“Starfield” shoots for the stars

“Starfield” is Bethesda’s long-awaited game into the realm of deep-space exploration, which offers a journey through the cosmos that can leave players both excited and frustrated. While the game presents a gigantic universe, built with many wonders, its user interface design stands as a flaw. 

From the moment that you step into the game, Bethesda is able to pull you into its story. The company’s work on previous big hits, like series such as “Skyrim” and “Fallout” is clearly shown, with “Starfield” being able to blend its own story and narrative that was created around genres like science fiction. Its universe is filled with planets to discover, ships to build and pilot, and factions to engage with. It’s filled with hours of playtime, and with many stories and side quests to explore, you get lost in its universe. 

But the user interface that the game has prevents any real enjoyment in the game. It commits the sin of information overload, bombarding players with menus, sub-menus, and nested windows. This is common with Bethesda games, with many of them requiring the use of UI mods to be able to have any form of enjoyment. Simple tasks like managing your inventory, upgrading your ship, or tracking quests become large undertakings. Critical information is buried beneath layers of clutter, leading to confusion. The complexity of the UI distracts from the immersive experience “Starfield” otherwise offers.

For a game with such grand ambitions, and over seven years spent on its universe, its UI’s lack of intuitive design feels like a missed opportunity. It should be a benefit to the game, to be able to streamline the experience that it otherwise offers, but it became a frustrating bar to enjoyment. 

Despite this glaring flaw, “Starfield” manages to shine through with its narrative, lore, and the sheer wonder of exploring its universe. In the end, “Starfield” is a decent game with a terrible UI, relying on the help of third-party mods to fix many of the issues. If you can endure the shortcomings and complexities, you’ll find an amazing world well worth the journey. Bethesda has crafted a universe brimming with potential, but it’s a universe in desperate need of a more user-friendly interface to truly let its starry brilliance shine.