Introduction

I’m a fan of the modern Bethesda RPG, having spent nearly 100 hours with Fallout 4 – which, for me, is a lot more time than I’m usually willing to give up. My fondest memories lie with Oblivion, because I think it captured exploration beautifully. I liked emerging from a big cave as a big nobody and striking out along a cobbled path, excited to go for a summer’s walk. Skyrim abandoned Oblivion’s warmth for your average fantasyland, but kept the great outdoors.

However, my experience with Starfield, Bethesda’s latest RPG, has left me conflicted. In this article, I will delve into the reasons why I feel Starfield’s adventuring forces me indoors, and why it fails to capture the same sense of exploration and freedom as its predecessors.

Lost in Space

When playing Oblivion or other Bethesda RPGs, I often find comfort in the unknown because I know my place within the world. There’s a map I can bring up and I’m on there – a small speck, maybe, but I’m there all the same. With Starfield, however, the map either overwhelms me with a screen full of icons or morphs into a vast collection of planets. I struggle to determine where I fit in the grand scheme of things.

While exploring the vastness of space sounds intriguing, my adventures in Starfield frequently result in me crunching along barren rocks until I desperately seek the confines of an outpost or research facility. The lack of outdoor exploration opportunities within Starfield is a disappointment.

In Search of Adventure

Inside these outposts and facilities is where I finally find a sense of adventure. I can immerse myself in the various departments, interact with characters, and uncover rumors and quests. However, outside means being in a vast, empty space, while being inside means experiencing a changing environment where people exist and stories unfold.

Unfortunately, a significant portion of my time with Starfield has been spent arriving at cities, offices, and establishments, completing tasks, and then retreating back indoors through menus. It feels reminiscent of my time in Los Angeles, where navigating the city often meant prioritizing efficiency over the simple joy of wandering and exploring.

The Need for Fast Travel

Starfield’s argument for the necessity of fast travel is understandable, as spending hours navigating between planets in real-time would quickly become tiresome. While technically I have the option to take my time and travel at a slower pace, the limited visual appeal outside of the desolate landscapes and rocks often pushes me towards fast travel as the only way to see anything interesting.

The loading screen shuttle becomes my only gateway to anything beyond minerals and rocky outcrops. Even flying to a planet from orbit takes hours, further reinforcing the need for fast travel. However, this reliance on fast travel diminishes the sense of exploration and wonder that is often found in other Bethesda RPGs.

The Missing Connection

Unlike other Bethesda RPGs, where outdoor exploration is punctuated by moments of going indoors and vice versa, Starfield’s adventures are primarily confined to manmade structures. The game’s vast collection of planets lacks the connective tissue that makes outdoor exploration enjoyable. Instead, the game relies heavily on menus and the artificial structures within its universe.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while Starfield holds promise as a space-themed RPG, it falls short in capturing the same sense of exploration and adventure found in Bethesda’s previous games. The limited outdoor exploration opportunities, heavy reliance on fast travel, and lack of a strong connective tissue between locations ultimately hinder the game’s potential as the ultimate exploration experience.