,Starfieldwill provide gamers with the opportunity to journey toward foreign star systems and alien planets inhabited by strange life forms. When out exploring new lands, players will not be limited to a first-person perspective, and they will be able to scan their environment for minerals to mine.Starfieldwill not just be peaceful spacewalking, however, as players will occasionally encounter hostile enemies. Fortunately, players can defend themselves with a wide range of guns, and they can expand their arsenal with more firearms that are obtained from weapons cases. To open the weapons cases, players must pick a lock by solving a simple puzzle.
The game will also feature an in-depth character creator system that allows players to alter numerous aspects of their character including their skin tone, walk style, and head shape. Players will also be able to pick a background from options such as Professor, Gangster, Diplomat, Cyberneticist, and Bounty Hunter, which will help to give personality to each player’s character. Personality can be further customized by choosing up to three traits - such as Introvert, Taskmaster, Empath, and Unwanted Hero, to name a few - which each come with their own advantages and downsides. As Bethesda head Todd Howard revealed during his presentation at theXbox and Bethesda Games Showcase,Starfield’s skill system is based on past games from the studio, and as players progress, their skills will expand and improve, too.
The first views ofStarfieldare quite impressive, and it seems to be an expansive game that encourages players to explore, build bases, and tell their own stories. However, already comparisons have been made betweenStarfieldand previous Bethesda games, as many of the mechanics displayed have been seen in past games likeFallout.Starfieldfeatures the ability to build an outpost to serve as a kind of home-away-from-home, which is nifty, but it also seems like a copy ofFallout 4’s settlement building. The lock-picking system showcased inStarfieldalso seems like the evolution of the lock-picking present inFallout 4.
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None of this makesStarfielda bad game, and Bethesda has repeatedly used these mechanics because they are effective. However, considering the burning anticipation that has built up for the game, simply making ‘Falloutin space’ should not be enough for Bethesda. For many reasons,Starfieldis an exceptionally rare opportunity for Bethesda to demonstrate creativity and introduce new ideas to the gaming world.
Starfield Is Bethesda’s First New IP in a Long Time
Bethesda has released a few games in the last few years, but there are a few reasons whyStarfieldhas managed to gather as much hype as it has. Most notably, it will be the studio’s first new IP in over 25 years. Bethesda has been wanting to make a space open-world game for over a decade, and the nameStarfieldhas been trademarked since at least 2013. When a trailer for the game was revealed duringE3 2021, it was also announced that the game, which at this point had been in active development since 2014, would hit shelves in November 2022. Unfortunately, that date has been pushed back to 2023.
For a studio like Bethesda that relies so heavily on its key franchises -FalloutandThe Elder Scrolls- the opportunity to test out new ideas and concepts with a new IP does not come along often at all. Now that the studio hasStarfieldin its hands, it should not squander the opportunity by simply rehashing old gameplay mechanics and merely placing them in space. While the cosmic setting is certainly novel, it may not be enough to ensure that the game stands out from Bethesda’s already impressive library.
Instead, Bethesda should take advantage ofStarfield’s unique settingto present new environmental puzzles that both suit the game’s theme and help to make the game feel different from past releases from the studio. Instead of lock-picking (which seems primitive for a game set in the future), the game could instead hide weapons and areas behind locks that require numbered passwords. These passwords could be obtained by paying attention to the environmental clues or looting key-cards from the right enemies; anything but the same mechanics that Bethesda has done to death already.
Starfieldis a game that shows lots of promise. According toTodd Howard, players will get to explore star systems with hundreds of planets and plenty of different fauna. Gamers will also get to spend time on the planet of Jemison where most of the game’s main missions will take place. With the right amount of creativity,Starfieldhas the potential to be a AAA hit, though if it borrows too much from its predecessors, it could wind up feeling far too derivative.
Starfieldis scheduled to launch in the first half of 2023 on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
