You’re Playing Starfield Wrong, But It’s Not Your Fault

On paper the storyline of Starfield is the most compelling of any Bethesda RPG to date, but the game’s evident fear of any linear elements hurts the presentation, limiting players’ emotional investment. With any form of fiction, there is a difference between story and storytelling. The plot of Starfield is an ambitious space opera, full of twists and turns and emotional moments. Those narrative beats fail to land as well as they should, since Starfield eschews cinematic presentation to maintain player freedom. It contains a good story that is told poorly, leaving Starfield with wasted potential, which could have been improved on if the game had been more linear.