Summary

  • Starfield has seen significant improvements through quality-of-life updates, including new features like surface maps and difficulty sliders.
  • The upcoming Shattered Space DLC promises a darker experience compared to the base game, with attempted jump scares and intense gunfights.
  • Despite initial criticism, Starfield is in a better place now and is set to continue its evolution with the Shattered Space DLC.

It may have taken nearly a year to get there, but Bethesda's space RPG Starfield is finally hitting its stride. While that sentiment is a divisive one due to a remnant of the gaming community still heavily criticizing Starfield, it can't be denied that the game has come a long way since its September 6, 2023 launch. It certainly could be and has been argued that many of the updates and additions Starfield has received over the last year should have been present in the game on its release day, but late is nonetheless better than never.

Starfield is arguably in a much better place now than it ever has been, although it still has plenty of room to grow. Thanks to a handful of significant updates and the upcoming Shattered Space DLC set to release on September 30, Starfield is beginning to look like the space adventure everyone got their hopes up for during its marketing phase.

The State of Starfield, One Year Later

Starfield Has Received Several Quality-of-Life Updates Over the Last Year

Over its one-year lifespan, Starfield has received numerous quality-of-life updates that have made it a better game, despite some of the bugs that came with them. One of the most praised updates was the complete overhaul of Starfield's surface maps. At launch, Starfield's maps were almost nonexistent, providing players with a very unhelpful layout of each planet and major city. With the game's new surface maps, however, players can now benefit from a highly detailed view of each planet's surface, down to the terrain and any structures on it.

The addition of icons for key locations also streamlines navigation in Starfield, even providing players with more fast-travel points.

Starfield was initially criticized for being too easy for most players, but some of that criticism has been laid to bed thanks to difficulty sliders that were added to the game after launch. As players increase the difficulty of different aspects of the game, they receive an XP bonus in return, making a more difficult Starfield experience all the more enticing. The game also recently received a land vehicle update that added the REV-8, allowing players to traverse planets much quicker. The REV-8 update has been met with a mixed reception due to some unfortunate technical glitches, but when the vehicle works, it makes things a lot easier for players.

Over its one-year lifespan, Starfield has received numerous quality-of-life updates that have made it a better game...

Other quality-of-life improvements include an update to console display settings, which allows console players to target frame rates higher than Starfield's initial cap of 30 FPS. Ship interior customization also received a hefty overhaul, giving players more options when designing their ship's interior. Players can now also respec their character's Traits upon starting a New Game Plus in Starfield, thanks to a recent update. Finally, Starfield's vendor menus were originally a pain to navigate, but they have since been simplified with separate tabs.

Starfield's Upcoming Shattered Space DLC Is Already Impressing Fans

Despite the base game's initial lackluster reception, Starfield's upcoming Shattered Space DLC is already impressing fans ahead of its release. Shattered Space promises a much darker experience than the base game, likely due to complaints made about how optimistic Starfield's main story and world are. Early previews of Shattered Space have reported the DLC will feature attempted jump scares, chilling atmospheres, and intense gunfights. While these features are intriguing, it's comments about Shattered Space being a return to roots for Bethesda that make it sound even more appealing.

Starfield is still far from perfect, but its journey over the last year has been very productive. From numerous, much-needed quality-of-life updates like its overhauled surface maps and the REV-8 vehicle, to its upcoming Shattered Space DLC, Starfield has clearly taken advantage of its first year out in the wild, and it likely doesn't plan to give up anytime soon.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Starfield Tag Page Cover Art
10 /10

Starfield
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Action
RPG
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Systems
PC-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
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Released
September 6, 2023
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Bethesda
Publisher(s)
Bethesda
Engine
proprietary engine
Cross-Platform Play
no multiplayer
Cross Save
no
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Steam Deck Compatibility
yes
Genre(s)
Action, RPG
How Long To Beat
20 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
101 GB (September 2023)