Why I Still Can’t Help But Compare Bethesda to Obsidian Upon ‘Starfield’s Launch
Today marks the early access release of Starfield, Bethesda Softworks’ first major release in almost ten years. The full release will come next week, but already, the game has received almost unanimous praise, with scores of 9/10 and 10/10 across the board.
I already have a lot on my plate, with Baldur’s Gate 3 being the game I’m most entangled in at the moment (and will likely continue to be tangled up in for a while), so I don’t plan on playing Starfield for quite a while. However, I have watched some reviews of it, from quick thinkpieces to longer, more detailed responses, and from what I’ve seen and heard, I don’t disagree that the game is a monumental achievement for Bethesda.
The thing is, in the wake of BG3′s massive success, I’m still a little surprised that people are so excited for a game like Starfield. I understand that the main point of excitement is the fact that it’s a Bethesda game, which means it’s got an immense roleplaying scope and is built to help you really get lost in its world. Even so, it’s just been so long since Bethesda has put anything out with the same level of acclaim as Fallout 4—a game that, while I enjoyed it, taught me to temper my expectations with the studio, instead of getting this excited for its next release.
Indeed, though this might seem a little unfair, I’m finding myself falling back on a train of thought that many have trodden when it comes to this studio: I’m comparing it to Obsidian, the studio behind the original Fallout games, as well as the beloved title Fallout: New Vegas.
On the one hand, I keep thinking about The Outer Worlds, Obsidian’s 2020 RPG that also took place in space. This game wasn’t perfect, and it suffered from some ham-fisted narrative beats, but it was overall a really clever and charming game, with my main complaint being we didn’t get enough of it. The story was over before you could blink, and you couldn’t continue the game once you ended, which was a shame, since the game was otherwise pretty damn fun:
On the other hand, I’m also thinking about Obsidian’s upcoming RPG Avowed, which will take place in the same world as its fantasy series Pillars of Eternity. Set to release next year, Avowed has already piqued my interest with everything this brief trailer has to offer:
And in comparing these two titles with Starfield, the most cohesive reason I can think of as to why I’m already looking forward to Avowed more has nothing to do with genre. Instead, it has everything to do with creativity, fun, and a commitment to making the world feel like it has personality.
Thus far, the main character trait of Starfield that I’ve been able to pick up on is “ambition”: the ambition to explore the stars and see what’s out there, to colonize the galactic frontier and carve your own path within it. And that’s … a fine enough premise, certainly one that has a lot of gameplay potential. But in my opinion, there has to be more within that. There has to be some sort of heart at the core of it all, some sort of energy that goes beyond gorgeous graphics and a smooth framerate.
I mean, Baldur’s Gate 3 is also an objectively beautiful game, but I love it more for the immense amount of character and personality within it. Larian Studios couldn’t resist giving this game as much personality as they could, and it reflects wondrously in nearly every facet of the game. By contrast, I’ve seen mixed opinions regarding Starfield‘s story and companions, ranging from “engaging and fascinating” to “predictably dull for a Bethesda game.”
And right there is where I’ll end this: Ultimately, it is a Bethesda game, meaning the formula clearly works and people are still going to at least try this game, myself included. I just wish there was a little more to it than that. I’d sacrifice half of those thousands of planets for a tighter story and more interesting world, but far be it from me to be sacrilegious to Todd before the full release. For all I know, Avowed will have a great story but feel incomplete, like Outer Worlds did.
At least I know I’ll get some color out of that experience. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
(featured image: Bethesda Softworks/Obsidian Entertainment)
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