What Critics Are Saying About Starfield: Bethesda Game Studio's Space Adventure Under The Microscope

Reviews for Starfield, Bethesda Game Studio's highly anticipated Xbox-exclusive, open-world RPG, have generated mixed but generally positive responses.

The game has been under significant scrutiny as it carries the weight of high expectations from fans of Bethesda's open-world RPGs and Xbox enthusiasts eager for an exclusive hit. Microsoft Corp.'s MSFT Xbox hyped the game calling it, "One of the most important RPGs ever made."

See Also: Microsoft's 'Starfield' Ditches Voiced Protagonist Despite Chatty NPCs

Starfield — described as a "NASA-punk" space adventure — allows players to create ships, explore numerous planets and navigate rival colonial factions amid an impending war.

"Starfield" currently holds an 88 on both Metacritic and Open Critic, with some perfect scores and more moderate assessments.

These are some of the early reviews for the game:

VGC August 31, 2023 - Rating: 100/100

"Starfield is the ultimate Bethesda game. It takes what people loved about Fallout and Skyrim, and casts it across an enormous galaxy filled with captivating characters."

Destructoid - Rating: 100/100

"I wasn't sure if it could be done, but Bethesda has managed to raise the bar for sandbox games even higher."

GamesRadar+ - Rating: 100/100

"Starfield is an expansive and beautifully crafted open world experience full of endless discovery and opportunities."

Forbes - Rating: 95/100

"I really do love this game. Yes, Bethesda doesn’t match some of its peers in many places, but in part that’s because it’s trying to do everything, all at once. But if you wanted a giant Bethesda RPG set in space with better combat and a whole lot of time to level and build things and explore and find secrets, yeah, this is it. They did it. Enjoy."

PC Gamer - Rating: 75/100

"I don't love Starfield, but I'm happy to say that I do like it. Those first 90 hours I played were far from perfect, but I've got plenty of reasons to play 90 more."

IGN - Rating: 70/100

"Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist."

GameSpot - Rating: 70/100

"Starfield has its moments, for sure. Its satisfying gunplay makes combat exciting, especially when it's integrated into setpieces within its better, more captivating questlines. [...] However, it struggles to deliver a cohesive and memorable RPG experience amid the seemingly boundless sea of stars. [...] Starfield is a game more concerned with quantity than quality, and leaves the experience at the surface level."

It's worth noting that several other prominent gaming sites, including Kotaku, Eurogamer, Metro and The Guardian face a delay in providing their reviews of the game.

Bethesda's ongoing blacklist prevented these outlets from obtaining early review copies of the highly anticipated title. As a result, the full critical landscape for Starfield remains uncertain.

Read Next: Discover Starfield's Hidden Depths Post-Main Quest, Says Bethesda Executive

Photo: Courtesy Xbox