Summary
One of the very first video games ever made – 1962’sSpacewar!– was a multiplayer Sci-Fi game that saw players attempt to maneuver two rudimentary “ships” around a collapsing star. Ever since then, the Sci-Fi genre has remained a strong staple of the video game industry, and rather fittingly, it’s usually been at the forefront of a lot of gaming’s boldest innovations, with games likeDoom,Half-Life,Halo, andMass Effectall breaking new ground for the entire gaming industry. And whileStarfieldandNo Man’s Skyaren’t quite as groundbreaking as those games, they set out with similar intentions.
WhenNo Man’s Skywas first announced in December 2013, many gamers thought it looked too good to be true, and the more developer Hello Games promised, the stronger the feeling grew. Many fans had a similar reaction toStarfieldduring its own run-up to release, and that’s just the start of the two Sci-Fi games' similarities.
Starfield Might Find Itself in the Same Boat as No Man’s Sky
Starfield Bore a Few Similarities to No Man’s Sky On Launch
In the lead-up toStarfield’s release, many fans ofNo Man’s Skypointed out some clear similarities between the two games. Gameplay-wise,StarfieldandNo Man’s Skydid share some key features, with both games putting a heavy emphasis on space exploration, dogfights, upgrading and customizing ships, and creating outposts on different planets to harvest resources. Of course, there were plenty of features that also separated the two games, such asStarfield’s strong RPG approach, but the comparisons were quite a big talking point for the industry justbeforeStarfield’s launch.
WhenStarfieldwas released last September, these comparisons only grew stronger, but for a very different reason. Upon its initial launch,Starfieldwas met with a very divisive reception, with both fans and critics alike being split onthe Bethesda RPG. Naturally, this divisive reception also reminded players ofNo Man’s Sky’s launch back in 2016, though its initial disappointing reception was much more uniform across the board. But the comparisons betweenStarfieldandNo Man’s Skyaren’t finished just yet. In fact, comparisons between the two games might only grow louder over the next few years, though that’s far from a bad thing.
Starfield’s Comparisons to No Man’s Sky Will Only Grow Stronger
Since its release last September,Starfieldhas received a wealth of updates and patches, many of which have gone a long way in fixing fans' initial grievances with the game. Bethesda is also planning to releaseStarfield’s Shattered Space expansionthis Fall, which will bring new story content, new planets, and new gear to the game. In a recent interview with MrMattyPlays, Bethesda’s Todd Howard also stated that another large-scale story expansion is currently being worked on, likely planned for release next year.
As it currently stands, Bethesda’s plans forStarfieldseem quite similar toNo Man’s Sky’s when it first launched. In its first year or so,No Man’s Skydedicated itself to releasing consistent updates that fixed a lot of the game’s biggest issues. After that, it started to release large-scale expansions that added highly-requested features to the game. Over time,No Man’s Skywent from being viewed as one of the biggest failures in modern gaming to one of the most impressive Sci-Fi games around. AlthoughStarfieldis very far from being a failure, it still isn’t viewed by many as a truly great game. But much likeNo Man’s Sky,it could reach new heights with its post-launch content.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
