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Starfield | Review Thread

What scores do you think StarfieId will get?

  • 40-45%

    Votes: 3 0.5%
  • 45-50%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 50-55%

    Votes: 1 0.2%
  • 55-60%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 60-65%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 65-70%

    Votes: 2 0.3%
  • 70-75%

    Votes: 5 0.8%
  • 75-80%

    Votes: 15 2.3%
  • 80-85%

    Votes: 81 12.5%
  • 85-90%

    Votes: 241 37.3%
  • 90-95%

    Votes: 243 37.6%
  • 95-100%

    Votes: 55 8.5%

  • Total voters
    646
  • Poll closed .

Bernoulli

M2 slut
That "error" is starting to make more and more sense, logistically.

I've noticed that the newer ones that are coming in now, not from the pre-launch curated outlets, are relatively harsher. They are bringing down the score, albeit slowly.
  • Eurogamer Germany = 8/10
  • Easy Allies = 8/10
  • The Guardian = 8/10
  • Metro = 6/10
  • Eurogamer Portugal = 6/10
q4YqVDZ.jpg
 

Topher

Identifies as young
One 4/10 vs. Fifteen 10/10 reviews from websites with Xbox in their names.

Marvel Balance GIF

Not really. A score 10-20 points off the average either way isn't really anything controversial. I said earlier in the thread that 7/10 is perfectly fine, imo. Less than half the overall metacritc score isn't balancing anything out.

And Starfield doesn't have 15 10/10s on metacritic regardless of what sites we are talking about? Might want to pull back on that hyperbole bro.
 
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sainraja

Member
Not at all:






The closing statement in the review is fucking brutal:

If you're the kind of person who thinks videogames peaked with Fallout 3's launch version and they've required neither evolution nor improvement since, this game is absolutely for you. If you believe Bethesda doesn't need to exhibit growth as an artistic outlet and hasn't had to change a thing about the way it's made games since 2008, I can safely say you'll adore Starfield because it's all that a Bethesda game has always been... and literally nothing more.

Anthony Anderson Abc GIF by HULU

Where is that expectation coming from?
They are still making a video game, lol. So many games are basically adopting and evolving mechanics that have come before.
 

ByWatterson

Member
Down to 85 now on Xbox. I know these are "good" scores, but is there any argument left that the overall critical reception isn't at least slightly disappointing?
 

Hugare

Member
Yeah, 4/10 is harsh

I dont like it very much but would still give it at least a 7

Jim made some great points, tho. Cant argue with pretty much everything that he wrote.
 

Bernoulli

M2 slut
Not at all:






The closing statement in the review is fucking brutal:

If you're the kind of person who thinks videogames peaked with Fallout 3's launch version and they've required neither evolution nor improvement since, this game is absolutely for you. If you believe Bethesda doesn't need to exhibit growth as an artistic outlet and hasn't had to change a thing about the way it's made games since 2008, I can safely say you'll adore Starfield because it's all that a Bethesda game has always been... and literally nothing more.

Anthony Anderson Abc GIF by HULU

Let's hope the next one is good
Frustrated World Cup GIF
 
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Elios83

Member
That 4/10 has dropped Starfield to 85 on Metacritic for the Series X version.
8HRsdAp.png

I give zero credit to user scores, it's driven by fanboys. But that 85 compared to the general expectations (both internal and external) must be a big disappointment for Microsoft/Bethesda.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
I recall him popping up and beating his chest the few times Xbox has outsold PlayStation over the past decade. He reminds me of that football player who does a touchdown dance in the end zone while his team is losing by 60 points.
He's so dramatic,
 

Lokaum D+

Member
I give zero credit to user scores, it's driven by fanboys. But that 85 compared to the general expectations (both internal and external) must be a big disappointment for Microsoft/Bethesda.
XBOXAdiccit 10/10
Genertion XBOX 9.9/10
Somos XBOX 9.8/10
Mondo XBOX 9.7/10
Pure XBOX 9/10
The XBOX Hub 9/10
XBOX era 9.7/10

what make u think that the "critic review" arent driven by fanboys ?
 
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Alebrije

Member
Microsoft never expected 95 or more score , they knew what game Starfield was, they promoted it as somethig better than it is as most developers do..without all that promotion this game would place on an 75-80 on Metacritic ans still is a fine socore.
 
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GymWolf

Member
The writing in Starfield is comical after having spent ~130 hours in BG3. Like it's very surperficial dialogues with little to no repercussions in Starfield. The dialogues don't feel natural at all. Like one guy pops on mining site and gives you the keys to everything, the ship, the robot, trust me bro, go to constellation. It feels like a satiric version of quests.

