Highlights
Starfield offers an overwhelming scale with 120 unique star systems, 1000 full-scale, procedurally generated planets, and an accurate simulation of planetary physics.
A Starfield player recently embarked on an expedition to a distant star, offering an up-close glimpse of its breathtaking appearance.
While the game does have its imperfections, with certain players observing unconvincing gravity mechanics and repetitive structures on planetary surfaces, there are redeeming factors. Meticulously designed areas and the potential for fan-generated custom planets via mods present enthusiasts with added content to indulge in.
In Starfield, players have the opportunity to explore a grand total of 120 distinct star systems, each offering a unique and captivating experience. Unlike Bethesda's previous open-world titles, Starfield surpasses all expectations with its immense scale, boasting approximately 1000 fully developed, procedurally generated planets that players can touch down on and thoroughly investigate.
While the focus of exploration lies primarily on the various planets, traversing the vast depths of space between them becomes a common occurrence. Although space itself may not offer as many activities, players frequently find themselves navigating its dark expanse to reach their desired destinations. Each star system within the game possesses its own individual star type, varying quantities of planets and moons, captivating points of interest, and much more. However, the crowning achievement lies in the astonishingly accurate simulation of planetary physics occurring behind the scenes. The length of a day in the game effortlessly corresponds to the actual time it takes for the local planet to complete a rotation on its axis, while neighboring planets and moons display realistic movement as time passes. Moreover, if a player's ship remains stationary, they can witness objects in space slowly shifting and passing by.
Some may overlook these details, but they are crucial for creating a believable space setting in Starfield. Surprisingly, not all space games pay attention to this level of detail. OhGodImHerping, a player who shared a post, has shed light on a previously unknown detail about star systems in the game. The post includes various images that provide a close-up look at one of the game's stars. It is remarkable to see that stars are not simply dots in the skybox but rather fully rendered objects that can be explored by manually flying to their core.
While Starfield's galaxy is undeniably immersive, it is not without its imperfections. Players have noticed an inconsistency between a planet's gravity and its size, especially with gas and ice giants. These celestial bodies often have unrealistically low-gravity environments. Another criticism from players revolves around the repetitive nature of certain structures and features found on planetary surfaces. This is perhaps the main drawback of a procedurally generated universe compared to a meticulously crafted world.
That being said, Starfield offers a multitude of meticulously crafted zones and cities, each bustling with captivating elements and diverse inhabitants for fans to stumble upon. Additionally, certain members of the community have put forth the notion of incorporating brand new, personalized planets and regions through mods in the upcoming future.
Starfield can be experienced on both PC and Xbox Series X/S platforms.