Summary
Ever since it was released in September 2023,Starfieldhas had a bit of a rough time, having mixed reviews on Steam and a player count that leaves a lot to be desired. It was a hotly anticipated title before its eventual launch, and the hype for the title was strong, but it has fallen off quite substantially from its initial numbers. Still, Bethesda has continued to update and support the game with new content, although the new content is highlighting further issues with the game.
Starfieldwill receive its first expansion,Shattered Space,on September 30.
New,free contentis always appreciated for a game, and it seems to be a theme with games released in 2023. Larian Studios has continued to provide more content for its game,Baldur’s Gate 3,long after its release, but where the titles differ is the state of their launch.Starfieldfelt as though it was missing features in its post-launch build, and the glitch-filled, buggy nature of Bethesda titles did little to help endear players to the game and keep its player numbers at their initially impressive peak.
This Starfield Player May Have Just Discovered The Best Part Of The August Update
A Starfield player discovers the best part of the game’s latest update, demonstrating how the Rev-8 can be used for a chaotic crime spree.
Starfield’s Latest Blunder Is Made Obvious With The Vehicles Update
The Update Shows That The REV-8Should Have Been At Launch
Ships have always been around inStarfield,with players able to customize them and capture several to form a fleet of their own, but the planets visited can often be large and somewhat empty. To help with traversal on the ground,Bethesda has added the REV-8, a dune buggy that can be deployed on any planet. It traverses these planets with ease, and features jet boosters, turrets, and hydraulics to help it hop across rocky dunes.
The REV-8 is the first ever drivable vehicle in a Bethesda game.
In general,the REV-8 helps alleviate the boredom of land traversal and feels like it should have been in the game from the start. There lies the issue, since land traversal is inherently boring with so many unremarkable planets devoid of life, and the REV-8 doesn’t necessarily fix this issue, it just lessens it. It is a feature that really should have been in the game from the get-go rather than added on almost a year later, and it shows that many games are not releasing as fully made packages anymore. It isn’t helpingStarfield’s reviews, either.
Is Starfield: Shattered Space Free? DLC Cost Explained
Starfield’s story expansion, Shattered Space, is playable now, but can players access the expansion without paying extra & is it on GamePass?
A Better Starfield At Launch Could Have Helped Its Staying Power
Both Fallout And Skyrim Are Outperforming It On Steam
IfStarfieldwas a more complete experience on launch andhad features such as the REV-8 to begin with, it could have been the flagship for Bethesda going forward and a great example of what the Creation Engine 2 could do. More hype could have been built for future games, yetaccording to SteamDB, bothSkyrimandFallout 4are outperformingStarfieldon Steam. It shows that the community hasn’t taken to this new title nearly as much.
Sadly,it feels as thoughStarfieldis a bit of a sinking ship, and the retroactive content being added by Bethesda feels like less of a nice bonus and more like something that should have been there all along. Taking almost a year to release the REV-8 to improve land traversal doesn’t help either. Ultimately, it’s better to have the vehicle than not, but it won’t be enough to bring players back when it could have kept players from the start, alongside AI improvements and other features.
