Starfield, what is it like?

I finally finished the main story in Starfield, so lets talk about it.

Starfield, the latest game from Bethesda Game Studios, the people behind The Elder Scrolls and Fallout games, is a huge space epic. You travel between planets, do quests, explore places and try to find out what the deal is with the Artifacts and the mysterious Starborn.

Now, I should point out that I live-streamed Starfield on Twitch, and only four hours at a time, once a week at that, so that is why it took me six months to get through. Not because it is that enormous or that I didn't like it. All in all, I have 200 hours in Starfield doing lots of side quests as well as the main story.

Back before the game released, speculation was rife about what the game would be and a lot of the speculation fed the hype without being based on anything true. Many visualized that it would be “Skyrim in space”, or “Fallout in space” and neither is true. Yes, the engine is Bethesda's engine so it feels familiar, but Starfield is its own thing, and must be viewed as such.

To be honest, Starfield is a somewhat odd game. After the intro, you are set loose on the galaxy and the only limitations you have is how far your starter ship can grav-jump, the games faster than light system. Every system has a level rating, an indicator of how dangerous the system is. It's up to you if you want to take that on now or later. That said, you can easily come across enemies that are much higher level than you in a low system, and you can run into low level enemies in high level areas. This mix means that combat is always exciting while also letting you feel powerful when crushing weaker enemies.

The gameplay is smooth and plays well, like Bethesda's other games. The new kid on the block is dog fighting in space, which is a bit of a mixed bag. The game has no qualms about dumping three higher level pirate ships on you just as you enter a system, and until I got my ship upgraded together with some good piloting skills, I frequently had to lower the difficulty or I was stuck. That could have been handed differently as it was pretty annoying.

The graphics are really nice, at least on a stronger PC, and there were times when I just stood there and took in the sights. Some people have complained that “It's all gray and boring”, to which I say: untrue! There are many such moons yes, but come on, that is what you will find out there. Lots and lots of dusty rocks. However, there are also so many lush planets, filled with interesting plants and creatures. Saying it's all gray is like going to Winterhold in Skyrim and complaining that the whole game is nothing but snow.

Besides the intersting main quest, which I won't spoil, there is a myriad on minor factions you can work for and they were mostly top notch quests. Interesting storylines with good choices, fun loot to get and lots of trouble to get into. I will say that I don't care much for most of the clothes you can find, they were a bit lackluster in both design and function, but the important part are the space suits, which are many and varied.

Speaking of side missions, Starfield has an almost endless capacity for exploration. Sure, the caves are all similar as are the structures you'll find, but at least that makes some sense. Everything has to be prefabricated and dropped down on the surface, so it makes sense that most structures are the same as others. I did run into a base with a mystery story, and to my surprise I later found the exact same base and story on another planet. This shouldn't happen, but whether it was a bug or an oversight, it's not a deal breaker.

The skill system is a mixed bag for me. Some are clear and easy enough to upgrade, while others are a bit of a pain. I should point out that Starfield has a New Game + system, and if you choose to do a new playthrough with an old character, you retain all your skills, but not gear, ships and money.

You can also build your own bases, which is tricky. Hauling around all the needed raw materiel is not easy and the building system in general could be better. It's not bad, but there is room for improvement. Likewise, you can build ships. For some reason, you can't build a ship totally from scratch, you have to have one to begin with, but soon enough you can go nuts slapping bits on pieces and having a blast.

All in all, Starfield is a rough gem of a game. It has flaws, without a doubt, but I think a lot of people were turned off because of unrealistic hype and unfair comparisons to other games. I had a blast playing Starfield, and if you want a huge and fun game set in space with everything I mentioned above, you might just have fun too.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week!

 

An interesting discussion

 

Today I want to talk a bit more about Microsoft buying Zenimax Media, or more specifically Bethesda.

There is nothing concrete as such to mention, there are no new big announcements but that is to be expected.

Last week I tripped over an interview, or actually more of a discussion, headed by Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, Director of Programming for Xbox Live, (what a title....). In this four-way discussion, he talks to Phil Spencer, the VP of games at Microsoft, and Pete Hines and Todd Howard from Bethesda.

This interview is notable not for what is being said as that is the usual “we're excited to work together” and “great opportunities” blah blah that these things always are. Much like when a big blockbuster is being released, all the actors gush about the director and each other, and nothing substantial is being said. This is natural since they have to say something and they naturally can't talk smack about each other. That just isn't on.

In this vein the video doesn't mention anything dramatic, but it does give some interesting history between Microsoft and Bethesda., going all the way back to Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. What I also found interesting is their demeanor. Phil seems pleased as he always does, and why not? He is killing it. But both Pete and Todd seem to me to be slightly relieved.

