Baldurfield is upon us (Picture: Larian Studios/Bethesda Game Studios)
The Tuesday letters page wants Naughty Dog’s next game to be a comedy, as one reader compares Starfield to Mass Effect Andromeda.
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Double date
So, Starfield’s release is getting closer and, as others have pointed out, it’s created nothing but chaos and discord. Whether it is good or bad people are never going to stop arguing about it or admit any kind of agreement, which I don’t feel is very good news for gaming in general.
I think it’s been forgotten in all the arguments over the reviews, though, that it’s coming out on the same day as Baldur’s Gate 3 – which hasn’t been reviewed by anyone of consequence yet.
The PC version has reviewed much better than Starfield but there’s a question of how well it’ll run on PlayStation 5. We’ll have to wait for a more trusted opinion on that one but why are Sony not taking advantage of this coincidence and advertising the hell out of Baldur’s Gate 3?
If I hadn’t read about it here and on other sites, I don’t think I would’ve ever heard of Baldur’s Gate 3 before and yet I’ve been pummelled by Starfield ads for the last week. I guess at this point we shouldn’t be surprised at Sony being secretive and uncommunicative but at what point is this going to end? Or do we just have to resign them to being mad hermits from now on?
Mellon
Warts and all
I’m disappointed that Starfield doesn’t seem to have much of a, if at all, space sim element to it.
I don’t think Bethesda lead anyone up the garden path. But the talk of 1,000 planets and ship customisation lead to term No Man’s Skyrim to be coined. It would of been nice if they had just said from the start it’s not that at all.
The segmented nature and what sounds like even more loading screens than Fallout 4 sounds like a backward step for me as well. With the SSD this gen I’d been hoping it would allow for more seamless worlds.
What the game looks like to me is the same Bethesda game you’ve played before just with space as the backdrop instead of post-apocalyptic Earth or a fantasy land.
It would of been nice if the space setting had produced something a bit fresher. But I’m not going to dwell on it. I’ve loved all Bethesda’s role-playing games before, warts and all, and see myself enjoying Starfield.
Simundo
Lighten up
I hope whatever Naughty Dog is working on is a fantasy game, as rumoured, or something other than a grimdark, super serious. This is the same developer that created Crash Bandicoot and while I’m sure there are few people left there that were actually involved in that I think they could really do with making something a bit more light-hearted.
Even Uncharted 4 got more dour when Druckmann took over and they got rid of Amy Hennig. A nice comedy fantasy game would be my dream game from them next. I’m sure it won’t be that, at least not the comedy bit, but that’s what I’ll be hoping for.
Dosi
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Dungeons and whatever
I didn’t provide enough details, regarding Baldur’s Gate. Yeah, I’m a massive role-playing fan. From Oblivion to Skyrim to Fallout 3 and 4. Bloodborne is one of my favourites. So I’m a definite lover of the genre. Still yet to play Starfield.
Yeah, I’ll say that I’m not a tabletop role-playing guy. Never played a single game before. That’s what I meant. Still, thanks for the answer and taking the time to reply.
Shahzaib Sadiq
GC: If you’re a role-playing fan then don’t hesitate. The Dungeons & Dragons aspect is just a detail really and the rules are used in a number of games you wouldn’t even guess at, like Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic.
Goodbye PR
Long time reader (since Digi days) and read you guys every day. Consistently the most reliable source of gaming news and reviews in the business, keep up the good work.
Just wondered if you’ll get time to review Goodbye Volcano High, which came out last week. Looks interesting but seems more of a visual novel rather than a game. There aren’t many reviews for it yet so unsure whether it’s worth getting or not? Anyway, thanks again for the awesome coverage.
Country Mike
GC: Thanks. We are trying to cover Goodbye Volcano High, but it’s been difficult getting hold of anyone representing the game. It sounds like others are having the same problems. Some indie companies are really terrible at promoting their games properly…
Bad start
I have to say I agree with your Starfield preview, GC, and am surprised at how bland the game feels.
