Summary
AStarfieldplayer comes across a rock formation on the moon of Ampere that is eerily reminiscent of Solitude, the capital city of the Imperial Province of Skyrim. While theprocedural generation inStarfieldmay not have received the kind of praise that Bethesda was likely hoping for, the game still provided a rather thrilling experience for players who enjoyedFallout 4’s gunplay. Raiding pirate outposts on random worlds provided a satisfying gameplay loop for many Bethesda fans, even if the underlying systems left a lot to be desired.
With exactly 50% of its recent reviews on Steam being positive,Starfield’s reception is the definition of mixed. Older Bethesda titles such asSkyrimstill have more players thanStarfield, and its performance at The Game Awards 2023 was a huge contrast to the pre-launch hype thatStarfieldcarried since its deep dive video. Despite these factors, the game continues to be enjoyed by a sizable number of players, who remain hopeful thatStarfieldwill improve in the coming months.
For twistedbarricade,Starfield’s procedural generation presented a unique opportunity: to rebuild the city of Solitude as an outpost. During their exploration of Ampere, the moon of Faraday in the Delta Favonis system, they stumbled onto a rock formation that looks exactly like the Great Arch inSkyrim, upon which its capital city of Solitude is built. While the resemblance is only superficial, it does make one wonder how common an arch can spawn during terrain generation inStarfield.
While theofficial modding tools forStarfieldwill only launch in early 2024, players have already found ways to force the game to generate more immersive environments. Once modders get their hands on the new Creation Kit, there’s a good chance that they’ll be able to fix what many consider to beStarfield’s biggest flaw: its procedural landscapes. Adding some truly alien flora and fauna to existingStarfieldlocations would go a long way in making the experience feel less monotone, especially if the grind of scanning aStarfieldplanet is also reduced through a separate mod.
That being said, Bethesda has a chance to contribute through official content as well, as theShattered Space DLC forStarfieldis set to launch in early 2024, Though no details about the DLC are yet confirmed by the developers, fans strongly believe that it will have something to do with New Game Plus or the enigmatic House Va’ruun. Given how different the religious faction feels in the base game compared to the more “grounded” United Colonies and Freestar Collective, Bethesda could be encouraged to introduce more outwardly alien environments in Va’ruun space.
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.