But I'll not drag a game for not being as well written as Larian's masterpiece. I'm digging Starfield so far.

BG3 is GOAT though, not only GOTY, it's top 3 game of all time for me now.
Yep, writing is so bad compared to bg3, especially companions writing, everything is boring and dull.

And for now, the main quest has been the most by the numbers piece of scifi i ever player or close to that.
 

Topher

Identifies as young
The writing in Starfield is comical after having spent ~130 hours in BG3. Like it's very surperficial dialogues with little to no repercussions in Starfield. The dialogues don't feel natural at all. Like one guy pops on mining site and gives you the keys to everything, the ship, the robot, trust me bro, go to constellation. It feels like a satiric version of quests.

But I'll not drag a game for not being as well written as Larian's masterpiece. I'm digging Starfield so far.

BG3 is GOAT though, not only GOTY, it's top 3 game of all time for me now.

That opening where you get the ship did feel quite a bit contrived. Think they could have thought of a better way to transition the character into the story. Thankfully the story and writing get much better from there on. Like I and others have said, starting the game is a bit of slog. Really could have done more to grab folks earlier on.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Not really. A score 10-20 points off the average either way isn't really anything controversial. I said earlier in the thread that 7/10 is perfectly fine, imo. Less than half the overall metacritc score isn't balancing anything out.

And Starfield doesn't have 15 10/10s on metacritic regardless of what sites we are talking about? Might want to pull back on that hyperbole bro.
  • Xbox Addict = 10
  • Generacion Xbox = 10
  • Somos Xbox = 9.8
  • Mondo Xbox = 9.8
  • Xbox Era = 9.7
  • Windows Central = 9
  • Xbox Hub = 9
And many more 10s across MC and OC from other websites.

That 15 10/10s was more in a "sarcastic" way of course, because one 4/10 doesn't balance all those out either.

All I'm saying is that one 4/10 (which is 3 points less than 7) is being criticized so much, but no one is batting an eye on the numerous 10s (which is also the same 3 points above 7).

This one bad review is fine. Having said that, I've said that I would not give this game less than 6/10 because that'd be too harsh.
 
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Alebrije

Member
4/10 is the definition of click bait. Whether you like the game or not subjectively, in no way does it deserve a bad score like that.
Yep, spmeone should use the olympic diving system where you eliminate the lowest and hightes scores and then do an average of the rest ones
 

Jadsey

Member
This.
I asked several times never got an answer.. Does this exist? Can you build anything other than a spaceship (I.E. communities on other planets)?
Is the building your own space ship a limited selection similar to Skyrim, or can you design and model it more like Fallout 4?

I spent hours designing forts in Fallout 4 which at the time was great, but would expect a version today is much less clunky.
Prepare to be disappointed

Like you, I spent many hours designing settlements in FO4.

I spent about 30mins in the ship builder and will never touch it again. Clunky beyond hope!

I’ve put another 9 hours in the game now and it’s not good at all. Mods may save it, so I might come back to it in 5 years or so, but I’m done for now.

Between this and Diablo 4, it’s been a disappointing few months for me.
 

GHG

Member
Prepare to be disappointed

Like you, I spent many hours designing settlements in FO4.

I spent about 30mins in the ship builder and will never touch it again. Clunky beyond hope!

I’ve put another 9 hours in the game now and it’s not good at all. Mods may save it, so I might come back to it in 5 years or so, but I’m done for now.

Between this and Diablo 4, it’s been a disappointing few months for me.

Play Baldurs Gate 3, Armored Core 6 and Jagged Alliance 3.

kenny mccormick singing GIF by South Park
 

Elios83

Member
XBOXAdiccit 10/10
Genertion XBOX 9.9/10
Somos XBOX 9.8/10
Mondo XBOX 9.7/10
Pure XBOX 9/10
The XBOX Hub 9/10

what make u think that the "critic review" arent driven by fanboys ?

Yeah unfortunately there are fansites inflating the scores also on the critics side.
(it's no secret that these people are the only reason games like Halo Infinite reached the average score they got).
But it's usually counterbalanced by other extremes. People wanting attention with the extremely controversial review to get traffic and so on.
User scores instead are just a joke with petty review bombings and the likes.

Microsoft never expected 95 or more score , they knew what game Starfield was, they promoted it as somethig better than it is as most developers do..without all that promotion this game would place on an 75-80 on Metacritic ans still is a fine socore.
Unfortunately if you claim the game will be Skyrim (a 94-95 metacritic game) in space as they did, you let your whole community overhype it as the next game of the year and claim it to be a turning point for first party productions as they did and then you deliver a Fallout 4 level reskin there will be consequences aka disappointment.
 
