Starfield is undoubtedly one of the most eagerly anticipated video games in recent times, but news from its developer, Bethesda Game Studios, has left a significant section of the game’s potential players feeling short-changed.
Starfield is Bethesda’s first new intellectual property in over 25 years. Besthesda formally announced the game during Bethesda’s 2018 E3 presentation, immediately setting tongues wagging. The long wait for the game’s launch is almost over, with September 6, 2023, penciled in for Windows and Xbox Series X/S players. It is the latter that are unhappy with recent news from the Bethesda camp.
Betting websites worldwide predict the ambitious Starfield will walk away with the coveted Game of the Year title. However, they may need to renege on those sentiments after Bethesda’s director and executive producer Todd Howard broke some unwelcome news this week. Howard revealed Starfield’s framerate will be locked at 30 FPS for Xbox Series X and Series S players at a time when developers are pressing for a minimum of 60 FPS and as high as 120 FPS.
In an interview with IGN, Howard also confirmed Starfield will run in 4K resolution for the more powerful Xbox Series X but at 1440p for the Xbox Series S.
Starfield Will Run in 4K at 30 FPS on the Xbox Series X
“I think it’ll come as no surprise, given our previous games, what we go for. Always these huge, open worlds, fully dynamic, hyper detail where anything can happen. And we do want to do that. It’s 4K in the X. It’s 1440 on the S. We do lock it at 30 because we want that fidelity; we want all that stuff. We don’t want to sacrifice any of it.”
“Fortunately, in this one, we’ve got it running great. It’s often running way above that [30 FPS]. Sometimes it’s 60, but on consoles, we do lock it because we prefer consistency, where you’re not even thinking about it.”
Is Starfield Going to be Worth the Hype?
Bethesda could have an epic video game on its hands if the hype about Starfield is to be believed. You only have to look at the success of other space-themed action role-playing games to see that. Elite: Dangerous, EVE Online, and, to some extent, No Man’s Sky are just three titles every space-themed video game fan should have in their collection. Starfield could blast them into outer space if Bethesda gets it right.
Players take control of a fully customizable silent protagonist. Players can tailor their character’s appearance in addition to their background, which unlocks various traits. Additional traits are unlocked as the player progresses, with some characteristics hindering more than aiding them.
An Ambitious Project
The game takes place in an open world in an area of the Milky Way galaxy. Players will see various fictional and non-fictional planetary systems and be able to land on thousands of planets, moons, and space stations. Most of the landscapes are procedurally generated, with the game creating terrain and the planet’s fauna and flora as the player approaches the planet. Weapons and spaceships are also customizable.
Think along the lines of Mass Effect combined with Dragons Age and a sprinkling of Elite: Dangerous, and you are somewhere near to what Starfield promises.
We only have until September 6 to wait to find out if Bethesda has created a game worthy of the hype surrounding it. Although, if you purchase either the Premium or Constellation Edition of Starfield, you receive five days of early access prior to the game’s launch, meaning you could be exploring the vast galaxy as early as September 1.