Recent reviews by Codie

OK I'll start this off by saying, I have never played such broken premium early release of a game before, but I'll get more into that later.

After immersing myself in the universe of Starfield for almost 40 hours since release on Friday 1st September, I am truly amazed by the extensive depth of its world. The game has left me utterly engrossed, and not once have I encountered any duplicated locations throughout the galaxy. Within this sprawling universe, I've had the privilege of exploring expansive metropolises, intimate settlements, and an array of distinctive characters, each brimming with their own compelling narratives and quests. Along my journey, I've encountered intriguing outposts as well as building countless of my own, forged alliances with various factions, and even engaged in exhilarating space battles. It's safe to say that after this substantial playtime, I am far from delving into the entirety of what this remarkable title has in store.

As others have said, "To dismiss Starfield as an "empty game" is nothing short of absurd."

As mentioned at the beginning, this particular game has unfortunately been marred by an abundance of technical issues, ranging from minor inconveniences to truly game-breaking predicaments. These persistent challenges have cast a looming shadow of scepticism, in my opinion, over its potential candidacy for the coveted title of "Game of the Year."

My game-play experience and immersion has been punctured by the frustration of encountering quests breaking and being rendered impassable, essential items that cannot be looted through quick loot or through the inventory—crucially, quest-specific items among them—, and a vexing bug that totally removed my ability to gather resources at my outpost, at times necessitating a complete relocation off-planet.

Adding to the basket of issues, I've witnessed concerning occasions such as a sudden and jarring colour shift, giving everything a yellow "negative" colour flip, during interactions with NPC, and an alarming character bug upon exiting from my spacecraft, limiting all mobility to a mere camera rotation, even when not over-encumbered.

The game's optimisation, or lack thereof, has been a recurring concern, with frame rates plummeting from a respectable 340fps to a dismal 12fps during extended intervals before eventually returning to normality. These technical hurdles have unquestionably cast a pall over the otherwise promising prospects of this title vying for the pinnacle of gaming excellence.

In conclusion, Bethesda's Starfield is a captivating journey through the stars, brimming with potential and ambition. Its expansive world, unique characters, and diverse quests showcase the studio's knack for world-building. However, the prevalence of disruptive technical issues cannot be ignored, preventing it from soaring to the celestial heights it aspired to reach. With this in mind, I personally leave Starfield at a respectable 7/10, a game with an intriguing universe that will no doubt thrive with it's already extensive modding community.

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It's alright, I guess.