Starfield

Starfield seems to have suffered from a kind of misguided expectation syndrome two years ago when it was released, but it is definitely a true masterpiece waiting to be discovered. While it may not be perfect, especially in terms of freedom of exploration, minor graphical glitches, and fluidity of navigation between worlds, the excellent balance between precise gameplay, resource management and crafting, and a dense narrative for those with the maturity the genre demands, makes this game a true spectacle on many levels.

The arrival of Starfield on PS5 extends access to one of the most important RPGs of this gaming generation to Sony users, despite its imperfections. Its release alongside the free update Free Lanes and the Terran Armada DLC offers an overall package that is extremely rich in content. While Terran Armada adds a substantial amount of new material, it is Free Lanes that more significantly enhances the experience: the new free interplanetary travel system introduces a much-needed component and breathes new life into Bethesda’s space opera. A standout feature is the excellent implementation of the DualSense, whose features have been fully leveraged to make controls more comfortable and intuitive.

All things considered, aside from a few minor technical issues (unexpected but easily fixable) Starfield arrives on PS5 in good shape, with a more streamlined price, several improvements over its original release, and a notable amount of new content. Some of this is tied to the Rotte Libere update, while other additions are linked to the purchase of the two downloadable expansions, neither of which is essential for Bethesda’s spacefaring adventurers.

Starfield combines Bethesda’s signature storytelling, full of rich dialogue, moral dilemmas and intricate side quests, with sci-fi elements like exploration, the mysteries of the unknown, questions of legacy, and the search for humanity’s place in the vast cosmos. It’s more grounded and personal than many epic space operas like Warhammer 40K, focusing instead on the industrialisation of humanity and the commodification of life. There's no escaping Bethesda's signature jank. It's still here, and some NPCs can look like they crawled out of a Walmart on a Friday night, but for the most part...it just works!

Despite its many foibles, I still found it hard to put Starfield down. It’s a Bethesda game like no other, in that it’s actually best experienced by sticking to the main path rather than picking a direction and seeing what trouble you get into. The fragmentation of its narrative and structure over dozens of small maps robs it of the same spirit of manifest destiny that Fallout and, to a lesser extent, The Elder Scrolls. You’re not drawn to towers in the distance, to dragons on the horizon; it’s more a case of I wonder what Earth is like now, or if that ship in the distance will open fire on me, and is there anything worth stealing in its hull? It’s this fractious nature and the sheer drudgery of space travel that make it a tough sell to even fans of other Bethesda RPGs. But if you’re a sucker for secret sects and a cosmological mystery, chances are Starfield will be a trip into the bleak emptiness of space you’ll want to take.