You can't really say that the launch of Starfield was as problematic as that of Cyberpunk 2077, but the two games can be compared in terms of the difference between expectations and the impact they actually had when released. Considering the long-term support that Bethesda intends to carry forward, a parallel could also be made regarding the post-launch path, which as we have seen has brought great benefits to the CD Projekt RED game, which went from being a sort of emblem of the video game flop to one of the most popular titles three years after its original release. Just look at the complete U-turn made by many users and members of the press in this regard to see how a great deal of support work can lead to unsuspected changes.
As mentioned before, the two situations are not very comparable to each other: Starfield is perhaps the Bethesda game that arrived on the market in the best shape, technically, compared to previous RPGs, therefore in decidedly different conditions from Cyberpunk 2077 which was instead a notable mass of bugs , especially on consoles. It is not so much on this front that we hope to see decisive action from the developers, therefore, but above all in the possibility of offering new content and perhaps a few adjustments on the “Quality of life” front, such as organization of the menus, of the interface and improvements to some game systems still considered a bit cumbersome, as well as the possibility of further optimizations that can further compress loading times.
A journey that has just begun
We've seen that Bethesda still has something like 250 developers working on Starfield, so we can expect several things coming for the space RPG. We already know there is one first expansion expected in the next few months, called Shattered Space, but the support will not be limited to that, if it is true that, as reported by Todd Howard, the idea is to make it a game to be played for years, as Skyrim was previously. Things have started to come into the right perspective with Bethesda's recent statement in response to the 1.8.88 patch notes, a rather unique way to announce something so important. From this post we learned that there is a lot of work in progress for Starfield, and that the game will receive updates on a regular basis over the next few months, with the intention of releasing a large update every 6 weeks or so.
There are already scheduled technical updates such as improved support for AMD FSR3 and XeSS already at the beginning of 2024, but what is perhaps most interesting are the additions in terms of content, and the plans here are starting to get really intriguing. In the message, Bethesda talks about “new ways of traveling”, which suggests changes to some of the aspects that have been most criticized in Starfield, namely the excessive use of fast and automated travel but also the fact of having to cross surfaces of the planets on foot. An announcement of this kind obviously piques curiosity, making one think of changes applied to the interstellar flight system or perhaps the introduction of vehicles to be used on the surface of planets, even if these could lead to an imbalance in the balance, as far as loading is concerned of the “tiles” of the planets or the consumption of oxygen.
On the other hand, it is a game that lends itself perfectly to the subsequent introduction of further content, given that there is far too much space available. Many new features will arrive with official mod support in 2024, but you can also expect official additions from the studio. In any case, it is certain that Starfield's journey is still at the beginning and it is too early to leave Bethesda's new RPG off the stage, despite it having been somewhat ostracized, even in a difficult way, by many, as we have also seen with its exclusion from The Game Awards, apart from the nomination for best RPG. If Cyberpunk 2077 has managed to establish itself three years later and after a truly disastrous launch, we are waiting to see what Bethesda will be able to do, although its essence of exclusivity still keeps it a privileged subject for many haters.
This is an editorial written by a member of the editorial team and is not necessarily representative of the editorial line of Multiplayer.it.
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