Starfield has captured the imagination of gamers with its intergalactic exploration and investigation of deep questions about science and spirituality. It’s a title that has taken years to develop, and while it’s not perfect, it represents another successful release from Bethesda. One of the most exciting parts of the game is the space battles.

Unfortunately, there are not too many of them in Starfieldand when they do appear, it’s usually a small affair. Future games in the series should capitalize more on space battles between spaceships, as they provide a source of delicious action. This can be achieved by improving various aspects of space combat.

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Starfield’s space battles have a lot of potential

Spaceship battles are an integral part of the science fiction genre and are guaranteed not to be neglected in the game. Starfield‘s space battle system can be a bit complicated at first, but the game does a good job of introducing players to the combat mechanics. Once players get the hang of it, space battles are fun and exciting.

The big problem is that there simply aren’t enough space battles, which makes flying through the cosmos a boring, lonely experience. Moreover, space battles are mostly small brawls with only a few Starfield Spaceships that get destroyed pretty quickly, especially if you have a good spaceship.

Starfield needs more story-driven space battles

One way Bethesda can fix this is by developing storylines that focus on space battles. As players explore the world of Starfieldthey will find that there are different factions that offer different storylines with different focuses. For example, the Crimson Fleet focuses on the life of a space pirate, while the Freestar Collective gives players the feeling of being a space cowboy.

Likewise, there should be a faction questline that focuses on space battles, making them as big and spectacular as possible. The best faction for this would be House Va’Ruun, whose members are fascinated by the concept of grav jumping. Going into large battles as a member of House Va’Ruun or against the faction would provide some of the most exciting moments in the game.

Starfield could overtake the ship fleet system

Currently Starfield Ship battles require players to fight against multiple enemies on their own. This is not a problem if a player’s ship is combat-ready enough, but it can result in players being overwhelmed by enemies quite quickly. To counteract this, players should be able to take on enemies in fleets of ships. Companions could pilot the other starships and strategize with players to take out enemies, forcing players to own multiple starships and experiment with how different ships can work together effectively.

Spaceship battles could be a window for multiplayer gameplay

The settlement systems are huge and it can get lonely to explore them on your own, even when you are commanding a spaceship full of NPC companions. This could change when future Starfield Titles or updates introduce multiplayer aspects and spaceship battles could be the best way to do this.

It would be great fun to have players work together to fight enemy spaceships. It would encourage players to consider their companions when designing their ships and think of ways to take advantage of the strengths and weaknesses of different ship designs. At the end of a fierce battle, players could share the spoils, giving them an incentive to work together.

Bethesda doesn’t have to wait for a sequel to make changes to the spaceship combat system. These changes could be introduced in DLCs like the upcoming Shattered Space expansion. It’s obvious that there’s still a lot of potential for Starfield to grow with future updates, and the spaceship battles are an aspect that Bethesda should not overlook.

Starfield

Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, Starfield is a science fiction action role-playing game in which players interact with multiple factions, fight, customize their main character and ship, and explore a universe with over 100 systems and 1,000 planets.

Systems

Released

6 September 2023

Motor

proprietary engine

ESRB

M for adults over 17 years due to blood, suggestive themes, drug use, strong language and violence

How long does it take to beat

20 hours

Steam Deck Compatibility

Yes

X|S Improved

Yes

File size Xbox Series

101 GB (September 2023)

Save cross

NO

Cross-platform gaming

no multiplayer

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