You’ll be able to’t assist however get a bit excited when a brand new replace arrives. There’s a small thrill that comes with the prospect of leaping into an previous favourite, particularly if you haven’t performed shortly. The newest Starfield replace guarantees enhancements and new options however for me, it has been an actual letdown. It’s not as a result of the additions are essentially dangerous, it’s all simply arriving a little bit too late.
As I searched for information on the brand new Starfield replace I noticed so many articles stating how it’s ‘a sport changer‘ and ‘probably the most thrilling replace but.’ So think about my shock once I see an inventory of bug fixes and some options that ought to have been a part of the sport when it was first launched.
I rapidly up to date the sport and jumped in to see what the fuss was about. Absolutely there was greater than only a mini-map with signposts and some items of furnishings to embellish the ship? The very first thing I did was try the brand new ship decor characteristic. Based on the replace notes, we are able to now enhance our ships in the identical manner as our outposts. For those who beloved constructing ships and adorning areas, this can be a good addition, but it surely doesn’t add something particular to the gameplay. The listing of obtainable objects is okay however missing in selection and magnificence choices.
I’d take pleasure in this extra if I didn’t first should exit and harvest supplies for the privilege of putting an armchair within the residing quarters. Am I lacking the purpose in what’s a sport of crafting and useful resource gathering? Maybe. However these elements are secondary to me. To be sincere, I didn’t do loads of crafting throughout my first playthrough, so why begin now?
There’s a lot extra that might have been carried out right here. What about being able to create particular areas on the ship? Or having the ability to assign a job to a crew member, akin to medic or armorer, and have them stationed completely. That manner, you could possibly go to the medbay to be healed or go to the armory for upgrades to the ship. As it’s proper now, it nonetheless feels unfinished. For a really immersive roleplay as a ship’s captain we want a totally crewed-up ship, don’t we? If this turned an choice you’d have gamers recreating any variety of well-known house crews from Captain Mal on the Firefly to Picard and the Enterprise.
The perfect a part of this replace is one thing we must always have had from the very begin: floor maps. As somebody who struggled to search out their manner round Jemison, this must be a welcome change but it surely does make me marvel: why didn’t we have now this characteristic within the first place? And why has it taken so lengthy to get it? The dearth of a floor map has been a difficulty because the sport’s launch in September final yr, and for it to take eight months for Bethesda so as to add them is irritating, to say the least.
Floor maps are nice for if you find yourself in a metropolis with tons to discover. They may also help a participant discover their manner from level to level. The one actual downside is that they spotlight one evident problem Starfield has all the time had: planets with huge, empty lands. Now you should utilize a floor map to see how flat and boring loads of the locations are. Evaluate this with Fallout 4 environments and Starfield is severely missing.
The rise in environmental injury has made for a extra immersive planetary exploration. All we want now are extra various planetary surfaces and attention-grabbing POIs. Additionally, fewer copy-pasted decor objects inside buildings wouldn’t go amiss to assist with the immersion. I can not rely the variety of instances I’ve observed the console or desk cluttered with the identical 4 objects in the identical positioning.
The listing of bug fixes was a welcome sight however this was a short-lived pleasure. It appears bugs are alive and effectively in Starfield. I jumped again in for the primary time in months solely to be confronted immediately with a brand new bug.
As I explored a constructing and fought with enemies, they appeared to die too simply and with out the same old XP notification. To check if one Va’Ruun Zealot on the bottom was actually useless, I aimed my weapon at her physique. My gun’s sight was purple as if I used to be aiming at a dwell enemy so I shot her once more. Nothing. Intrigued, I shot her with my cutter as an alternative and he or she obtained again up! Possibly I restarted her coronary heart. Possibly I used to be unfortunate sufficient to come across a brand-new bug. Both manner, it appears Bethesda hasn’t fairly completed selecting out all of the bugs simply but regardless of the large listing of fixes.
The added modifications to settings are nice to mess around with however many gamers wished this characteristic was carried out the primary time round. Now you can improve the problem of fight — be it among the many stars or on the bottom — or decrease the settings. Nearly every little thing could be altered to fit your temper and these could be modified mid-combat too. Injury dealt, injury acquired, and even carry capability, could be switched from Very Straightforward to Excessive and every little thing in between. These courageous sufficient to go for Onerous or Excessive are rewarded with a small XP share enhance too.
One other bonus I take pleasure in is the power to change Traits and look after getting into Unity. I didn’t do loads of post-story play because it appeared very repetitive. The addition of those modifications makes additional play a little bit extra attractive however is it sufficient of a change? These little changes all add up to what’s primarily an enchancment nonetheless, it comes too late for these gamers who binged the sport when it first launched.
Starfield’s graphics and efficiency clearly wanted the enhancements supplied on this replace. These will make a major distinction to your sport if you’re nonetheless taking part in usually. I’m unsure the small polishes are sufficient to attract in gamers who’ve since stopped taking part in, nonetheless.
Maybe it’s my fault for having such excessive hopes for this replace. Possibly these smaller modifications imply the Shattered House DLC will probably be extra polished and thrilling than anticipated. For now, I really feel barely let down by this ‘main game-changing replace’. Nonetheless, I await the upcoming DLC with bated breath. I actually wish to leap again into a brand new and improved Starfield however at this second I’m left unconvinced.
