Starfield
Starfield is shaping up to be a huge success, with the Bethesda RPG game receiving positive early reviews ahead of its imminent launch. Following its surprise reveal at E3, Starfield has been one of the most anticipated games of the year, and carries a lot of weight for Microsoft, especially following the pending acquisition of Bethesda by the Redmond firm.
Now, ahead of Starfield’s early access launch on June 6, new reviews are pouring in, and they’re mostly very impressed. Starfield currently holds an impressive score of 86 on OpenCritic, with 96% of critics recommending it.
Our own Starfield review is coming very soon, but for now I’ve given the game 4/5 in our Starfield preview. I’m a big fan of how Bethesda is evolving its formula, and Starfield’s story and characters are strong as ever. Perfect scores have also come in from both VG247 and GamesRadar+, with the former calling it “Bethesda’s best game in years,” and the latter dubbing it the “best Xbox exclusive in 15 years.”
Game Informer, RPG Site, and GameSpot all give the game an 8.5/10, while Game Informer says, “Bethesda has done it again.” Game Informer also praises Starfield’s evolution of the Bethesda formula, saying, “The changes made to the formula are subtle but impactful, and they struck the perfect balance in making me feel like I was adventuring in a new world.”
GameSpot, on the other hand, awards Starfield an 8/10, and praises its “masterfully crafted world,” strong story and characters, and, at times, “spectacularly engaging” combat and exploration. However, it does say that “Starfield is a little rough around the edges,” pointing to “disjointed space travel, a slightly messy inventory management system, and occasional bugs and performance issues.”
Meanwhile, IGN gives Starfield 7/10, with critic Jon Manning saying, “Starfield is not the game I was hoping it would be. It’s much better than that, but also much worse.” He praises the “amazing world building and intoxicating atmosphere,” but says, “Starfield has the potential to be a great Bethesda RPG, but it doesn’t quite get there.” Manning also says the game’s “inventory management is a bit of a mess,” and that it “can feel like a grind at times, with some light RPG elements that aren’t as fun as they should be.”
PC Gamer is even less impressed, with critic Edwin Evans-Thirlwell scoring Starfield 75/100. He says, “Starfield has moments of real wonder, and the joy of discovery is still there when you start charting new systems and planets. But while the game opens with a tantalising glimpse of possibilities, it quickly narrows down into a rather more familiar story of cults and cosmic horror.”
Make sure you check back soon for our Starfield review, and prepare for the launch of Bethesda’s new universe with our Starfield pre-order guide. If you’re already playing the game, we’ve got the full list of Starfield perks, as well as all the Starfield codes and Cheats you can use on your next adventure.
