Criticism for Starfield's Exploration Methodology
Despite receiving a largely positive response, the much-in-focus game, Starfield, is facing criticism for its exploration methodology. Esteemed YouTube video essayist, renowned in the gaming community, NakeyJakey used the platform to voice his disappointment with the game's exploration process, to which many have echoed similar sentiments.
The Challenge of Living up to Expectations
Living up to the hype built through years of marketing is a task that comes with its fair share of challenges. Games are expected to resonate with the expectations of the gamers, a balance that is hard for developers to achieve. Starfield, although rich in some aspects, encountered acknowledgment for its shortcomings as gamers spent more time exploring its facets.
NakeyJakey's Criticism of Starfield
NakeyJakey expressed his frustration with Starfield citing its 'utterly dreadful' navigation. His issue was with the need for players to jump from planet to planet, thereby diminishing the in-depth exploration experience. In his words, the game has lesser expanses to walk into and more menus to navigate through, which several other players have already criticized.
One of the major attractions of Bethesda RPGs remains the liberty to explore in almost any direction and still be assured of some kind of an event or quest that pulls players into the game's world. Starfield despite having a greater surface area, fails to impress in this aspect, especially due to the lack of vehicles which forces players to tread around planets.
In his criticism, NakeyJakey stated, '25 hours in and exploration in Starfield is utterly dreadful. You land on a planet, it generates a bunch of locations (most of them like 400 meters away if not more) and you walk.'
Further taking a jab at the game’s 'drastic step back' from the 'amazing sense of exploration and wonder that Skyrim and Fallout 4 inspired', NakeyJakey squarely expressed his disappointment with the game's exploration.
Players' Response and Prospects
Many gamers agreed with NakeyJakey's statements but still managed to enjoy it despite the drawbacks. The game's missing feature may have robbed players off in-depth exploration, which according to Jakey, was a severe oversight not justified by the creators' reasons. While mods could potentially address this concern, they may not be the immediate solution and may also require some time for development. Furthermore, these fixes should not become the solution for a critical feature that was expected to be present upon launch.