Starfield as a Space Game - My GENUINE First Impressions

[@ObsidianAnt]

Just to make this 100% clear, the focus in this video was to give my impressions on Starfield as a space game. Starfield is truly huge, so it's way beyond the scope of this video for me to dive into every area of this massive open world RPG. I will look at different aspects later. After some thought, I felt that many of you would appreciate the insight from the space game perspective! :)

[@connyjohnson855]

Absolutely, thank you 👍

[@cmdrls212]

I don't think anybody expected you to finish it :)

[@Codysdab]

The space part feels more like X4 perhaps?

[@denis2381]

GENUINE in captions implies that you are usually ingenious.

[@Raven_Blackwood]

Yeah we get that. I think most of us come here because we play similar games and know that you give a good perspective.

[@-Belshazzar-]

Finally, a video that clearly addresses these issues we were all curious about. Thank you!

[@mookithehamster5639]

An approval from my favorite Ant calms my nerves about the game significantly.

[@lord-REDACTED-]

Ant, I've been watching you for a few years. Just wanted to say, I really appreciate your perspectives. You often give me hope I gaming where there seems like there is little. Thank you for your dedication.

[@JAF30]

I am a noob fan and have only been watching for a year or so, but his perspective and lack of hype do give his videos a refreshing view.

[@lord-REDACTED-]

@@JAF30 came for the space. Stayed for the rich buttery voice

[@JohnMichaelson]

I never wanted or expected Starfield to be any more than this, so I'm not disappointed. It was _NEVER_ marketed as some Star Citizen or E:D replacement. It was always "Skyrim in Space". And given how this is the first version of what could well be a long-term supported product like Skyrim there will probably be expansions, new features, and of course the modders will really make it more of what different groups of people were expecting.

[@wolfboy20]

Thank You!!!!! There are so many ppl that are trying to shit on the game because its not exactly like no mans sky or E:D when its supposed to be a Bethesda game in space. Of course they need to be called out for not deliver on certain things that they promised but all in all this game is solid despite its flaws. I've been playing it already. Also there will be expansions coming in the future

[@Summon256]

You can't even dive underwater in this game, like you could in Skyrim and every other Bethesda title! That's a huge stepback!

[@mon0lithic629]

@@AlanZ684 "Everywhere" Really? Sure, if you intend to circumnavigate the planet you are on you would fail -- the same thing with trying to fly your ship to neighboring planets without actually fast traveling there -- but non of those I would qualify as "everywhere". Those are absolutely reasonable limitations if you stop thinking of Starfield as a space sim, which it isn't. It is closer to the first Mass Effect in its approach of exploration, and no one battered that game for such game design.

[@steel5897]

I think they went backwards from Skyrim in a few ways though. Skyrim was one giant mass, you saw a mountain the distant horizon and you could walk there uninterrupted, it was one cohesive world. Starfield, despite being infinitely larger, separates all its content in tiny square patches separated between constant loading screens. In some ways, it feels SMALLER than Skyrim. Fast traveling in their previous games was very much optional, the world was still a cohesive giant whole, but here the core "adventuring" IS moving through completely separate small areas separated by loading screens. I cannot shake this feeling and it's ruining the game for me.

[@steel5897]

And there are some parts of the game that FEEL like they were built for a more cohesive game world, but now feel out of place due to how the game is structured. Take space flight for example, what's the point of flying your ship in space? Did anyone figure this out yet? Does some system open up later? The very core mechanic of flying your ship in space feels pointless to me, there is no traversal, no execution of the fantasy of flying through space, the main method of travel is loading screens.

[@CMDR_Shokwave]

Mass Effect or Kotor - with the addition of some ship play - would be a more appropriate comparison than ED or SC for game genre. All of which i thoroughly enjoy.

[@snaker9er]

"Some ship play" is incredibly generous

[@XPOL12X]

This is nowhere near the writing of mass effect

[@NexusUnder]

@@XPOL12Xsad to hear but i also understand the writing in Mass Effect was fantastic

[@SylvanFeanturi]

@@XPOL12X Is it, though? It's not like Mass Effect as a whole had a stellar writing. ME2 main story was bad and MS3's ending was even worse.

[@David-my7ig]

@@XPOL12X Some part of the gameplay is similar

[@buzzbean5090]

Been waiting for this, the only review I’ll need 👍

[@lostmoya]

I've watched several Starfield review and impression videos so far and yours is the only one which has talked about the flight model! Thanks!

[@videogamer38]

If the majority of people who made gaming videos were as honest and informative as you are then gaming would be in a much better state. I've loved watching all your starfield videos and I can't wait to play it in a few days time.

[@swedish0guy]

I have played it for 40 hours and I think you will enjoy it.

[@cajltd1737]

Well I'm out... Loading screens moving about your ship, arcade flight model and invisible walls. This just sounds like a game from 10 years ago. Thanks for the review!

[@xman777b]

The gut punch of all gut punches: Essentially no outer space travel in an open world *space* game. Todd Howard: "We let you design and build your own ship. And yes, you can fly it." Fly it, or 'fast travel it', Todd ?

