Summary
Bethesda Game Studios released its latest title,Starfield, last September, and it was a big deal for a number of reasons.Starfieldhad been long awaited by many players who were familiar with the developer’s previous popular main series,The Elder ScrollsandFallout.Not only was it highly anticipated for this reason, butStarfieldalso marked the first game Bethesda produced after being brought under Microsoft’s banner in 2021. As such, this provided a larger boost to its visibility via launching as a day one inclusion for Xbox Game Pass.
One of the other notable details aboutStarfieldis that it was the first original IP from BGS in over 20 years upon announcement. At launch though, reactions toStarfieldwere fairly mixed. Some fans enjoyed its NASA-punk-infused futuristic adventure, while others noted that BGS' continued use of its established design philosophy and narrative elements seemed dated and stilted, especially compared to other contemporaries and the generalevolution of RPGsthrough the previous few generations. However, the fact thatStarfieldwasn’t as fully embraced as it might have been expected to be should not necessarily indicate an ill-omen that discourages Bethesda from trying out other new visions.
Starfieldcurrently sits at a “generally positive” 83 critic score and a 6.9 user score on Metacritic, with the latter placing it in the “mixed or average” review category.
Starfield’s Middling Reception Shouldn’t Deter Bethesda from Trying New Ideas Again
Starfield Was Bethesda’s First Original IP in Over 25 Years
Bethesda built its reputation and catalog largely on the back of itsElder Scrollsseries, starting withThe Elder Scrolls: Arena,which was released 30 years ago, and set much of the style, lore, and tone of its epic fantasy world. As the series went on, subsequent entriesMorrowindandOblivionserved to establish the franchise and studio as one of the frontrunners of immersive open-world RPGs, becoming classics of the genre. After acquiring the rights to the reveredFalloutfranchise in 2007, the developer garnered many new fans with its more modern take on the post-apocalyptic RPG series at the time withFallout 3.
AfterFO3, 2011’sElder Scrollstitle,Skyrim, was a massive success, and is likely the studio’s most well-known and regarded game. Two moreFalloutgames followed, one the next mainline numbered entry, and another a live-service MMO-like, which both had their share of supporters and detractors.Starfieldwas a departure from these two pillars of the studio’s IP, and therefore was a bit more of a risk versus working within its firmly familiar properties.
Bethesda Should Still be Willing to Take More Risks Like Starfield in the Future
Starfieldcertainly had its share of some technical and other issues that contributed to its less than outstanding reception, although it was noted that a number of these were present in previous titles. Since release, Bethesda has continued to introduce patches and updates, as well asStarfield’sShattered SpaceDLC that’s set to arrive sometime later this year. These are promising signs that show that the studio is committed to supportingStarfieldand polishing it to better align with player requests in the interest of long-term sustainability.
Bethesda’s next stated project,The Elder Scrolls 6,has long been in development, as well as the nextFallouttitle that will assumingly eventually follow. As such, it may be a while before BGS is either able or willing to commit to another completely new property. However, if it desires to, then the pattern and approach it took forStarfieldcould be applied again, and the rougher spots it experienced shouldn’t be hurdles that entirely prevent it from considering creating a fresh property and using its expertise to further advance its standing while experimenting, improving, and iterating on ideas and aspects that already work well within the studio’s structure.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
