Starfield was the first major new intellectual property (IP) by Bethesda Game Studios in over 25 years. At a time in the history of gaming when new ideas and brave explorations of the unknown were badly needed, the developer of legendary games such as Skyrim and Fallout 3 came out with a brand new open-world game in 2023. And that game was Starfield.
An action role-playing game that gives players an open world in the form of an explorable section of our Milky Way galaxy. Claiming more than 1000 planets, most of them procedurally generated, Starfield, taking inspiration from the worlds of Fallout and Skyrim, provided players with a new sci-fi landscape to carry out their adventures. It was a good game. For some, possibly a great one. But is it a legendary game in the RPG genre? Here we will answer that question.
What Defines a Legendary RPG?
The role-playing game genre is arguably the most ambitious and dominant in the gaming world. Many top developers seek to try their luck at constructing a meaningful story, filled with believable characters, in a lived world that just begs exploration and adventure. And today there is no shortage of RPG games around. However, what makes an RPG a legendary game; meaning that it is a game that stands head and shoulders above the rest?
A simple answer would be to look at the game’s ranking on a game-rating site like Metacritic and pick the games that command a ‘Must Play’ rating. Or one could have a look at one of Angry Joe’s game reviews and pick out a role-playing game that commands a 10/10 score. Another way would be to look at the quality of the game in terms of gameplay, story, replayability, and world-building. An RPG that succeeds at all of this and then some qualifies as a Legendary game. So does Starfield manage this? Before answering this question let’s look at a few games that do.
Legendary Games: Fallout New Vegas, Skyrim, and The Witcher 3
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An interesting way to identify a legendary game would be to look at three of the best role-playing games to have come out in the past 10 – 15 years: Fallout New Vegas (2010), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Many factors set these games apart from the rest. From the numerous player choices and branching paths of Fallout New Vegas to the expansive world and great rewards for exploration that you find in Skyrim, and the engrossing story and art style of the Witcher 3.
There is no shortage of strengths and positives that these games bring to the table and they have succeeded in wowing fans across the world. The question is: does Starfield succeed at this level? If one is to ask an average gamer what is the best RPG game they have played, there is a fair chance that The Witcher 3, Skyrim, or New Vegas will make the list. Even Bethesda’s own Fallout 3 might find its way there. But what of Starfield? As many players learned, something seems off about this sci-fi entry. One that puts it outside the range of a top game.
Why Starfield is Not a Legendary Game
Starfield’s problems are manyfold. Whilst they are not as serious or game-breaking as Cyberpunk 2077 was or as Fallout 76 happened to be during launch, the problems are there. From the lack of variety and character in the generated worlds, the somewhat questionable facial animations give Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017) a run for its money. Planet hopping was a chore, with numerous cut scenes and the planets themselves were less than inspiring. Much has been said about the lack of diversity in the procedurally generated worlds.
A major problem when it happened to be a major selling point for the game. At this point one wonders if Bethesda Game Studios and Todd Howard could have cut down the total number of planets and then focused on making each of the (fewer) worlds more believable and lived-in. Considering what a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 achieved in mapping out parts of a single country, Starfield’s 1000+ planets was overkill. And this above anything else was the downfall of the game. And why it is not a legendary RPG.
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