[@syzygy2464]

Yep

[@ImpendingJoker]

Well since OA showed himself flying his ship, that would answer the question. Even in Skyrim if you had a horse, you could still fast travel if you wanted to so your gripe doesn't make much sense. I think you're just looking for a reason to be mad. Oh, and lets not forget about the dragons in the Dragon Born DLC for Skyrim. So to get mad about this seems pretty childish because BGS has pretty much already established a pattern of this kind of thing.

[@spacedout4061]

I mean the game is otherwise very good. The only major issue I've had with it is the travel between and onto planets. Though i think i will grow to like it more tbh, im already starting to get used to it. Its kinda nice that its not just no mans sky with a good open world tbh

[@TheEljefe20]

One of my favorite little bits from the game so far is several times after space combat i will get a new POI popping up called "crash site" or "debris field". You can go down and search the wreckage. Its a nice touch

[@_SimpleJack_]

It was never marketed as a space SIM, it was marketed as an RPG set in the vastness of space which is precisely what it is.

[@billywashere6965]

That's not how it was framed in the 45 minute breakdown or some of Pete Hines' comments. The breakdown never mentioned about the invisible walls, or the loading screens between every single instanced location. They framed it like it was all seamless.

[@blockmasterscott]

Exactly this.

[@nevertellmethaoddz8581]

Finding this channel was the best thing to ever come out of playing Elite

[@redcyric1222]

I didn't expect a space sim but a skyrim / fallout game set in space so I think I will have fun with this game. Really interesting to have your point of view on the space elements! I hope you will talk a little bit more about rpg and writting parts tho.

[@Elwaves2925]

I imagine the last part you mention will come more in a review, or other videos. He does kinda hint at that. I'm glad it's not a space sim but from footage I've seen, I was hoping for a bit more of the space stuff (free exploration, less menus and maps) when in space. They seem to have focused more on the rpg of it all. Still looking forward to it and the ship customisation.

[@lordbezzington8435]

It really is a BGS game set in space, if you set your expectations as such you won't be disappointed, I've played a couple of hours already and I'm enjoying it. But it is going to be a divisive game.

[@artnull13]

Can I skip making love to a bear? Can I have a Dunmer slave?

[@zzygyy]

Correct. The hype with this game is falling back to reality. Let's see how things pan out over the next month or two

[@TheCheeksMiller]

Then you should be quite happy. Starfield is essentially Fallout/ Elder Scrolls.. probably slightly more Oblivion then Skyrim maybe but none the less its very much a Bethesda RPG

[@AndScrambledEggs]

I'm so glad I learned my lesson from Cyberpunk and didn't pre-order.

[@JRo250]

Was looking forward to your review knowing you have a space sim perspective. Thank you, that was perfect.

[@toxicice5251]

Great to hear your first impressions. With so much, let's say "baggage" surrounding this game, I have been waiting for more levelheaded, firm, and fair insights from KZbinrs like you who I feel I can trust in that regard. Looking forward to the videos you make on Starfield in the future.

[@edcoleman7019]

You talk about elements of the game that other review and impressions vids have not looked at (that I've seen). Always appreciate the information and perspectives!

[@KleinMeme]

Watch Yamiks review as well then. :D

[@draeath]

An important note about lateral flight movement: usage of the thrusters is locked by a skill! It's a first-tier skill though, so you can unlock it immediately, if your background doesn't give it to you from the start.

[@robertcasto8790]

@ObsidianAnt i just want to stop by and say that I appreciate your first take on Starfield. I am an old school Bethesda fan and I also play several of the space sim games as well. I have a feeling that I am going to enjoy the way Starfield plays based on your first impressions. Also to note, your video the other day about the "experiment" that Bethesda is trying by sending out advanced copies was spot on. Lots of Starfield content on my feed today, and this video was the top video there. Keep it up and im looking forwar to more content from you as always.

[@ObsidianAnt]

Thank you!

[@robertgovoni2707]

Spot on review! I have about the same amount of playtime and at first being a fan of space sims the cutscenes were breaking the immersiveness. After a while they are no problem at all when you accept Starfield as an RPG. Love it so far!

[@stratum42]

More people need to look at it this way. I see nothing but comparisons to the space sims we play, but it's not trying to be that. There's another space game you can't fly everywhere to also, called Mass Effect and most everyone loves it. But I've never seen it compared to Elite Dangerous.

[@nighttrain1236]

@@stratum42 We're all going to grow old and die waiting for the 'perfect' space game.

[@DevDreCW]

@@nighttrain1236 Sadly true. Devs just go too far one way or another.

[@spacedout4061]

I am growing to like the cutscenes and menu, it fits with how the game is, an rpg

[@alexgame3357]

How is everyone playing this already? Its not even out yet?

