Summary
It is very impressive what Bethesda has been able to pull off withStarfield, yet something seems off. While the massive universe it constructed is a remarkable sight, many of its planets are rather barren. Some planets have massive cities or outposts, but the majority of the planets are nothing more than empty landscapes. This helps create a sense of discovery for the player, which is partly what the entire game is built off. However,Starfield’s emptiness can be pretty lonely, and a simple feature fromFalloutmay have been able to fix that.
Asplayers exploreStarfield, they are often left to their own thoughts or the orchestral music that sometimes fills the dead air. In contrast,Fallout 4lets players flick on a radio station and dance to the music as they fight their way through the post-apocalypse. While that feature is not necessarily a game-changer, it does help make exploration a bit more fun. It is something thatStarfieldreally should have considered including, especially since numerous radio stations already seem to exist within its vast galaxy.
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Starfield’s Exploration Could Be Improved with Some Music
Once players start exploring themassive universe ofStarfield, they may quickly discover just how lonely it is. Bethesda built the story around an exploration group and wanted players to make their mark on its many planets, which the game definitely accomplishes. It can be fun exploring it all at first, but it can also get a little boring after a while. Eventually, players may find themselves just doing the same thing repeatedly. They will land on an empty planet, scan some things, maybe clear a small base, and then proceed to the next to do it all over again.
While the stories and characters ofStarfieldare interesting, the gameplay loop can often feel tedious. Players do not really have to engage with the exploration if they do not want to, but they will be missing a substantial portion of the game if they skip it. The entire outpost feature, numerous quests, and most of the game’s mechanics seem to be focused on exploration. That is not exclusive toStarfieldeither as some ofthe best parts ofSkyrimandFalloutare the random things players can discover on their journey. This means that most players will likely want to explore every inch of the game, which may not be as fun as it sounds.
WhileSkyrimmay not be able to benefit from a radio station, it seems strange that Bethesda would leave it out ofStarfield. Galactic civilizations would likely have their own unique radio stations to spread the news, advertise to people, and show off the latest sci-fi hits. The game even has broadcasts from different radio stations, as well asa questline devoted to a popular Neon DJ.
That said, players have no way to actually access any of that on their travels, and instead they are forced to just wander alongside some orchestral music and its fanfare theme on a loop. There is nothing wrong with the game’s music, but injecting a few unique songs through different radio stations could have gone a long way in making exploration much more exciting.
Starfieldis available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
