Starfield Release: Bethesda's Space Odyssey Finally Lands

September 6, 2023

Starfield Release: Bethesda's Space Odyssey Finally Lands

Todd Howard did it. The absolute madman actually released a space game. After years of "16 times the detail" memes and Skyrim re-releases, Bethesda finally dropped their first new IP since your parents were using dial-up internet. Starfield is here, bringing 1000 planets, infinite possibilities, and yes, loading screens between every single one of them.

What's New in Starfield?

Bethesda took their tried-and-true formula and yeeted it into space:

A "Fully" Explorable Galaxy - 1,000 planets sounds impressive until you realize 990 of them are barren rocks with the same three minerals. But hey, at least you can build an outpost on each one!
Deep Character Customization - Pick from traits like "Introvert" (literally gives you bonuses for playing alone) or "Kid Stuff" (your parents are alive and want money). Peak Bethesda.
Spaceship Combat & Customization - Build the USS Enterprise or a flying shoebox. The ship builder is genuinely incredible, even if combat feels like Elite Dangerous had a baby with Fallout's VATS.
Faction Questlines - Join the space cops, space pirates, space cowboys, or space Illuminati. It's Skyrim's guild system but with more moral ambiguity and corporate espionage.

Exploration & Space Travel: Loading Screen Simulator 2023

Let's address the space elephant in the room: "seamless" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here:

The Good:

Genuinely impressive scale with varied biomes and atmospheric conditions
Ship interiors you can walk around in (and decorate with sandwiches)
Random encounters that make space feel alive
New Atlantis is basically Mass Effect's Citadel if it was designed by space libertarians

The "It Just Works":

Fast travel is mandatory unless you enjoy staring at empty space
Landing on planets involves a cutscene every. single. time.
Resource gathering is Minecraft in space but somehow less exciting
NPCs still have that signature Bethesda thousand-yard stare

Choice-Driven RPG Mechanics

Bethesda remembered they make RPGs, not just sandbox games:

Persuasion System - A mini-game that's actually engaging. Who knew threatening people with different colored dialogue options could be fun?
Background Traits Matter - Your starting choices actually affect gameplay. Pick "Neon Street Rat" and NPCs treat you like the space degenerate you are.
Companions With Opinions - Sarah Morgan will judge you for stealing a pencil. Sam Coe brings his daughter on dangerous missions because parenting.
NG+ With a Twist - Without spoiling anything, New Game Plus actually makes narrative sense. Mind = blown.

Community Reactions & First Impressions

The internet's response has been exactly as chaotic as expected:

"It's Skyrim in space!" - Said like that's a bad thing. We've been buying Skyrim for 12 years, Todd knows what we want.
"No Man's Sky did it better" - Sure, after 7 years of updates. Give Starfield time to cook.
"The writing is actually good?" - Bethesda hired real writers! The main quest isn't just "go here, kill thing, become god."
"Performance issues on PC" - It's a Bethesda game. If it ran perfectly at launch, we'd know something was wrong.

Reddit is split between people who've played 200 hours while complaining it's boring, and those building elaborate ship recreations of the Millennium Falcon. Steam reviews sit at "Mixed" because apparently having loading screens in 2023 is a war crime.

Is Starfield Worth Playing?

Get it if:

You've ever thought "I wish Skyrim had spaceships"
Loading screens don't trigger your fight-or-flight response
You have Game Pass (seriously, it's free there)
You enjoy Bethesda jank as a feature, not a bug
You want to spend 40 hours in the ship builder alone

Skip it if:

You're expecting Star Citizen or Elite Dangerous
Fast travel breaks your immersion
You need multiplayer to enjoy games
You're still mad about Fallout 76

Starfield isn't the revolutionary space sim some hoped for, but it's exactly what Bethesda promised: their RPG formula in space. It's comfort food gaming with a cosmic twist. Sure, it has more loading screens than a 2005 game, but where else can you join a space religion, become a coffee smuggler, and romance a cowboy all in the same playthrough?

Now excuse me while I spend another 20 hours perfecting my ship's bathroom placement.