[@loganriling4888]

Review codes be damned, this is the review we need to see

[@eglspl425]

It's not a space game. The spaceships are instanced dungeons in "space". There is no travel between planets. Fast travel invalidates space entirely. No deadzone in the navball means that the ships handle like they've had their breaks cut. I can *just about* forgive the fact that there is no seamless flight to atmosphere but planet-to-planet flight has been a feature of space games since the 80s. Bethesda really screwed the pooch. It's not a space game if you can spend 100% of your time on planets and 0% of your time in space. The space element of this space game is, by design, entirely avoidable. Because BGS knew it wasn't very good. The exploration is NMS but worse and the spaceflight is Elite Dangerous but worse and also optional. The RPG is typical Bethesda. 6/10.

[@mikkdc]

From what I have seen, it's everything I expected and more importantly, everything I wanted. Basically a Skyrim / Fallout set in space. A loot fest in each area you explore, gathering materials and other things to craft various weapons, mods and other things. Skills to improve across various "trees". Many wonderful and exotic creatures and flora to find and chart. Random encounters with colourful characters and enemies and running through all of it a main quest story with many other side quests to find. I fully expected there to be loading screens when moving from the open world to dungeons/caves/buildings, etc just as there was in past BGS games. I can not wait to get stuck in on the 6th!

[@culleton8849]

Great little review! covered the main points nice and quickly.

[@loadtoad]

I just want you to know that out of all the content creators that I watch, you're is the only one that I was willing to look at, as I know you wouldn't reveal "hidden secrets" and the like, and that it would just be about what the game's mechanics and playability were like. When I play it for the first time, I want to play it without any negative or positive expectations other than what Bethesda has introduced to the masses. I've been that way with Fallout 4, Skyrim, No Man's Sky, Everspace 2, New World, Freelancer, Privateer, Homeworld 1 and 2, and a host of others, and I've made up my own mind on each of those games, and since I go back to them all from time-to-time, I'd say I've absolutely loved each of them in their own way. Thanks for a really great video, ObsidianAnt! RIBBIT!

[@deubie0211]

Coming from star citizen and elite i was expecting it more to be more of a sim but after playing it for 13 hours ( did not feel that long) i have to say its a Awesome rpg space game, It just kept pulling me onward even though i should of stopped for the night👍

[@Lord_Danzo]

You can use your scanner in space to highlight the different worlds and systems. After doing that, you can jump there without opening your map. It saves a step doing it this way.

[@josephprins1258]

Man I was really hoping this was a space sim, all the footage looks like flying airplanes in space like in a star wars movie. Then you mentioned the the space bar can evoke newtonian physics :D. That's good enough for me.

[@Raven_Blackwood]

I’m one of those that has to wait until the 6th, so I’ve been watching quite a lot of reviews. Although I’m a little disappointed about it not quite being a “space sim”, I’m still looking forward to playing it. And (to be honest) out of all the reviews, I was actually only waiting for yours. First impressions will have to do for now though :)

[@connyjohnson855]

Same here I agree on all points 👍

[@themollerz]

I agree. I'd have loved to see more sim. Hopefully modding delivers on that front. I am certainly not going to be a day one adopter, yet will keep a keen interest as it gets patched and modded.

[@Raven_Blackwood]

@@underleft I thought there would be more Space flight and Space exploration. Still looking forward to playing the game as a Space RPG and from the reviews I still think I am going to put a load of hours into it.

[@LordKingPotato]

So walking on Venus - You weren't affected by extreme heat while walking? We all know Venus is hell 😂

[@waitbalthy6342]

Your impressions are the ones I was looking forwards to the most. One of my favorite things to do in space games is just to sit on a random planet and take in the scenery. I love the "contemplative" nature of these games. Everspace, flight simulator and Elite dangerous and No Man's Sky offer some beautiful vistas. Can the same be said about Starfield ? Alot of space scapes I've seen so far didn't look that great. I'm putting that down to KZbin compression but would love to hear your thoughts

[@johnfink9020]

Its better than it looks. Cool feature is if you take screenshots of landscapes, whether youre in the pic or not, and the game will sometimes randomely use your pics for the loading screens.

[@theyshouldhavenevergivenme5439]

It's NOT a space game.

[@BlueSideUp]

​@theyshouldhavenevergivenme5439 agree, Skyrim with Space Artwork confirmed. Even the sorry FPS excuse FDev created for Odyssey has no loading screens opening building doors. Both share the lack of VR, and it's a systematic problem with steering. Teleports are 🤬 So, it's a missed opportunity, and we need to continue to wait for an ED meets NMS kind of game with Unreal Engine and play ED or NMS or maybe even a little Space Skyrim meanwhile. My real issue is VR, once you flew around a Thargoid Titan or cleared a HazRes looping 'round asteroids, or just mined in VR in ED, it's very hard to go back to a flat screen. That's why I only leave the ship in the SRV in ED Odyssey.

[@Bamamarama]

Its absolutely NOT a space game. Planets are not planets they are boring flat maps with boundaries and copy pasted POIs. See that mountain in the distance, want to go there? Take in the view? Guess what you can't. Fly around on the planet? You can not. Fly around in space?(not a boring sykbox) You can not. I can't believe he is calling this a good space game. Space is irrelevant in this game. You could take out space ships and "planets," and the game would be functionally the same.