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Topher

Identifies as young
  • Xbox Addict = 10
  • Generacion Xbox = 10
  • Somos Xbox = 9.8
  • Mondo Xbox = 9.8
  • Xbox Era = 9.7
  • Windows Central = 9
  • Xbox Hub = 9
And many more 10s across MC and OC from other websites.

That 15 10/10s was more in a "generalized" way of course, because one 4/10 doesn't balance all those out either.

All I'm saying is that one 4/10 (which is 3 points less than 7) is being criticized so much, but no one is batting an eye on the numerous 10s (which is also the same 3 points above 7).

This one bad review is fine. Having said that, I've said that I would not give this game less than 6/10 because that'd be too harsh.

Eh....branded websites throwing out glowing reviews for first party games is not new. This didn't begin with Starfield. Won't end with Starfield either. This comes up every time there is a highly rated first party game.

Any 4/10 for a game that has received an overall great score in the mid 80s should be looked at sideways. Remember when IGN Korea gave God of War: R a 6/10 and the controversy that swelled out that? Same deal. These outlier reviews scream "look at me" especially here from a person who does everything they/them can to scream "look at me". Kind of strange that all of the sudden he they/them is being taken seriously.
 
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Madflavor

Member
4/10 is such an absurd score for this game.



What makes this review "honest"?

tumblr_mvzd3kZDCQ1rrxe89o6_250.gif


I agree 4/10 does seem harsh, but the actual review imo is spot on. I brought it up before, but BGS's design approach to Open World, RPG mechanics, and camerawork are old and outdated. They're sticking only to what they know, and aren't evolving their craft. It's been 17 years since Oblivion. Compare that to other studios like Capcom who've continued to experiment with Resident Evil, to mostly great results. Or Nintendo with their latest Zelda games. Even FromSoftware who tend to stick to their Soulslike design, have evolved and experimented with the formula with games like Sekiro, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring.

Bethesda has been doing the same shit, the same janky shit, for nearly two decades. On top of that while Starfield has it's good points, much of the game feels so shallow thanks to it's procedurally generated maps, abundant loading screens, repeated enemy and base placement, and braindead AI.

And look it's cool if you or anyone else love the game. But I'd wager that someone's enjoyment of Starfield, significantly hinges on how much they love the setting and can allow themselves to be immersed in that world. To people who crave exploring space in a more grounded tonal approach, Starfield is a dream come true. But if the things I listed above are enough to annoy you, it's going to demolish your immersion, take you out of the experience, and annoy you if anything else. This is what Jim is talking about, and while I do think the 4/10 is a bit extra, their actual points are sound imo.
 

GHG

Member
Eh....branded websites throwing out glowing reviews for first party games is not new. This didn't begin with Starfield. Won't end with Starfield either. This comes up every time there is a first party game.

The problem is the fact that there's a disproportionate amount of them for Xbox and every single one of them get preferential treatment. Start an Xbox fansite and the likes of Phil/Greenbeeg/Bond are giving you preferential treatment, encouragement and gifts from day one. Explain to me how they all get sent review codes along with the usual twitter/youtube fluffers but at the same time they send a code to Eurogamer but state it's only allowed to be used by Digital Foundry?
 
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BbMajor7th

Member
The problem is the fact that there's a disproportionate amount of them for Xbox and every single one of them get preferential treatment. Start an Xbox fansite and the likes of Phil/Greenbeeg/Bond are giving you preferential treatment, encouragement and gifts from day one. Explain to me how they all get sent review codes along with the usual twitter/youtube fluffers but at the same time they send a code to Eurogamer but state it's only allowed to be used by Digital Foundry?
It'll have been mock-reviewed about three months ago - all publishers do this, both for the benefit of last-minute tweaking and for formulating marketing and PR strategies. It's quite possible that limiting codes was part of the strategy, other publishers do take this approach. It can also go the other way too: when a game lifts its review embargo a week early, you know the mock reviews were glowing.
 
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Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Eh....branded websites throwing out glowing reviews for first party games is not new. This didn't begin with Starfield. Won't end with Starfield either. This comes up every time there is a highly rated first party game.

