Starfield review roundup: 'a genre-defining, epic open-world RPG'
Starfield reviews are now live, and it's good news for Xbox fans
The expectation placed on Starfield reached unfathomable levels, but now reviews are out for Bethesda’s first new IP in 25 years. And it’s good news for Xbox fans and Microsoft.
The space-faring RPG is sitting on an impressive Opencritic score of 87 after 110 reviews, with 91% of critics recommending the Xbox Series X|S and PC exclusive. The scores range from perfect to as low as 7/10, but the overall consensus seems to indicate Starfield is a success.
The game officially launched on September 6, but those who purchased the Starfield Constellation Edition or Starfield Premium Upgrade could play the game five days early.
Like all Microsoft first-party titles, Starfield is available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. You can save with our Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 12-month discount code.
Let’s hear what critics had to say about Bethesda’s latest epic.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Starfield reviews
👍 Starfield has an Opencritic score of 87 after 110 critic reviews
🤩 91% of critics would recommend Starfield
🆕 It’s the first new IP from Bethesda in 25 years
💰 The game was released on September 6 and costs $70
Destructoid awarded Starfield a perfect score, saying “Bethesda has managed to raise the bar for sandbox games even higher. In the end, Starfield is a genre-defining epic open-world RPG with a beautifully immersive universe, a captivating story, and fun and addicting gameplay the whole way. I'm so happy to have experienced Starfield organically without any spoilers, and I really hope you get to as well.”
VGC also loved Starfield and said “Starfield is the ultimate Bethesda game. It takes what people loved about Fallout and Skyrim, and casts it across an enormous galaxy filled with captivating characters.”
GamesRadar+ felt similarly, saying: “Starfield isn't really a game you play to complete, it's more about living whatever sort of life you want in the literal universe Bethesda has created. Whatever you're thinking of doing, you almost certainly can do it, and the scale is almost a release in a way – you'll probably never see or do it all, so just enjoy the moment. There's months, if not years, of discoveries buried away in here, and even after 80 hours I can't wait to see more.”
Game Informer also enjoyed Starfield, but warned it takes some time to get going. “It took me a long time to fall in love with Starfield, and even after I did, certain aspects didn’t work for me. But the things I didn’t enjoy are vastly outweighed by my enthusiasm for this new, original science fiction universe, the breadth of its adventures, and the appeal of its many interwoven stories. Go in with the expectation that it will take some time to find your footing in such a vast gameplay space, and there’s a universe well worth discovering here.”
However, PCGamer was less impressed with Bethesda’s new IP, giving it 75 out of 100. “After all the hype and hope and anticipation, I'm disappointed to say I don't love Starfield the way I love other Bethesda RPGs. It's similar in a lot of ways, but Starfield never feels as instantly engrossing and transporting as Oblivion or Skyrim or as wild and weird as the Fallout games.”
IGN also didn’t click with Starfield like other outlets, awarding the game a 7 out of 10. “Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.”
It’s clear that Starfield is regarded as one of the best Xbox games by critics, and I’m currently in the process of testing it myself. So far, I’m really enjoying it.
Starfield will be joined by another big Xbox Series X exclusive this year in the form of Forza Motorsport, which is out on October 10. Check our upcoming Xbox Series X games list to see what else is on the horizon.
Last updated: September 6, 2023