[@larion2336]

@@BlueSideUp The problem is, Skyrim works due to the diversity of fantasy elements, magic, gods, demons, dragons, undead, dungeons, etc. How can they do similar in space? It seems like it's just people in space suits, that you shoot. Fake ships, fake space, and allegedly boring storyline. For me it is a big pass. How they messed it up so badly I don't know. Spore had more functional systems like 15 years ago now.

[@Kaiyening]

Really been waiting for your impressions!

[@hcsvoicepacks]

We like it - We're helping out with some voice stuff.... Accessibility options, this sort of thing, but we've managed a LOT of handy stuff. Power management being one of them :)

[@shogun2215]

The only way I can describe Starfield is...breathtaking. It's been so long since I've felt like this about a game.

[@xarbinchaoticneutral1785]

Cope

[@Sif3r]

​@@xarbinchaoticneutral1785child

[@grimmlinn]

It’s sad that games like that are so rare. The industry would make so much more money if they just focused on games like this and bg3

[@prika2000]

@grimmlinn BG3 writing and NPCs are order of magnitude better than Starfield

[@TitusFlavius11]

So far, I like it but I don’t love it.

[@SubSkip]

"Starfield is a Space Game, not a Space Sim." Great analogy that I think dispells most of the gripes I've seen so far with the game.

[@johan2174]

5:30: This is the kind of information that I was looking for, thank you! I've read and watched other reviews but they seem to skip most of the in-space flight stuff, to the point that I was afraid it wouldn't be in the game at all. Even if it won't be exactly the game I was hoping for, at least now I feel confident enough to press that Buy button :)

[@IRMentat]

A big oversight was in not linking the space view of a planet into the landing point sub-map. The option to click through the ship aim function to pick a landing point would have been a good immersive feature.

[@mako8643]

I am basically in as far as you are and I am enjoying it a lot. Skyrim/Fallout in space- was not expecting Elite Dangerous levels of room to fly. That’s Elite’s bailiwick and doubt they will ever be topped for that. Still, much more into the Starfield world, feels much more living.

[@dms79]

I admit I was disappointed when I heard planet exploration wouldn't be seamless. But after playing the game, I see why Bethesda did it this way. Also, I was never one to run/fly around an entire planet, so I have yet to hit any of these invisible walls. The areas I have landed in have thus far provided me with enough to do and plenty of area to explore in which to my get my exploration "fix", before I take off on my next adventure.

[@bikkyychaudhry4510]

Those who want a space RPG will like this game. Those who are looking for a space exploration game with a sense of freedom are going to be disappointed. I mean, we can't manually fly from Earth's orbit to Moon's orbit without going into a loading screen and we can only explore the orbits of the planetary bodies. We can't explore the deep space that is in between the orbits. I hope the modders figure out a way to unlock manual space flight between planetary bodies and the exploration of deep space.

[@PjPjPaul]

Thank you for this comment. Now I understand why I feel the way I do. I wanted a space exploration game. I will try to play it through the lens of a space RPG.

[@SusannaSaunders]

Thanks for posting a quick initial review for us who are waiting until the 6th! Much appreciated and it sounds good! 🙂

[@jackskelington7377]

After playing this game I'm majorly unimpressed. This is probably the worst of the Bethesda games. The AI is a joke. NPCs glitch out of the map, get lost when following you, or get caught on geometry. Bullet sponge enemies are also a thing. There's zero exploration. All you do is fast travel from one icon on a map to another. I've had the exact same map layout for 10 dungeons so far,

[@gordon861]

Only played a few hours so far, and I think the ground combat feels like I expected the Elite Dangerous ground combat to be like. You don't get swarmed by a load of enemies at once, but they do also seem to spread out and try to get an angle on you.

[@Secretgeek2012]

The AI of the enemies seems to be really well done. They react to fire, seek cover, and I think I've even seen them try flanking (though that may be just due to their initial positioning). It's much more a firefight than a wave of enemies coming at you.

[@kouji0031]

@@Secretgeek2012you must be playing a different game because the ai is shit

[@issahumps]

They typically just turn around and stare at walls for me lol

[@mastafoo886]

is there a..... less shitty way to control the ship? like with actual pitch yaw and roll?

[@MrDazTroyer]

It's a bit slow to start but I'm really enjoying the first 10hrs. Biggest gripe is the loading screens, I understand the takeoff or entering a city but you should be able to walk out of your ship without loading. Even if they hid it behind a airlock. So far so good.

[@riyadalam5235]

Get use to it im 60hrs in now. The games a good rpg but anyone expecting exploration will be disappointed. Everything has a load screen and by the 20-30 hr mark exploration dies because everything is pretty much the same with outposts and the occasional pirate encounters.

