Honestly, as someone who never really got into Skyrim, playing Starfield has finally made me see the appeal of that classic Bethesda RPG formula. There’s definitely a hook here. It’s got a massive universe, really cool lore, and mechanics like settlement building that are super addictive once you get into them. That said, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and it definitely has some old-school quirks that hold it back from being a masterpiece.
First off, performance-wise on PC, it’s actually solid. Running it at 1440p on High settings, I get a really smooth 90 FPS indoors, and it holds a steady 60 FPS even when you’re running around the big, built-up cities. Visually, the game looks great, but it definitely lacks depth in the lighting department, which can make some areas look a bit flat.
The biggest issue is that a lot of the game feels like it belongs in the Xbox 360 era. The amount of unavoidable loading screens you have to sit through just to get anywhere completely kills the immersion. Luckily, the Free Lanes update came out and fixed a lot of the traversal issues, which massively helped modernize the overall feel of the game.
If you like "cozy games," you’ll love the exploration side of it at first. Planet hopping, scanning stuff, and just wandering around is super chill and easy to get lost in. But fair warning: after you've hit a handful of planets in your first 50 hours or so, the magic kinda fades, and it loses its shine because you start seeing the same patterns. It also lacks the depth of other modern RPGs—the enemy AI is pretty brain-dead, and the stealth mechanics are incredibly basic, which sucks because the game tries to convince you that stealth is a viable way to play.
As for the DLCs, they’re hit and miss. Terran Armada is actually a blast and has a really good story, but it’s way too short and honestly ends just as it’s getting really good. On the flip side, Shattered Space was a total letdown. It adds some neat lore for that specific clan, but compared to the epic mainline faction quests in the base game, it just has zero weight to it.
The Good Stuff
Runs great on PC: Getting a smooth 90 FPS indoors and 60 FPS in heavy cities at 1440p High.
Classic Bethesda hook: The settlement building is awesome, and the universe lore is genuinely interesting.
Super cozy exploration: Total vibe for the first 50 hours if you just want to zone out and planet hop.
Updates helped: The Free Lanes update fixed a lot of the clunky traversal and made it feel much more modern.
The Annoying Stuff
Feels dated: Way too many loading screens for a modern game; feels a generation behind.
Half-baked systems: Terrible AI and basic stealth mechanics that just don't work well.
Flattens out: Exploration eventually loses its luster once you realize the planets start repeating.
Weak DLCs: Terran Armada finishes way too early, and Shattered Space feels totally skippable.
The Verdict
If you're looking for a chill, cozy space RPG to sink some hours into, I’d say go for it. It’s got some legacy Bethesda jank, terrible AI, and the DLCs are a bit weak, but the smooth PC performance and recent updates make it a really fun galaxy to get lost in—at least for the first 50 hours!
