Review: Starfield (PS5) – Better Than Ever, But Still No Space Skyrim

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Starfield marks a significant departure from Bethesda’s previous titles like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. It’s a role-playing game set in space, and surprisingly, the vastness of space itself is its biggest drawback.

The game doesn’t have one big open world; it’s made up of many smaller ones—though only a handful are truly interesting to explore.

Okay, so I’ve been playing Starfield, and it’s kinda weird. You can’t just ignore the main story and wander off – the game is the main story, constantly pulling you forward. I realized it’s not that the side stuff is bad, it’s just… space travel itself isn’t as exciting as I hoped. No matter what cool planet I find, getting there just feels like a chore sometimes. It’s like the game knows it needs to keep me on a path, because letting me truly roam free would expose how a little empty space can be.

Bethesda games have always focused more on the experience of playing than on reaching a specific goal – they’re all about the adventure itself.

Starfield breaks the typical gaming mold. Instead of focusing on the experience of getting somewhere, it’s built around quickly reaching your destination.

This game isn’t new – it’s been available on Xbox and PC for years. But now it’s finally come to PS5, and it includes a brand new content update called Free Lanes, after receiving over two years of improvements and additions.

This is the complete Starfield experience for consoles. It includes the original game, both expansions, and all updates and improvements. It’s built for the PS5, taking full advantage of the DualSense controller’s features like adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, plus delivering fast loading and stunning graphics. And on the PS5 Pro, you’ll get even better visuals with new modes optimized for the console’s power.

That’s still not enough for it to compete with the Bethesda classics of yesteryear.

Starfield is a well-made RPG, especially when you go in without high expectations. It features Bethesda’s best combat yet, interesting stories within its different factions, and the recent Free Lanes update significantly improves the space travel experience, making it more enjoyable.

You’re one of the few people in the galaxy who can connect with special objects that unlock visions. A research group called Constellation recruits you to find more of these artifacts, sending you on a journey that uncovers secrets about the universe and the mysterious beings within it.

Look, I’ve played a lot of Bethesda games, and honestly, their main stories are usually kinda weak, and Starfield is no different. The whole reason you’re running around collecting stuff just isn’t that interesting, even when things get revealed. There are some awesome side missions with really cool moments, but when you finally get the artifacts you’ve been searching for, it just doesn’t feel rewarding. It’s a bit of a letdown, to be honest.

The primary storyline is best enjoyed as a way to explore the galaxy, experience its cultures, and visit its famous locations. Beyond that central story, you’ll find compelling side quests offered by different factions, showcasing some of the most engaging storytelling Bethesda has to offer.

Taking on missions for groups like the UC Vanguard, Crimson Fleet, and Freestar Rangers is a great way to experience the full depth of Starfield and learn about its history. Combining these side jobs with the main story creates a richer, more engaging narrative, letting you handle everything from alien dangers as part of the UC Vanguard to corporate espionage with Ryujin Industries, and much more.

It’s during the space in between those objective completions that Starfield loses focus.

Okay, so getting around this galaxy is a real pain. It’s not like a quick jump – you have to go through a bunch of confusing menus just to pick where you’re going, and then another set of menus to actually land. It totally breaks up the flow of the game and honestly makes me not want to bother exploring new planets, which is a bummer.

Beyond its carefully designed cities, Starfield fails to make distant locations feel interesting or inviting. The game lacks memorable, unique points of interest – the kind found in previous Fallout games like the Tenpenny Tower or a quirky character like Dinky the T-Rex. This makes Starfield feel like a checklist of tasks, as there’s little to discover or reward exploration beyond the main objectives. It doesn’t offer that sense of wonder or hidden gems.

The new Free Lanes update adds a way to travel between planets within the same star system. While you’re traveling, you might encounter other ships – some friendly, some not! You can even put your ship on autopilot and continue managing your resources, chatting with your crew, and doing other tasks as you head towards your destination.

Free Lanes makes the game less dependent on menus while you’re flying, giving you more freedom to role-play. It also expands the game with more crafting, ship customization, collectible figures, and new gameplay features, building on what was already there.

The game’s New Game+ mode has been improved, building on what was already a strong feature. There are compelling story reasons to start a new playthrough, and the recent Free Lanes update makes it easier to carry over your progress and equipment from previous games.

With all the improvements and additions, Starfield feels like Bethesda’s most complete game so far. But even with features like Free Lanes, the game still struggles with some core design problems because it lacks the seamless connection found in their previous open-world titles. Players are still mostly encouraged to rush through tasks, and meaningful exploration is rare.

The Free Lanes update also adds more weapon modification slots. These improvements contribute to what the developers consider their best combat system yet – it’s so well-designed, it doesn’t even require a VATS-like targeting system to be effective.

Equip your astronaut with a range of customizable guns and melee weapons to match your skill level. You’ll also unlock special abilities to use in battle and can team up with a companion for extra help. Like other Bethesda games, you can try to resolve situations through conversation, but if that fails, a solid combat system will take over.

Starfield’s graphics and performance on PS5 are solid – it runs well and doesn’t suffer from the technical problems that plagued previous Bethesda games. While it’s not flawless and you might occasionally see minor issues like characters in strange positions or objects overlapping, the PS5 version of Starfield is generally stable and dependable.

The game also appears visually improved compared to its original release. Players on PlayStation 5 will experience noticeably sharper and better graphics than those who played it on Xbox Series X at launch. The plant life in the city of New Atlantis, in particular, looks more detailed than ever on a console.

Players with the standard PS5 can choose between two graphics modes: Visuals mode prioritizes image quality at 30 frames per second, while Performance mode doubles the frame rate to 60fps for smoother gameplay. The upcoming PS5 Pro will offer even more options, including a Pro Visual Mode for 4K resolution at 30fps, and a Pro Performance Mode targeting 60fps. A 40fps setting will also be available, and the console will utilize PSSR technology to enhance visuals.

This support is fantastic and offers everything a PS5 gamer needs, whether they have the original console or the newer model. Plus, you can customize your experience by setting a specific frame rate.

The PS5 version, as such, is comfortably the best Starfield has ever been on a console.

Despite improvements, the game still struggles with familiar issues. It often feels similar to a Bethesda title – enjoyable when completing quests and interacting with characters, but less engaging when you venture off the beaten path. Without compelling things to discover outside of the main story, it can be hard to stay truly hooked.

Okay, so playing this felt really familiar – you definitely get that classic Bethesda vibe. But honestly, it didn’t quite click. Just when things were starting to feel good and I was getting into it, the game would kind of… fall apart. It felt disjointed, like the pieces weren’t connecting as smoothly as they should have been. It’s frustrating because you can see the potential, but it kept tripping over itself.

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2026-04-07 18:38