[@Elwaves2925]

I haven't started playing it yet (still downloading) but from footage I've seen the loading screens and the space navigation seem to be the big drawbacks for me. It would've been great to have had far more freedom in flying, instead of using maps and menus. Maybe it'll be different on playing it though. While it is a space game, they seem to have focused more on the rpg aspects than the space aspects. Still looking forward to it.

[@foobarbazbaa5598]

Yeah this feels really primitive in 2023. Oblivion was released in 2006 and used this technique. Fair enough. But since then every Bethesda game has had this lazy backwards approach.

[@fcf8269]

I want to point out something: look at the options there when you are in the ship: Get up or get out of the ship; the same thing Elite dangerous has; so you skip totally the interior of the ship.... YOU NEVER see the interiors. This is the same debate about fast travel: Do you want to travel 2h between planets, when you have the option to push the fast travel button? Maybe sometimes you do; but most of the times you just do fast travel. So I think that the matter at this point is more related to which parts should have a loading screen and which should not. The novelty wear off soon; then you want convenience.

[@DevDreCW]

Ships have combat scenarios and im sure your ship can also be boarded. It isn't just "look at your cool interior!" it has a gameplay purpose in starfield.

[@fcf8269]

@@DevDreCW There is no boarding feature in Starfield; you can board other ships only. I don't mind to have the option; but if you ask me if I want the option to have a loading screen between planets, I say yes; although I do not want a loading screen when I board a spaceship or traverse a planet, or go from planet to space or space to planet. In that case the transition is just there because the console cannot handle it, so they have to put it in place for PC too. It is the old story of usefulness vs fluff in the end. If you have to spend time and resources to make something that is just for show; I prefer to not have it; and prefer to have something else. It is great you can board ships, but it is ridiculous you have loading screens to go from your loading ramp to the main ship for example, as if it was skyrim made 12 years ago.

[@petehall8381]

Thanks! Looking forward to the full review

[@RuLeZ1988]

04:20 Maybe what is good to mention is, that the flight model only is available for space itself. There is no flight model within the atmosphere of any planet, since you can not you fly within a planet around. I am sure it is mentioned some where by the developers but I also think it is not that clear for everyone who buys the game.

[@davelewthwaite]

Gamers Nexus has dropped an initial GPU benchtest, and accidentally christened it Skyfield. But, Skyrim in space is a perfectly good idea for a game and should keep me happy for a while.

[@Van420Dal]

I think people are going to be divisive on this one but I absolutely fucking love it. Within a few hours I had abandoned the main story discovered a hidden pirate hideout and found a insane custom bounty hunting ship called the mantis complete with a custom badass flight suit. The mantis even has spots on it where I can mount my weapons in display cases. There is so much freedom in each new star system I jump into there was always something interesting going on

[@xSTiCKFiGAx]

Think they could have involved the Elite Dangerous team with the development ship mechanic’s, weapon, space ports and docking. They nailed it.

[@beady123]

Learned more from this quick vid than all the reviews I've watches. Thanks great vid

[@henchwelshgooch1020]

Exploration in this game has killed it for me

[@davewills6121]

Observer or player?

[@henchwelshgooch1020]

@@davewills6121 Player. I was really hoping for a more open feel..

[@ositodefelpa2865]

Have you noticed how, when you're in space, you can see the position and distances to the other planets in the system - provided you have the scanner on. In Alpha Centauri you can even see the position of Sol. I thought this was a nice touch, and I was surprised to even see the feature.

[@richardhewit215]

Happy I marked this as 'ignore' on Steam. Multiple breaks = zero immersion.

[@biohazardousbacon]

Its crazy to me that you can't even manually travel from a planet to its moon and vice versa. What's the point of space exploration if you just fast travel everywhere?

[@plo617]

I think the breakdown should be like this. 1. A game set in space 2. A space game 3. A space sim I would say that Starfield exist somewhere between 1 and 2. As a space game, it appears to be very lacking. As it a game set in space, it seems like it has potential.

[@alexl7213]

Finally I see someone talking about the flight model. Thank you Obsidian Ant. It's good to see they added a "drift 6df mode". This will make space flying very pleasurable.

[@lucidd4103]

Don't get too hyped it's very very basic.

[@Avean]

I ended up refunding it. I come from Star Citizen but i wasnt expecting any space sim but i wasnt expecting the space and infantry combat to be so very basic. It felt like systems from 15 years ago, very outdated and simple. Also looking at the very low detail quality of planets from space with tons of loading and cutscenes whenever you move your spaceship kinda ruined the immersion for me. I think its a perfect gamepass game to just fool around with but yeah.

[@pluxauag7555]

No bugs and playing on Series X, a game you have to force yourself to have a break from, time just flies playing this and the game is beautiful to play, solid, sturdy and impressive. It'll want you to "Stay a while, Stay forever". It's hard to put down the controller.

[@JustDave_GG]

Can’t wait to get into it when I get some time. Very happy the reviews are good. A bit disappointed by all the loading screens that I am hearing of, but not a deal breaker.

