It comes close on occasion: one settlement on a far-flung planet is right up there with the most entertaining Vault-Tec experiments of all time. But more often the promising premises I found in remote bases or mysterious space stations tended to fizzle out. Starfield's alien bugs, even the truly monstrous ones, don't hold a candle to Skyrim's menagerie of beasts, faction quests never match the intrigue and brilliance of Oblivion's guild quests, and though Starfield's "spacers" and Fallout's raiders probably share the same basic code (attack player on sight) they just don't have as much personality.

Gamesrader : 5/5

Starfield isn't really a game you play to complete, it's more about living whatever sort of life you want in the literal universe Bethesda has created. Whatever you're thinking of doing, you almost certainly can do it, and the scale is almost a release in a way – you'll probably never see or do it all, so just enjoy the moment. There's months, if not years, of discoveries buried away in here, and even after 80 hours I can't wait to see more.

Gameinformer : 8.5/10

It took me a long time to fall in love with Starfield, and even after I did, certain aspects didn’t work for me. But the things I didn’t enjoy are vastly outweighed by my enthusiasm for this new, original science fiction universe, the breadth of its adventures, and the appeal of its many interwoven stories. Go in with the expectation that it will take some time to find your footing in such a vast gameplay space, and there’s a universe well worth discovering here.

Destructoid : 10/10

I wasn’t sure if it could be done, but Bethesda has managed to raise the bar for sandbox games even higher. In the end, Starfield is an epic sandbox open-world RPG with a beautifully immersive universe, a captivating story, and fun and compelling gameplay the whole way. I’m so happy to have experienced Starfield organically, and I really hope you get to as well.

Shacknews : 9/10

Starfield is more than a welcome addition to Bethesda’s family of RPG franchises, it feels like the start of a new era for the studio. Not only is it the developer’s most technically impressive game, but it also delivers a worthwhile narrative that takes some major swings and establishes a sprawling mythos. It has some blemishes here and there, but Starfield proves to be an awesome sci-fi adventure.

Videogamer : 9/10

I wish I hadn’t had to play Starfield for this review. I wish I’d had the freedom and time to explore at a slower pace, go off on tangents, and land randomly on the farthest-flung planets just to see what was there. To reap the rewards of exploration, not the congratulatory chime of a completed quest or earned credits, but that formless joy of discovery, of something that a tired dev over in Maryland toiled to bring to life, the coded fruits of a dragging afternoon three years ago. If you plan on picking up Starfield, and I strongly urge you to, take your time and embrace an unhurried pace. Peer around every corner, eavesdrop on every conversation, investigate every planet, exhaust every dialogue tree, and see through every activity and side quest to its end, however insignificant it may seem. And, once in a while, lay off the need to acquire and amass by looting and killing everything in sight to bask in the little things.

GamingTrend : 90/100

Bethesda Game Studios has reached new heights in Starfield. A thrilling narrative, loaded with an entire universe to explore and backed by sublimely polished systems, has ushered in the ultimate Bethesda experience. It’s truly hard to summarize just what makes Starfield special, and that’s because so much of it is. You’ll be glued to your screen for hours, going where no explorer has gone before.

CogConnected : 90/100

Starfield is Bethesda’s most polished game yet. It has a ton to do but falls flat on the exploration aspect. Without vehicles, walking around planets is not an efficient way to travel. The story is fantastic however and the game is visually stunning. It’s a unique experience you shouldn’t miss out on.

Attack of the Fanboy : 5/5

Starfield is the most potent value proposition for Game Pass, being the killer app for the subscription service. It is also the best, most ambitious game in the Xbox Game Studios library to date. It would not be a stretch to say this could be one of the most ambitious games ever made, and that it followed through with many of those goals with relatively low compromise. For those fearing this game was Bethesda flying too close to the sun, this is a reminder that this same ambition, mixed with lots of caution and expertise, is also what put us on the moon.

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[–] AlexanderTheGreat@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

This post will be updated to add reviews as they are released.

Review & Release Megathread - This post will house all reviews and initial reactions, and serve as a place to ask frequent questions and topics around the game around launch.