One of the biggest ires for me is how dull and sterile New Atlantis is. It feels like the opposite of any settlement in Fallout or a city in Elder Scrolls, which have so much charm.
It doesn’t help that it’s massive and a complete nightmare to navigate. It really isn’t fun and just a bad choice to have the player spend their early hours. They also throw in far, far too many bland fetch quests at you early on, which doesn’t help.
I also have to comment on the character models. The random non-player characters look shockingly bad and the more prominent characters can look very sim-like. I half expect them to start speaking in simlish.
Some of the more barren planets can look extremely pretty though. And the combat is OK. Though on Xbox Series X I feel a noticeable delay in stick inputs, which makes medium range gunfights frustrating for me.
Matt
GC: The odd thing is that New Atlantis, and the cowboy planet afterwards, are easily the least interesting, and ugliest, we’ve come across. It really is a terrible start to the game and the lack of a map is baffling.
Best wishes
I like the look of Starfield, Bethesda bugs and all, but having only a PlayStation 5 and a Switch (woe is me!) I can’t justify another pricey bit of hardware.
Pardon me for being positive but I hope all you Xboxers that buy it or Game Pass it enjoy it.
Chevy Malibu (PSN ID)
More: Trending
Maybe next decade
In a similar vein to Scotty in Monday’s letters page, I’m finding myself increasingly put off by Starfield, despite not having played it.
When Oblivion was released I dived right in with a few friends and absolutely loved it. I was totally hyped for Skyrim, but I found I could never get into it. In many ways it was just too similar to Oblivion, which I had already played to death. I’ve had a few attempts at trying to like Skyrim over the years, including one when they remastered it for the Xbox Series X with the best mods I could find but I still couldn’t find any enjoyment in the game.
I’ve also had a crack at Fallout 4 in the past few years but, again, that had many similar issues and ultimately I didn’t think it was particularly enjoyable to play.
So, this leads me to the latest Bethesda game, Starfield. The initial hype train looked good but the more I read about it, the more it seems to be Skyrim in space. Similar janky characters, some terrible dialogue, not particularly good combat, and ultimately dull, as well as flawed with constant loading screens and lack of immersion.
I was going to play it on Game Pass, it is not costing me anything after all, however I’m increasingly thinking of just buying Baldur’s Gate 3 on the PlayStation 5 instead, as that genuinely looks fun to play. If I had a decent PC I’d already be playing it so I really hope the console edition is just as good.
Maybe I’ll give Starfield a run when we get the inevitable 10th anniversary edition but I suspect I’ll end up disappointed anyway. It seems Bethesda have a formula for all their games and are very unwilling to deviate from it. It has clearly been successful and many people love their games but I for one will be staying clear for now.
Adam
GC: If you’ve got Game Pass we’d definitely recommend giving it a try but, yeah, it very much follows the Bethesda formula.
Inbox also-rans
Instead of giving a provisional score for Starfield on Wednesday, can you just tell us if it is better than Mass Effect Andromeda (which I liked by the way).
r-s-w
GC: The action in Andromeda is better but overall… we couldn’t say yet.
I have a problem when I travel to Jemison – New Atlantis and I’m encumbered that I can’t travel to a sale station. Should I be able to end up at the Starport to begin with?
Anon
GC: If you’re encumbered just leave some of your stuff in your ship. If you press the left bumper when on the inventory screen in your ship you can switch between your personal inventory and the ship’s hold. Alternatively, just drop some items until you can move freely.
This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Hammeriron, who asks what is your favourite co-op video game?
Online and local co-op both count but try and give examples of both if you can. Who were you playing the game with and did you choose them for the game or the game for them? How experienced was the other player and how did that factor into the experience?
Do you prefer local or online co-op and would you like to see more of them? Which game that doesn’t have co-op do you wish did?
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The small print
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The Tuesday letters page wants Naughty Dog’s next game to be a comedy, as one reader compares Starfield to Mass Effect Andromeda.Â