[@Turanic1]

But if you are on mid range hardware, performance is barely playable ( talking 32gb ram and 2080ti) I hope they fix performance damn

[@JustDave_GG]

@@Turanic1 really? I hadn’t heard that. There is a DLSS mod available, maybe worth a try mate

[@Turanic1]

thx will give it a try, but yeah on my rig performance is barely playable @@JustDave_GG

[@Turanic1]

DLSS worked for me, thanks for tip...@@JustDave_GG

[@logicme847]

Can't wait to see awesome ship builds, looking forward to your creations ✌️

[@dylanhumphrey2479]

Idk if anyone’s noticed, but if you activate your scanner in space, all the planets in the system you’re in will pop up in the distance and you can travel to them without needing to enter the star map. Same with POIs on a planet itself, you can scan and just select the POI and then press X and it’ll take you to it. Much more immersive that way

[@tyronealfonso]

They definitely oversold the spaceship part of this game. I know it’s not a space sim but come on. Hold X to travel… 🤢

[@footballfactory8797]

I wish they had elite dangerous style travelling then it would be perfect for me :(

[@mandalore41]

Honestly, after Elite and Star Citizen, I understand why they did it, the different planets and space areas are so overflowing with content, a more manual mode of space travel would hurt this game, not help it.

[@footballfactory8797]

@@mandalore41 I think it could have been a nice balance tho, maybe a cut scene to lane on planets but surely they could have done star to star travel like elite, fast travel 25 light years is so… weird

[@numberonedad]

​@@mandalore41"overflowing with content" lol the game is barren and heavily relies on reused content

[@mandalore41]

​@@footballfactory8797absolutely not, I'd be more willing to argue a more manual planetary landing would work better but Elite style travel in this game would be absolutely awful. Leaving that first planet and it taking me 5-10 jumps to reach New Atlantis? No thank you. This is coming from a person who absolutely loves exploration in Elite but that game has no where near as much to do in it as this game. Travel in Elite is part of the content in that game, this game has enough content to where it doesn't need that.

[@greyskull3363]

I started playing for the first time at 10:45 P.m. I completed my first few missions and called it a night. Watching KZbin videos. I saw where I made two big mistakes starting out. I did not do enough mining in the beginning. The added Ore would give me more starting credits. I also did not have my Video settings correctly set up. I did not see the gun case. I did not pick up the gun and bullets. I started a NEW GAME. This time I took advantage of knowing what to do. Now I finished off the Pirate Captain. As I played this game longer, I got better and was starting to really enjoy StarField.

[@lambrah2k]

thank you. I came in thinking it was gonna be the star citizen killer but refunded when it was just skyrim / fallout in space

[@romuluscreative]

Its not a space game at all.. Its Fallout expansion with some cheap space themed spray paint lol

[@tomasmicak9041]

I am glad to hear about more realistic controls of the ship than full on arcade like No Man Sky, I was afraid of that. But the fact that we cannot freely travel through star system is awfull, pure laziness from devs.

[@LOL2YOU]

The game grows on me the more I play it. I've been playing non-stop since release. Modding is really going to make this game special. ❤

[@MikkyTee]

Will be tuned for more of your views, i have not looked at much other content on here. I'd prefer to wait and see how you feel about it first. Thanks for the insight so far ;)

[@Javrixx]

Great video. I'm about 4 hours in and 100% agree with everything you covered here. Love the game! Can't wait to see what people do with mods, that will drastically change the game too! Lots of potential!

[@nemesisone8927]

i added reshade it makes it even look more awesome this is a game that has its own charm not to be compared with any other game then Bethesda games :)

[@innocentiuslacrim2290]

Thanks for the first impressions. You have gained a lot of trust over the years so it is nice to hear your opinions on this game.

[@AcheliusDecimus]

It has a whole lot and I mean a whole lot. You can get lost on a side mission, and it has tonnes of loops to unlock. I am right now off the main quest, and doing research into a planetary system. Did not realize that some of the enemies were level 26, but due to spelunking into dungeons I have some decent armour and weapons. I just can't open expert chests and doors. Still, one quest has me fighting 3 high-level ships, so I am giving that one a break and continuing to survey the planets. It does not need to be a sim, and it has a lot to take in. I have never landed and not found some entity or something to do. I have found smugglers in space and found a ship parked, hacked the door and claimed it. So I now have 2 ships, and looking forward to claiming more. My ship is black, green and yellow, which represents my country flag, and it looks damn gorgeous.

[@mkaleborn]

Just what I was looking for! This is the perfect breakdown of the subject I was probably most intrigued by, the 'Space Game' vs 'Sim' question. I was already prepared to take the game, and it's 'Sim' limitations, for what it is. It definitely feels more 'RPG' and ground-based vs say, the Elite Dangerous / Freelancer sim/sandbox style I usually enjoy. There seems to be just enough space-based 'meat on the bone' to feel like it's a bit more then just 'Skyrim with Space-themed loading screens'. At least for now, until expansions or modding kicks in to high gear. I'll accept it for what it is. I'm still not clear on how broad the 'career' options are in this game. How main-Quest focused it is, vs a sandbox experience where you can go off-script and do your own thing. From what I've seen so far there seems to be a huge amount of 'stuff' to do, but it feels more mission/quest-based. And spread out more thinly across the multi-system 'game map' then some other Bethesda games. Room to grow I hope! Thanks again! Subbed!

