Game-Changing Revelation in Starfield Leaves Fans Puzzled

Highlights

Starfield brings the beloved Bethesda RPG experience to the sci-fi genre, offering a fantastic adventure with endless exploration possibilities.

The game effectively captures the essence of Bethesda RPGs, but takes a drastic approach with its looting system. Unlike previous Bethesda games, items obtained from NPCs in Starfield do not vanish, creating a sensation of duplicating loot and diminishing the game's immersion and charm. Players are left with a feeling akin to carrying a portable 3D printer.

Starfield revolutionizes the sci-fi genre by incorporating beloved elements from Bethesda RPGs, resulting in an extraordinary adventure brimming with endless exploration. While there may be certain rough edges, the studio's impressive execution is commendable. However, Starfield diverges from traditional Bethesda RPGs with a surprising and drastic change.

Similar to its predecessors, Starfield offers a plethora of collectibles to satisfy players' hoarding instincts. Every unattached object becomes fair game, and looting remains a thrilling endeavor. Nevertheless, Bethesda has introduced a subtle alteration. Players not only become burdened more swiftly but also notice that items taken from NPCs no longer vanish. Instead, it feels as though players are creating mere duplicates rather than truly claiming possessions from lifeless bodies.

Starfield's Looting System Feels Different

In previous Bethesda games, players had the opportunity to collect various items from NPCs' bodies, such as valuable armor and weapons, which could be used or sold for profit. This feature greatly enhanced the overall gameplay experience, as players were able to identify and gather specific items from looted individuals. Given this, it is peculiar that Starfield has made the decision to exclude a similar mechanic.

In games like Skyrim or Fallout 4, when players looted corpses, the bodies would become noticeably less equipped. Removing an armor piece would leave the corpse in its underwear, while taking a weapon would cause it to vanish into thin air. This not only provided a sense of realism to the looting experience, but also led to amusing situations. Although it may not have been a monumental game-changing aspect, it did contribute to making the game world feel more authentic.

Starfield inexplicably excludes this game mechanic, leaving players unaware of the items they have looted from the corpses they create. Even if players remove their spacesuits, the corpses still appear to be wearing them, regardless of what has been taken. While this may not significantly impact gameplay, it does detract from the immersive experience. It feels peculiar that the studio would suddenly deviate from the approach taken by previous RPGs. Instead of evoking the sensation of looting their way through Starfield's universe, it feels more like players are merely carrying around a sophisticated 3D printer in their pocket. Since the spacesuits persist even after being collected, it suggests that the player is somehow duplicating them. Alternatively, the NPCs could be wearing multiple iterations of the same suit, which would undoubtedly be uncomfortable. It seems unlikely that they are attempting to set a new fashion trend.

Starfield, Bethesda's largest RPG to date, appears to have lost some of the beloved RPG charm typically associated with Bethesda games. Although there may be valid technical reasons for the lack of visual representation for looting, it is difficult to comprehend considering their previous games. Perhaps The Elder Scrolls 6 will reintroduce this feature, but even if it doesn't, its absence doesn't ruin the overall gaming experience. Nevertheless, many players do express a strong sense of longing for this small mechanic.

Starfield can now be played on PC and Xbox Series X/S.