It could be my imagination, of course, I'm neither a psychologist nor a professional interrogator, so my interpretation is purely gut instinct. Add to this that especially Todd has a hell of a poker face, but I'm 95% sure that they are relieved to be working under Microsoft rather than just Zenimax, and if so it would bear out my suspicion that most of the nonsense surrounding Fallout 76 came from the Zenimax bosses and Bethesda was left to clean it up and carry the blame. I could be wrong, but here's hoping...

So, if you’re interested, give the video a look, it's 25 minutes long. Either way, I hope to see you next time and until then, have a great week and stay safe! (wash your hands and wear a mask)

Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI2IPeocbAA

 

 

 

Not your average shopping spree

 

Big, no, huge news hit the gaming world last week. Microsoft has bought Zenimax Media for 7.5 billion USD. This includes Bethesda Game Studios and all contained therein.

So what does this mean? Well it means that Microsoft now owns The Elder Scrolls, the Fallout franchise, Id Software and their DOOM and Quake, Arkane Studios and their Dishonored and Prey series, Machine Head and their Wolfenstein games and a bit more.

I for one am not a fan in general of mega-corporations buying up everything in sight, but Microsoft has been incredibly pro-consumer with their gaming division the last couple of years. Their Game Pass for PC and Xbox is great value for money and it seems like they aren't too keen on all the excessive monetization garbage some of the other AAA developers love so much.

So on that front I'm more than willing to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt and here's why.

Bethesda has changed a lot during the last five years or so. The pay for mods debacle, how Fallout 76 has been managed, constant bait and switch and so on. It is entirely possible that these decisions have come from higher up on the corporate ladder, leaving the folks at Bethesda to weather the storm of angry players. If so, things should get better under Microsoft.

On the other hand, it could be that these anti-consumer ideas originate from Bethesda themselves, and in that case there is the possibility that Microsoft will rein them in.

For me the biggest relief concerns Bethesda's credibility, or lack thereof. When Fallout 76 was being announced they promised (and I don't use that word lightly) many things, and within a year those promises were broken and trampled on.

Pete Hines, their VP of Public Relations and Marketing was later interviewed and he said that they hadn't lied or broken any promises but that “plans had changed.” He likened their decision to start selling items with game changing effects on their in-game store to saying “I said we'd go get pizza on Friday, but then I got sick so, sorry, buddy. Plans change”.

That is not even vaguely comparable, but never mind. What really stuck in my mind was when Bethesda then stated that Fallout 76 was just an experiment and that both the upcoming Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 are going to be a return to form. How can I trust that statement? How can I believe that they won't change the game six months after release and just say “sorry buddy, plans change”? I can't, that is the sad truth, but under Microsoft I have much greater faith in the future of franchises I love. This is the main reason I'm cautiously happy about this acquisition.

There are also a few other aspects to consider, and the first is the games themselves. As the owner of IP's like say Fallout, there seems to be nothing to stop Microsoft from putting another studio in charge of making a new Fallout game while Bethesda keeps working on Starfield. This could mean more games than once per ten years.

Another aspect is that Microsoft also bought Obsidian Entertainment a couple of years ago. Obsidian are the developers of sequels like Kotor 2 and Fallout New Vegas. Sequels that are arguably better than the originals. Fans immediately began hoping and praying for a New Vegas 2, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one but it is possible.

Obsidian recently announced a new sandbox open world RPG in their popular Pillars of Eternity world. This game could have been a very serious competitor to Elder Scrolls and now Microsoft owns them both. This could be good or bad, we'll see.

As for the console wars, this could get heated. Bethesda had two games in the pipeline for PC and Playstation; Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo. Microsoft has stated that they intend to honor the timed exclusive, but that future games on console will be decided on a “case by case basis”. This could mean that gamers who play exclusively on Playstation will be left out in the cold on future Fallout and Elder Scrolls titles, as there is no reason for Microsoft to release them on their biggest console competitor. Then again, it would not only mean more money but it would be a chance to poke Sony in the eye. Apparently Microsoft has a good working relationship with Nintendo, so it could also mean that they intend to leave the Playstation isolated and alone while Microsoft parties with Nintendo. Time will tell, but it is important to remember that Microsoft is very pro PC if you don't want to own two consoles.

It is far too early to say anything with any kind of certainty but as I said I'm cautiously optimistic and in any case, things likely can't get worse under Microsoft than under Zenimax's old management, can they?

That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week and stay safe!

Too messy to really function

During the last year and a half that Fallout 76 has been live, I have covered its multiple... difficulties. A couple of days ago, I found a great video by Youtuber LegacyKillaHD, that summarizes the games troubled existence very nicely. I'll link it below, and I do recommend it, it's really good.