[@chrisharding9531]

Really enjoy your content, obsidian Ant

[@Nufsed007]

If you want a Space Sim buy Star Citizen, if you want a space game buy No Mans Sky, But if you want an RPG with flavours of Star Citizen and NMS with a hint of Elite Dangerous and s**t loads to do and see then buy Starfield! Simples........................

[@mandalore41]

I'm enjoying it thoroughly. I don't mind the planetary transitions (loading cinematics). I think they could have included ground vehicles in all honesty. I did enjoy witnessing a sunset on a planet and rain starting at dusk.

[@connyjohnson855]

I've eagerly awaited your first impressions. Thank you! It seems to be as expected, not a space sim but probably a great game in its own. 👍

[@Terrince_Tate]

It is a very great game on its own. Obviously not your typical space sim, but awesome nonetheless.

[@LostToPixels]

So far I'm about 25 hours in and I'm loving every minute! :)

[@Dustygoodz]

I’m having an amazing time! While a little disappointed that I couldn’t explore more on planets/space without limitations it’s still sucking me in and keeping me entertained!! Most games haven’t don’t that lately and I can’t wait to see what modders do with this game!

[@aydointergalacticcorporati698]

why were you disappointed? They literally told us that most of travel was going to be menu/loading screens and that you wouldn't really have as much freedom. People really were just coping and acting like this would be a space sim and a "Star Citizen killer" which is why the disappointment is there. This is an RPG with space and fantasy elements...still a good game for what it is, but it's not really a space or flight sim at all

[@ChessArmyCommander]

I hope Elite and Starfield have a baby. It'll be a hell of a game! And yes, I love Starfield.

[@deimos5579]

Been playing the game for 6 hours so far but this game is everything I want from an open world space RPG.

[@theyshouldhavenevergivenme5439]

So you don't want actual space flight etc from your space game... makes sense. The game is severely lacking.

[@deimos5579]

@@theyshouldhavenevergivenme5439 Games like System Shock 2, Kotor, Sid Meiers Alpha Centaury and Mass Effect were also severly lacking in regards of space flight still had a lot of fun with those games too. I don't understand the comment the ships in Starfield can be controlled and can fly.

[@crybllrd]

Same. Some things can be improved, and likely will (or be modded), but it is well worth the price and a great addition to the BGS catalog

[@ITMann]

Thank you for this clear and honest impression. I am into day 2 with Starfield and yes too early for me also to give a hyped impression. Only about 11 hours gameplay now. Is it buggy ?, yes in some instances. Installing onto an SSHD hybrid drive at first. First issue was the audio lag and cut outs during NPC conversations, and more than lengthy loading screens. However as "it says on the tin" regarding the game PC hardware recommendations I moved the game ( which I purchased on Steam) to my primary SSD. This made a clear difference for me. Steam is very good at allowing you to create additional storage areas and to move your original installation. Bugs for me ? well at one point leaving a space base on Mars to proceed to the outside are met with the ubiquitous loading screen, however this loading screen took more than 30 seconds with the game freezing, and an eventual crash. ( And yes I am always aware of background tasks on my PC, so with a game of this calibre, I made sure that nothing extraneous was running in the background ). Also I have new Nvidia drivers installed. So yes I had a couple of crashes with some loading screens freezing. Its early days, but I hope Bethesda can take the time to patch issues occuring. I am sure many players are having worse issues. Obviously for PC players, everyone's systems will differ. But you certainly dont need an RTX 4090 to play this game !!. A good ol' RTX 2080 Ti will soak this up efficiently. Bugs will appear. Yes the divisive loading screens will be an issue as you say for many. The game may crash. I did spot the NPC's feet walking through stair infrastructure as they proceeded on their obvious pre programmed walk arounds in the city. A little bit immersion spoiling in some areas. But overall for me it is a very good space game that offers plenty exploration and storytelling. Many cities offer breathtaking vistas that you just want to explore. Same as some planets. But as I am sure everyone will know, it is a cleverly crafted sandbox, so dont expect a road trip of thousands of miles before you come to an "in game barrier". So it is a return for Bethesda in my opinion to a better product than previous offerings.I agree with your synopsis of this game. Much appreciated . Just to add that you will need at least 12 to 15 hours gameplay for this game to open up and become more interesting. I am slowly approaching that time now. I just wish I knew a few things at first. Skill choices, traits etc, all can be important choices to make, some of which are not all that clear during early gameplay. Thank you.

[@nickoliedanielson]

Been watching your content since Elite Dangerous and always found you to be reasonable and unbiased. Reading reviews and people posting on Reddit really had me down about this game but after watching this I can see it's pretty much what I expect it to be. The whole space is a cell (zone area) and not open don't bother me since I don't want this game to fly around space for 10-15 mins just to get somewhere. I'm sure there will be plenty of random encounters and mods to come to add to the space zone.

