Summary
StarfieldUpdate 4, which launched in Steam Beta on May 1, seems to have finally satisfied a lot of fans who had previously abandoned Bethesda’s outer space RPG. After a lackluster player reception at launch, fan reaction to this newestStarfieldupdate seems to be overwhelmingly positive.
Bethesda releasedStarfieldin September 2023, and it registered a huge number of players at launch, thanks in no small part to its day-one inclusion on Game Pass. However, it also had to compete with the consolelaunch ofBaldur’s Gate 3, which Larian Studios released on PlayStation 5 on the same day. Since then,Starfield’s player numbers have dwindled dramatically, while its competitor’s RPG has racked up countless awards, including Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2023.
But now, fans seem to be resuming their outer space adventures for a lot of reasons, with one of the biggest being the ability to choose between performance and visual modes, dramatically improving thepoor FPS rate inStarfieldthat players had complained about in past builds. ManyStarfieldplayers on Reddit have admitted that they left the game in its launch month after around 30 to 40 hours of playtime, but they’re now coming back to the game thanks to the improvements included in the update. Players are also praising Bethesda for its inclusion of the new Extreme difficulty setting, offering a greater challenge for fans who found the combat too easy.
More Big Changes Are Coming To Starfield
Those aren’t the only major changes the game has undergone with the May update.Ship customization inStarfieldhas long been one of its strongest selling points, and the May update is expanding that system by allowing players to fully furnish and customize the interior of their ships the same way that they can with their terrestrial outposts, including new empty ship hab modules that are entirely customizable. Other improvements include updated surface maps that display terrain and structures, better inventory management, and improved gameplay options, which include changing the amount of credits carried by vendors.
The recent upswing inStarfield’s player approval couldn’t have come at a better time for Bethesda. TheShattered Space DLCis planned for release this autumn, and while director Todd Howard and his team have remained tight-lipped about just what’s coming in the game’s first major content update — other than that it will expand upon the main story — keeping fans' interest high ahead of the DLC’s launch is likely a major goal for Bethesda Game Studios. While the update is currently only available in Steam Beta, it is planned to be released on all platforms on May 15.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
