Waiting for Starfield-o

 Yeah it's a dumb reference, don't worry about it.

When I first heard about Baldur's Gate 3 moving out of the way of Starfield by pushing itself forward by a month, I assumed it was something of a mercy to a game which would have been totally and utterly overshadowed due to the apocalyptic hype for Bethesda's newest title. And to be fair, I still think that might have been the case- overlapping high octane launches do have a tend to effect performances and have even sunken a title or two in the past. But even then, at best I expected a shift in launch to merely open the way for Baldur's Gate 3 to get a bit of air type with it's base of hopefuls that have been waiting all this time, I was actually preparing for a modest launch. When it landed with one of the biggest splashes of the year I couldn't contain both my shock and my bizarre swell of pride, as though I had sat down and made the thing myself.

Now, shock of all shocks, it's Starfield that has a lot to live up to as an RPG to be considered as satisfying of an experience as Baldur's Gate 3 has been for a lot of people out there. Obviously not as a branching narrative based high-RPG title, because that's never really been Bethesda's strong suit anyway, but simply as a freeing space-exploration adventure game like Bethesda have promised us. And at the very least the company seem to be confidant with what they've made, which speaks wonders after their recent slate of 'so-so' launches ever since Fallout 4, to be honest. I would absolutely adore for there to be strict competition at the high echelons of the role-playing space, and for success to touch both of my favourite western role-playing developers in succession. And I guess I hope Mass Effect 4 doesn't suck too. Whenever that's due our way...

In the lead-up there's actually been a lot less in the way of advertising then I expected there to be. I mean, we got the blow-out of legends during the Microsoft showcase, there's no doubt about that, but I've yet to even seen Youtube ads reminding me that the game is due in just over two weeks time! No banner ads, no billboards- even Fallout 4 was getting more coverage than this during the lead-up month. (Although, admittedly, that was due to the fact that small snippets of low resolution gameplay had leaked out and a content starved populace were clandestinely sharing it amongst themselves like crack-cocaine.) Heck, I didn't even know that the Starfield controller was in stock yet! I had to rush to pick one up myself. (I actually love the design of the modular decals and the soft material grip- high quality stuff for the price!)

But I have to say the landscape of high quality RPGs has been soured quite heavily by the state of modern console exclusivity- as damned as the topic be. RPG lovers should be in the middle of a free-way blast of games, Final Fantasy XVI, Baldur's Gate 3 and Starfield- but instead the only people who have the chance to experience that is those who own practically all the major gaming consoles at the same time! FF 16 is going to be an exclusive for a startling while, according to the producer; Baldur's Gate 3 is currently only out on PC and the under-powered Series S is making an Xbox release unannounceable, (Which makes sense. The memory leak issue makes Act 3 quite choppy even on modern generation hardware.) and Starfield is the first Bethesda game to be Xbox only... what a segregated world our once-unified community has become. (At least PC players have the potential of one day being able to play all simultaneously.)

By the time this has gone out the review copies will have started trickling out into the major outlets in order to give reviewers their due time with the game, which is another huge vote of confidence and a bit of a walk back from Bethesda. I still remember the time when Bethesda, in a fit, refused to give out review codes to publications over a spat which I think has still never been fully publicised. Bethesda also were never huge fans of providing their codes too early. Two weeks isn't amazingly ahead of the curve but it is more than you can usually expect from them, and it means the team are confidant enough in the game the made that they want review scores to be out there when the majority of their audience rock up to make the purchasing decision.

One huge factor contributing to this confidence could be the apparent lack of bugs that this game in relation to literally any other Bethesda game before. A startling bold claim which is really going to be put to the test this September. For many the very nature of bugginess is what characterises Bethesda games, such to the point where people exaggerate and conjure wild narratives of  games that explode upon load or other such fanciful nonsense. (And in doing so they make Fallout 76 less special for it's unique brand of bugginess.) Even Baldur's Gate carried some of it's bugs with it to launch, although I suspect the Memory Leak is it's biggest issue in need of resolution. (Hopefully soon.) With everything to mind, I can't help feeling a little anxious about the imminent future.

I don't think anyone really absorbed how 'on notice' this game was until recently. I mean sure, it's the last hope of the Xbox team to prove that their extended investment into first party is capable of creating an international cross-genre hit like Sony's exclusives can, but I think most of us just assumed that Bethesda had it in the bag like they always do. Now however, I'm not sure. Even though I think the comparison might be unfair, the diatribe around BG3 and expectations is going to draw unfavourable contention in narrative, a department which Starfield would never be able to compete, and probably even in it's RPG systems. Again, the games are fundamentally distinct- there's a world of difference between CRPGs and Action Adventure RPGs, but the 'Standards drama' has poisoned the well somewhat. Unless Starfield is an undeniable masterpiece, and I'm not all that confidant that it will be, tongues are going to wag.

Personally, I say there's space for all games this year- as after the high-profile lows we've had it behoves us to demand high-profile summits from which we can ascend above the Forspoken and the Gollums and the Redfalls that haunt us. The rigors of advancing age and the soothe of an incredible RPG may have cooled the raging fire demanding Starfield, but it hasn't dimmed the spark in my heart for a return to form. There's so much Starfield could be, and so much that the world really needs reminding when it comes to the sort of unity a great Bethesda game can conjure. At the very least I know one thing- the Game Awards will be absolutely fierce come December. But don't worry, whoever ends up winning, Ubisoft will figure out some way to give themselves the 'game of the year' tag on the front cover of Assassin's Creed Mirage- the utter frauds.