If you want better art direction
Choose Ghost of Yōtei. It scores 4.9 vs 1.5 for art direction, with a 4.4 overall score.
Starfield Review
Bottom Line
Choose Starfield if you want a huge Bethesda-style sci-fi sandbox with ship building, quests, and room to wander. Skip it if loading screens, menus, bugs, or thin planet exploration will wear you down.
Best for
Best for players who want a long sci-fi RPG sandbox with ship building, side quests, faction stories, and lots of systems to tinker with.
Not for
Not for players who need seamless exploration, tight pacing, clean menus, or a polished story-first space adventure.
Verdict
Starfield lands as a big, messy Bethesda RPG in space: deep enough to absorb players who enjoy self-directed questing, ship building, combat, and long-haul character growth, but uneven enough to frustrate anyone expecting seamless space exploration. Reviews repeatedly praise the scope, side quests, audio-visual presentation, and improved gunplay. The tradeoff is just as clear: menus, fast travel, loading screens, empty planets, and lingering bugs often break the fantasy. Its best moments come when you accept the game on its own sandbox terms; its weakest moments come when it asks the universe to feel vast through interfaces and repeated transitions.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
58 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.011 (19%)
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Positive 3.5-4.417 (29%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.413 (22%)
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Negative 1.5-2.415 (26%)
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Very negative below 1.52 (3%)
Pros highlights
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Overall fun is sharply split. Many players are hooked or having a blast, while others find the game boring, underwhelming, or only fun for a narrow sandbox audience.
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Combat is one of the better-liked systems overall, often described as Bethesda’s strongest gunplay yet, though a few reviewers still find it basic or merely serviceable.
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Visuals are usually a strength, with praise for gorgeous graphics and presentation, though some reviewers call the look dated or bland.
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Crafting, outposts, mods, and ship-building depth stand out, but the same systems can feel under-explained or tedious when resource handling gets in the way.
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Ship flight and space combat can be fun, especially after updates, but several reviewers say travel still feels limited or merely good enough.
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Voice acting is often praised, sometimes even when the writing or facial presentation gets criticized.
Cons highlights
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Bug frequency varies widely by version and platform, from almost no issues to repeated freezes, broken interactions, and crash-adjacent problems.
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The main story is one of the most mixed areas. Some reviewers find it surprisingly interesting or a useful guide, while others call it weak, flat, or forgettable.
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Loading screens are one of the most consistent complaints. A few note short load times, but many say frequent transitions and menus make the universe feel chopped up.
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Exploration is the biggest fault line. Some players love the scale and city discovery, while many criticize empty planets, fast-travel dependency, and repeated points of interest.
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Side quests and faction quests are among the most praised parts, even when the main story disappoints.
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Stability is inconsistent. Some players report only rare crashes, while others describe freezing, repeated restarts, or crashes serious enough to interrupt progress.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in family friendliness, puzzle design, polish, near average in fun factor, bug frequency, below average in art direction, accessibility options, gameplay mechanics.
Comparison summary
58 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher15 (26%)
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Same as average within 0.3 pts13 (22%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower30 (52%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| art direction | 1.5 | 4.4 | -2.9 |
| accessibility options | 1.0 | 3.8 | -2.8 |
| gameplay mechanics | 1.5 | 4.1 | -2.6 |
| level design | 1.5 | 3.8 | -2.3 |
| world-building | 2.0 | 4.2 | -2.2 |
| onboarding experience | 1.5 | 3.6 | -2.1 |
| atmosphere | 2.5 | 4.5 | -2.0 |
| fast travel convenience | 2.2 | 3.9 | -1.7 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better menu usability
Choose Star Wars Outlaws. It scores 5.0 vs 1.8 for menu usability, with a 3.5 overall score.
If you want better level design
Choose Crimson Desert. It scores 5.0 vs 1.5 for level design, with a 3.5 overall score.
If you want better gameplay mechanics
Choose Tales of Xillia Remastered. It scores 5.0 vs 1.5 for gameplay mechanics, with a 3.9 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
mass effect
- Similar: space adventure audience fit A customer says Mass Effect fans are likely to enjoy Starfield.
- Compared: space RPG framing The reviewer says calling Starfield a mix of familiar space RPG touchstones is too reductive.
Cyberpunk 2077
- Compared: PC performance demand The reviewer frames Starfield as a similarly demanding PC performance test.
No Man’s Sky
- Compared: space exploration framing The reviewer references No Man’s Sky as part of a shorthand they consider too cheap for Starfield.
FAQ
Is Starfield fun?
It can be very fun for Bethesda RPG fans who enjoy wandering, building ships, chasing quests, and making their own goals. Reviewers who wanted seamless exploration or a sharper story were much less enthusiastic.
How is the combat?
Combat is usually seen as one of Starfield’s better systems, with several reviewers calling the gunplay strong for Bethesda. A minority still find it basic or only serviceable.
Are there many bugs or crashes?
Reports are mixed. Some reviewers and customers call it relatively polished, while others describe freezes, crashes, broken interactions, and bugs that interrupt play.
Is space exploration seamless?
No. Many reviews complain that menus, loading screens, and fast travel make space feel fragmented, even though updates and ship systems improve parts of the experience.
Is the story good?
The story is divisive. Some reviews like the main quest or use it as a guide through the world, while others call the writing flat, weak, or forgettable.
Who will like Starfield most?
Players who like open-ended RPGs, ship customization, faction quests, long playtimes, and Bethesda’s familiar structure are the strongest fit.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
Article Reviews
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Pros: fun factor, world interactivity
Cons: frame rate stability, boss design