[@XPOL12X]

Played it all day yesterday. Space combat is garbage, way too many loading screens and cut scenes and the stoey in first hours felt cheap. They way you get your ship an join constellation was rushed and silly. I was hoping for something grand like when you join spectres in mass effect. First day of this game was a huge letdown.

[@NickyLunaLove]

I’m rlly excited to play this! While it would be cool to have a more elite dangerous style exploration system, I think it still strike a great balance of what I personally need from a space game: enough exploration to keep me busy, a central story to keep my driven to some grand end goal while still having wiggle room in side quests and such so I don’t feel trapped on one track and REALISTIC ASTRONOMICAL SCALE lol it bugs me so much when planets in space games are rather tiny and super close together (not that there’s anything inherently wrong with that though, that’s perfect for a lot of players).

[@beast667]

3:30 that space bar trick was an eye opener for combat

[@paullynch1246]

That was top notch as always, really excited for this game 😊 The mods are going to be nuts!

[@KevinStoffel]

Absolutely agree. My number 1 feature request would be that they create a sort of "supercruise" (like in ED) that allows a ship to be hand-flown into other sectors or to other planets. I'm totally okay with the FTL for switching systems, but in-system, we need to have freedom.

[@dragoniv]

From your description of the flight model, it's very similar to the paradigm used in Wing Commander: Privateer in....1993.

[@MoHax01]

This description reminded me of PARKAN (1997)

[@philbrown8181]

Cute that the starter ship is called Frontier. A nice nod.

[@MouseAndShiraz]

Once I dropped into orbit around a planet, and noticed an icon for an unknown signal 19.1km away. When I hovered over it, it gave the option to fast travel to it. I tried boosting toward it to see if the number ever changed, and actually it did, it did go down as I flew in its direction. So I presume that the space sections might be semi-boundless. I say 'semi' because I suspect that there is nothing to see MOST of the time, unless the game tells you otherwise, there's just no reason for the devs to put limits on how far you can fly away from the position you start in. But sometimes they do put things pretty far away. I also suspect but can't confirm that the space you are in is 'fixed' in terms of its position in the star system. I suspect that there is no distance you could traverse that would, say, put you in the atmosphere of the planet you are orbiting, or fly you to a nearby moon, etc. I am pretty sure that no matter how far you fly, your position relative to the planets never changes. (for those curious, the unknown signal turned out to be an abandoned space station)

[@DevDreCW]

I'm pretty disappointed they couldn't find a way to tie the planets surface into 1 large area. I knew you couldn't fly down to the surface seamlessly, but I was hoping they wouldn't have invisible walls. Other than that it looks like a great time sink.

[@cmdr.shurimal8980]

Probably has to do with floating point math and how things get bonkers if you go too far from cell 0,0--that's just how Creation Engine works. Skyrim was already kind of pushing things with its map size, and 30...40 minutes from one end to the other of a landing zone in Starfield (ship being in cell 0,0) seems about the same size. On the other hand, basically procedurally creating a new worldspace on-the-go in a time measured in seconds every time you land seems like quite amazing achievement on Bethesda's part. All the more so having done LOD generation (easily a 10 to 30 minute process even on modern CPU-s) many times while modding Skyrim. I doubt anyone working on Morrowind thought that this could be even possible.

[@exnozgaming5657]

@@cmdr.shurimal8980 The moment they said the are making this game on their "new" Creation engine, i knew what to expect

[@LOL2YOU]

I've been playing this game for like 35 hours and I've been exploring planets like crazy and never had a wall. You have to intentionally do it

[@exnozgaming5657]

@@LOL2YOU There IS no "planets" in this game brother 😑

[@Zitronenmantel]

Depending on your imagination@@exnozgaming5657

[@DeadBaron]

Oh jeez that Adoring Fan is definitely an Oblivion reference. I know it was never going to be an actual space game, but it really seems like they marketed it heavily on spacecraft, then never showed how taking off and transitioning between areas were just loading screens. I hope Elder Scrolls fanboys enjoy it but so far looks like it will be a pass for me until it's on a steep sale.

[@Viper1Zero]

The review I’ve been waiting for!

[@jameshonore1072]

ObsidianAnt talks, I listen 💪

[@rashadroberts2910]

Bethesda is why i play rpg games. My first game from them was elder scrolls 3 morrowind. When I've seen the scale of the land i was in shock, and it was on the original xbox. Ever since i was Starfield is not a space sim, nor a no man's sky type game. It a Bethesda game. I love the ROLE PLAYING in this game and i a space junky so it fit me just fine

[@plinker439]

What i knew from the very first moment. It does not compete with ED or SC at all.

[@tom.m]

Been waiting for this one. So many "100+ hour review" videos that gloss over anything beyond whether or not its a fun BGS RPG. Which I understand is the target market, but was never really the question I wanted answered. Thanks, Ant. Looking forward to your thoughts after getting to dive deeper.