Starfield

Revisiting Starfield has been a blast. While returning players may need some time to adjust to the changes, there is no doubt in my mind that, with years of updates culminating in Free Lanes and Terran Armada, Starfield is a better game in 2026 than it has ever been…If you are jumping in for the first time on PlayStation 5, you will be playing the most polished version of Starfield yet. And if you have a PS5 Pro, you will also be playing the best-looking console version available.

If you played it back in the day, the new features might seem somewhat more incidental to you; even so, the game itself remains mesmerizing with its branching paths and surprises waiting to be discovered. If you haven't played it until now... My friend, then with Starfield, the takeoff of your life awaits you.

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.

Starfield arrives on PlayStation in the most massive way possible. It’s not without (initial) issues, but you can already enjoy over a hundred hours of adventure. The original formula was already rich; now you can experience all the journeys across the galaxy, keeping in mind that Bethesda will surely serve up more particularly tasty additions for all the space pirates who want to embark on an epic voyage.

Starfield lands on PS5 close to three years on from its original release, and delivers its most polished and packed version to date. Though it’s unlikely to convert past skeptics, for sci-fi RPG fans on PS5, it’s well worth a look nonetheless.

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.

Starfield arrives on PS5 as a refined, massive space odyssey. It delivers a quintessential Bethesda experience, bolstered by the transformative Free Lanes update and Terran Armada content. Although outdated engine quirks and frequent loading screens persist, its breathtaking art direction and stellar PS5 Pro performance solidify this as a definitive, hours-long interstellar adventure.

Starfield on PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro offers new players a solid port of a great game made better with new content and QoL improvements across the board.

Starfield offers a solid opportunity for PS5 users to finally experience Bethesda's space adventure. While it still suffers from various technical issues and frequent loading screens, it remains a strong title that is well worth playing.

Even if not everything slots together perfectly, Starfield scores points with its dense atmosphere, plenty of action, and excellent design. Thanks to numerous updates, the PS5 version also holds up well.

A vast and immersive space adventure, Starfield offers strong exploration, solid gunplay, and a compelling sense of discovery on PS5, enhanced by meaningful improvements and added content. However, it is held back by repetitive side missions, limited enemy AI, and RPG systems that lack deeper refinement, preventing it from reaching its full potential.

Ultimately, Starfield is a solid, classic RPG with that signature Bethesda DNA. It delivers a compelling narrative and masterfully captures the sense of scale. However, it is weighed down by an archaic structure; for a studio that is starting to lag behind the modern market, it’s a title that desperately needs more risk-taking and modernization.

Starfield is an RPG that grows over time, demanding patience in its opening hours but rewarding those who stay with an experience rich in systems, side stories, and freedom of identity. Despite the friction of constant menus and some uninspiring environments, it remains a compelling journey; when everything aligns, the game delivers the genuine feeling of living your own odyssey amidst the vastness of space.

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!

Still shiny, still enormous, still a Bethesda RPG, Starfield arrives on PS5 in style, allowing the game to flourish visually the way it was always supposed to. The game remains a vast, wild and at times enormously frustrating experience, but the starlight here tears through the blinds, and it's well worth staring back.

Starfield is a great port of the previously Xbox and PC only spacefaring RPG from Bethesda. And it’s pretty damn solid. The sheer scope is staggering and us PS5 owners should be kept busy for a long time. Yes, there’s a few issues with bugs that persist from the original 2023 version, but we can only hope they’re resolved post-launch. Sidequest overload is probably more of an issue than being overencumbered if we’re honest. Still great, so get to it.

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.

There has never been a better time to jump into Starfield. The new Free Lanes update and Terran Armada further enhance the experience, which has become highly customizable and a lot of fun once you customize your ship and begin exploring. Whether you’re returning to the Milky Way galaxy or setting off on an adventure for the first time, you’ll find a rewarding experience waiting to be had after years of enhancement.

Starfield arrives on PS5 systems as a solid port, though it is a bit of a mixed bag. New content in the form of an expansion and fan-demanded gameplay improvements were implemented in this version, but on a technical level, it still suffers from the usual issues. Aside from the above, it is a game with the pure Bethesda hallmark.

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.

The PS5 version is technically shaky, and the DLC is quite disappointing, but the free update still adds a decent amount of new content. For Starfield to truly become a good game, it would need a level of transformation similar to what Cyberpunk 2077 or No Man’s Sky went through. But let’s be realistic - it’s hard to imagine Bethesda putting in that kind of effort for a project that never fully won over its audience.

There is a ton to do in Starfield, from building outposts, to designing your own ship, to crafting and cooking. Overall, I think Starfield is just okay, and while it does have some shiny spots, it still has a lot of rust on it too. I like the game’s story, and it grabbed my attention and held on tightly enough where I just wanted to do the main quest, as everything else was just noise to me. I was not a fan of the non-space combat but both flying, and ship-to-ship combat was quite fun. Overall Starfield just didn’t hold my interest like past Bethesda games did.

I have been enjoying Starfield, but that's in spite of the game's systems and features rarely combining into a cohesive whole. As an interstellar role playing experience, it appeals to those that want to be bounty hunters, space cops or pirates, but offers little to traders and other fantasies. What it really needs is a sequel, taking this first attempt as a proof of concept to create new technology and improve, but we aren't going to see that any time soon.

Starfield is bigger and better than ever on PS5, but it still crashes against the roadblocks of old. A complete lack of exploration leaves the RPG in an awkward place where it can feel like an objective ticking exercise with little to distract you. Its faction questlines are the highlight, and the improved combat systems and new gameplay capabilities make the experience worthwhile. However, two and a half years later, there is considerably more Starfield. Only some of it makes it better.

So would I recommend Starfield? It depends on what you want out of it. If you’re chasing that perfect, seamless space fantasy, the kind where you lose yourself in the stars and never see the boundaries, this won’t get you there. If you’re here for the Bethesda loop, the busywork, the side quests that turn into five more, the slow creep of “one more thing” turning into another hour, this might help pass the time, though there are far better games for it. It barely gives me enough reason to keep going. It almost works, and then it crashes again.

Starfield feels like a game that has come a long way but never quite reached its intended destination. The Free Lanes update significantly improves pacing, the technical state on PS5 is excellent, and some systems rank among Bethesda’s best work. Yet it never shakes the feeling that beneath layers of unnecessary activities lies a game that could (and should) have been something more.

The PlayStation 5 release of Starfield was the game's second chance, one where it could have been shaped by player feedback, kept out of Baldur's Gate 3's shadow, and shown to a whole new audience in a fresh light. That chance has been wasted, as what's here isn't that much different from the 2023 release. Starfield is somehow bloated and yet empty, overly complex and yet lacking. It's a universe of wasted potential, one that struggles to get the player invested in its reams of content. It's not a bad game by any means, but it's definitely lacking in substance, and anyone seeking an experience with the same level of depth and engagement as Bethesda's previous outings will want to look elsewhere.

Starfield is a broad and ambitious game that falls significantly short of the mark whether compared to previous Bethesda efforts or other entries in the space RPG landscape like No Man’s Sky. There are some competent gameplay pieces, but they feel like they were built in the vacuum of space without radio contact, and never really came together when everything got wired up. Some die-hard Bethesda fans might be able to find the fun I was looking for, but I’d recommend tempering expectations at the very least. If you’re a PS5-only player who missed out on the 2023 release, tread with caution. The PS5 version lured me back like a toxic ex who promised they’d changed, and what I found confirmed what I’d already known. Starfield is easily the weakest single-player game in Bethesda’s catalogue, and a sour glimpse into what we might have to expect out of The Elder Scrolls 6.