While I watched it, I was struck by a realization: The game Bethesda wanted to make and the game their parent company Zenimax Media wanted them to make is not the same game. The game the players wanted is also not the same as the aforementioned people wanted either. In essence, Fallout 76 could never work.

When they announced that all humans in the game would be players and that it was basically a PVP game, I and many others screamed in horror. To their credit, Bethesda listened and made the most toothless PVP system ever. Player 1 shoots Player 2 and does a tiny amount of damage, no matter which weapon he uses. If Player 2 returns fire, both players start doing full damage. If 2 walks away, 1 can keep nibbling away wasting all his ammunition, not harming but still annoying 2.

In short, most diehard PVP players hate the system. Most PVE players hate it as well, because they dislike all PVP, and all this because... well the jury is out on that one. If you're feeling conspiratorial, it's because Zenimax wanted to cash in on the battle royal genre that was going strong at the time. Games like PubG and Fortnite were (and still are) raking in the money and a battle royale game is cheap to make.

The problem is, Fallout is not a battle royale game, and the fans don't want that from a Fallout title. Add on the live service model that makes all the AAA game publishers drool, and you don't have a game so much as you have a complete mess. It is a collection of pieces that don't fit together- like putting monster truck tires on a Ferrari and trying to cram a huge back seat in as well. Most people won't want that car, and 76 can't really work.

In other news this post is number 400. I've been at this for 400 week with no gaps, and I'm really proud of that. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and celebrate that a bit. Until next time, stay safe and have a great week!

Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9xoNN453gM

The Fourth Fallout

Fourty seven hours so far. Fourty seven glorious hours of Fallout 4 so far, with many more to come.

I've been playing since Tuesday morning and I have only scratched the surface of this magnificent game. It's not perfect no, but damn it's good.

Let's get the technical stuff out of the way first. It's beautiful. Simple as that. Graphics, music, voice acting, all spot on. And if for some reason you aren't satisfied with how it looks, you can mod it better.

Game-play is mostly awesome. The controls are responsive and the addition of a sprint button is a welcome change. Sure I have had to get used to a different key layout compared to F3 and New Vegas but that's no cause for complaint. The AI is mostly good, with the occasional silliness. Like a raider getting upset when I stealthily blow his friends head off, only for the raider to shrug and say “I guess it's my imagination”. But these things are more funny than anything to complain about.

What we have here is a wonderful sand box game in the best tradition of Bethesda. Fallout 4 stands proudly as their latest creation in the long line of Fallout and Elder Scrolls games. If you don't like action RPG's or sandboxes, this is not your game, but for me it's narcotic. Addicting and sweet.

There are several important changes from Bethesdas previous Fallout titles, some which are familiar to Skyrim players.

First off, the skills are gone. It's all been baked into the perks system, which not only preserves the immersion better but makes leveling up easier. When I say immersion, I mean that since you can't see exactly how good you are at a skill it feels more alive and less numeric. Not that it was ever a problem as such.

As I said, you can sprint now at the cost of action points. Very useful for getting out of trouble. Or into trouble if you prefer. And you can parry with melee weapons as well as pistol whip your enemies.

In the previous titles, radiation poisoning was fairly abstract. You had to get seriously irradiated before you felt any ill effects, but not any longer. Now rads eat up your health bar, so it's definitely in your best interest to keep those rads down.

I'm not going to go too deeply into all the details here, so I'll just quickly talk about base building. I have let's say, sampled it a bit. There are lots of pictures online of some really great fortresses people have built, but from what I have experienced, it's lots of fun, if a bit fiddly. I have grand plans though. Time will tell.

There is more, so much more, like armor and gun modding but I'll let you find out on your own. It's time to talk about the negative.

First off, yes there are bugs. Of course there are. Sometimes my guns become invisible. I have had a sound effect loop endlessly until I re logged. Small things like that. I haven't thankfully experienced any game breaking bugs so far, and most are things that will get fixed in time.

My biggest complaints personally have to do with story. The game predisposes you to be a good caring person. This is no issue if that is what you want to play, but if you want to play a villain, it's a big snag.

Likewise, and minor spoiler here, there is a quest where you support a Brotherhood of Steel paladin in combat. He then invites you to join the Brotherhood. I declined, but the quest won't go away until I accept. At least so far. And to make things worse, his brothers have actually tried to kill me, which doesn't really help either.

So with only 47 hours of gameplay behind me, I'll conclude that this is indeed a great game, a weird and wonderful Fallout game, and a game RPG fans really aught to play.

Until next time, may your week be radiation free! See ya.