Starfield’s Greatest Failure Was Never the Gameplay, But It’s Inability to Make Us Care

Starfield is boring. Many have said that before. But what’s really boring? The empty space or our empty curiosity. Despite the game being much larger when compared to other exploration games, there’s still not much in it for explorers. Is there?

We are used to this thrill that comes from watching what we see every day through our eyes—nature, life—coming to a halt due to an uninvited event that has turned this planet full of life into something unrecognizable. That’s interesting, and Starfield simply presents it in a sad but mesmerizing way.

The Worthwhile Planets in Starfield are Essentially the Earth, But in Their Own Rights

Toxic gas from those small regions kind of makes the game Helldivers 2 without giant bugs. But there’s much more to the toxic gas coming out of our own planet in the game. The beauty of the earth is that it still is beautiful after the devastation that the drive to develop the Grav Drive caused.

But then I agree that there’s not much to do. But there’s so much to admire when it comes to sight-seeing in the game. The biomes of Ursa Major II, those breathtaking views of frozen mountains on Nemeria II, those Vormir-esque vibes on Hyugens VII-B, and more—that is something you cannot simply turn your eyes from.

Sure, Starfield should’ve been a perfect product from the start that doesn’t really require saving, but that doesn’t make it all bad when we consider the beauty of the planets. But there’s something special about planet Earth in Starfield. Why so? Because we know it, we have lived it. It’s not just a fantasy.

That view from the top of the messed-up Pyramids is something else. I am not that into the Empire State Building but the St. Louis Gateway Arch is really a huge structure. I now know what to expect when actually visiting it. These real-life structures are the core reason Earth strikes those hearts of ours most.

It would be better a space tourism game than space exploration. Even an American flag on the moon would simply be something I would’ve rushed to see in Starfield. Sadly, it’s not there. Neither are there any of the Voyager’s Golden Records or the musical instruments of Gemini 6A.

Maybe Create Another Earth With a Civilization Rather Than One Spread Across Space

Earth is the only thing that is worth exploring in the game. I say this because every beautiful planet present in Starfield is our imagination that comes from whatever we have witnessed here on this planet. In essence, every element, from the flora and fauna to water, is inspired by what we already know.

Exploring the unknown is kind of scary and thrilling at the same time. But in Starfield‘s case, it’s different. I kind of expected some of the best of those imaginations to come to life in this game. Only a few planets did that. I know the map is large, but eight years of development could’ve filled it with other things instead of emptiness.

But sometimes logic has to be on the front seat while imagination takes the backseat. If we think of other planets in our solar system, they are essentially like that only, empty. In a way, developers did a good job re-imagining other planets that might be out there in the universe.

Why does boredom really strike us? There’s a lack of external stimulation, no motivation or purpose, and we don’t really have any choice. You’ll see a majority of planets have these traits in commonality. What other choice remains for us other than getting bored out there on a strange rocky sphere?

I would never want to see a deserted earth in my life, but when it comes to imagination in video games, that becomes something that makes you sit on the edge of your seat. In an alternate reality where things didn’t work out, we ought to see everything in this version.

Bethesda has given the players a large space to explore; maybe give them something worthwhile on other empty planets too. Or at least create a different earth with civilized life reimagined. Yes, I’ll wait not even a second to visit here.

How was your experience on Earth in Starfield? We would like to know about it in the comments section below.