Any 4/10 for a game that has received an overall great score in the mid 80s should be looked at sideways. Remember when IGN Korea gave God of War: R a 6/10 and the controversy that swelled out that? Same deal. These outlier reviews scream "look at me" especially here from a person who does everything they/them can to scream "look at me". Kind of strange that all of the sudden he they/them is being taken seriously.
GOWR is not the right example because it's a universally praised and liked game with a score of 94/100. So a 6/10 is completely out of sorts. It's like someone giving Elden Ring or Zelda TOTK a 6/10 -- which wouldn't make sense. Games like GOWR, ER, Zelda TOTK are nearly flawless games.

On the other hand, if someone gives Days Gone -- a good game but with definite flaws -- a 5/10, I can see that happening. Some may also give it a 10/10 (which would be equally wrong) because it's not a perfect game.

The point is that a +/- 20 score makes sense, but only when the game is divisive. If it is a near-perfect game, a 6/10 is a bad score. If it is a complete horseshit game, a 9/10 is a bad score. This is also why Xbox Era's 8.5/10 for Redfall is a bad score because they gave a good score to a unanimously bad game.
 

GHG

Member
It'll have been mock-reviewed about three months ago - all publishers do this, both for the benefit of last-minute tweaking and for formulating marketing and PR strategies. It's quite possible that limiting codes was part of the strategy, other publishers do take this approach. It can also go the other way too: when a game lifts its review embargo a week early, you know the mock reviews were glowing.

Their mock reviews process is broken though and they know it. Phil came out and said that they had Redfall scoring at least 10 points higher in their mock reviews process.

How do you mitigate for that in the short term without overhauling your mock review process (which takes time)? Only give review codes to those who you know lean more favourably towards your platform.
 

DeaDPo0L84

Member
If you're the kind of person who thinks videogames peaked with Fallout 3's launch version and they've required neither evolution nor improvement since, this game is absolutely for you. If you believe Bethesda doesn't need to exhibit growth as an artistic outlet and hasn't had to change a thing about the way it's made games since 2008, I can safely say you'll adore Starfield because it's all that a Bethesda game has always been... and literally nothing more.

Anthony Anderson Abc GIF by HULU
As someone who is having a fun time with the game but also didn't hype this to the moon (pun intended), I actually agree with that last statement. It's a very safe game, it pretty much pulls everything from their previous games and slaps a sci-fi skin on top of it. If this is all you were expecting from a new Bethesda game fine, I think most though had higher expectations for one of the juggernauts in the videogame space, especially with Microsoft's apparent war chest at their disposal.
 

graywolf323

Member
That opening where you get the ship did feel quite a bit contrived. Think they could have thought of a better way to transition the character into the story. Thankfully the story and writing get much better from there on. Like I and others have said, starting the game is a bit of slog. Really could have done more to grab folks earlier on.
hey, I just met you, and this is crazy
but here‘s my ship, go to my organization, maybe?
 
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DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Their mock reviews process is broken though and they know it. Phil came out and said that they had Redfall scoring at least 10 points higher in their mock reviews process.

How do you mitigate for that in the short term without overhauling your mock review process (which takes time)? Only give review codes to those who you know lean more favourably towards your platform.
Curb Your Enthusiasm Bingo GIF by Jason Clarke
 

BbMajor7th

Member
Their mock reviews process is broken though and they know it. Phil came out and said that they had Redfall scoring at least 10 points higher in their mock reviews process.

How do you mitigate for that in the short term without overhauling your mock review process (which takes time)? Only give review codes to those who you know lean more favourably towards your platform.
Depends how you go about it. You generally want to get mock reviews from different regions and a couple of different types of reviewers. XBOX being the big American brand it is, I can see them having reached out to a few NA reviewers to do the mock without hitting up outlets elsewhere in the world, or reviewers may have sent over provisional scores on the basis of identified issues being addressed ahead of launch. The product managers who commission the review might omit details like that when they summarise the findings to the executive team.
 
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Mr Reasonable

Completely Unreasonable
I've noticed that the newer ones that are coming in now, not from the pre-launch curated outlets, are relatively harsher. They are bringing down the score, albeit slowly.
  • Eurogamer Germany = 8/10
  • Easy Allies = 8/10
  • The Guardian = 8/10
  • Metro = 6/10
  • Eurogamer Portugal = 6/10
You've noticed that the newer scores coming in are...

Wait a minute, how often are you checking the score?! Hourly or more often?
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
You've noticed that the newer scores coming in are...

Wait a minute, how often are you checking the score?! Hourly or more often?
I've been refreshing every minute.

Or ... Perhaps I was smarter and realized that if you filter MC scores by date, you can easily see which reviews were added after the review embargo date. And that you don't have to check the scores in real-time to see when new ones were added. 🤷‍♂️
 
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