Huge Starfield May Update Sparks Calls For One Popular Missing Fallout 4 Feature Inclusion

2023's release of was, in a way, Bethesda Game Studios' long-awaited return to single-player RPGs following 2015's . is certainly more ambitious than its predecessor – it's immense scale is almost unrivaled – but it's not uniformly iterative, even if 's May 2024 update makes significant strides. makes some welcome reversions, like abandoning the much maligned voiced protagonist that tanks 's roleplaying potential, but despite the long wait for, it still feels like a step backward regarding certain features.

's latest update is by far the game's most significant. Surface maps have been reworked to show a player's surroundings and mark more locations within cities, addressing one of the most common criticisms the game's interface received. A variety of new settings let players fine-tune difficulty, select frame rate targets on Xbox Series X, and more. New interior decoration tools for the ship builder will go a long way in personalizing the experience. Some of the improvements, however, ultimately feel like a half-measure compared to their counterparts.

Starfield has plenty of captivating tales and dynamic mechanics that make it an epic science fiction adventure — and an instant classic.

While 's post-nuclear wastelands are especially suited for an extra-difficult survival mode, Bethesda's games in general have always felt only a step or two away from bona fide survival games. Looting is always prevalent, with a variety of in-universe foods and drinks, and the emergent exploration meshes well with the typical survival loop. For specifically, its Survival mode also helps add significance to its otherwise unnecessary settlement building mechanics.

's May update added a Sustenance option to the settings menu, but it hardly qualifies as a full-fledged survival mode, even when coupled with the new Extreme difficulty. When positive and negative Sustenance effects are turned on, all it does is provide buffs when food and drink are consumed, and debuffs when they wear off.