Starfield and the Skyrim Problem

 

Oblivion was better than Skyrim in many ways

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released some 12 years ago this year and yet it seems to be no less than relevant than today. The game has sold millions upon millions of copies, putting it up there as a gaming phenomenon that can hold its own with Street Fighter and Super Mario Brothers. It has been truly a game of the Millennials who have often been in the shadow of the Gen Xers. However, unlike the games in the 1990s, the games today seem to be taking longer to have sequels. The length of time between sequels is getting longer and longer and it is taking a toll on video game development. Some of my favorite games are taking so long that I am wondering whether these games will ever be released before being cancelled by executives who are trying to show their stockholders that the company will actually make money. This is the great dilemma that all big video game companies face. While smaller companies can make quirky games that enhance the medium, it is very difficult now to have a small company be able to make a game that will move the medium. It is very important to not be overly cynical about the Rockstars and the Bethesdas in the gaming industry; they play vital roles in making video games even more important in the eye of the public, especially among more skeptical parts of the public who still believe that video games are simply electronic toys. 

However, the issue arises when a game has not had a sequel for so long that people seem to attach so many sentiments to that game. People no longer seem to have a rational opinion on the game and seem to think that the game was the holy standard upon which every game was built. This is the problem that Rockstar Games faces with Grand Theft Auto VI. The previous game has been out for so long that the expectations are really high for the next game. I worry that Rockstar has peaked with the previous game, Red Dead Redemption II and that they won't be able to meet expectations. 

This is the problem that Starfield faces. The game was a passion project of Todd Howard and people are constantly criticizing the game for not being Skyrim. It isn't supposed to be Skyrim and I think that people are unfairly comparing the game to Skyrim. 

Skyrim was produced long before Starfield and I think people have got to give Starfield a chance. This is one of the reasons that I continue writing about this game no matter what people say about it. It is important that people who love this game speak up about this game.

Skyrim has been with us for so long that it seems that the whole RPG genre seems to revolve around it. Rockstar's games are also contributing to this idea that the genre needs to be prefect and that every imperfection means that the game is not worth playing. People have to stop having such unrealistic expectations.

Bethesda did release the Elder Scrolls Online but players are waiting for the real sequel to the Elder Scrolls. By spending so much time on developing this game, Bethesda may setting up for even greater issues with the release of Elder Scrolls VI. 

Starfield has had to deal with the YouTube aristocracy trying to call this game a mediocre game that will go nowhere. People have to understand that Skyrim was being heavily criticized in 2011 and 2012 by the YouTube critics as well. There were many people on the forums who were saying that this game was terrible and wasn't anything like Oblivion. 

Of course, it seems that the people who love Skyrim now and the positive vibes that it gets from people are probably Millenials who seek to claim Skyrim as a part of their popular culture identity. This is one of the reasons that Skyrim has been so dominant for so long in the imagination of the Millienials. Starfield is having to go up against years upon years of people trying to hold to onto this ideal of Skyrim and what it meant to them.

Skyrim is a great game, but I find that it is inferior to Oblivion in many areas. People are going to need to give up on the symbol of Skyrim as being this prefect game to compare everything to and start thinking realistically about how games are made. Whenever a new game is made, there are going to be changes to it. Not everything can be made into the most realistic game ever made. Skyrim even at the time was considered to have poor quality graphics compared to some other RPGs on the market. 

I think in general that we players have become more and more cynical about the type of games that are coming out these days. I just wish that people would give Starfield a chance instead of constantly criticizing the game. Starfield may have NPCs that may look strange, but we have to understand that this is a game that has alot going on under the hood. We have to respect that. When we consider that this game was released at all. We have to respect the endurance of the game developers who brought this game to life. Starfield could have easily been cancelled. Instead, it has been released into the public's hands and we are having some very interesting mods being made. 

We should try to look at the positive of what Starfield has managed to accomplish rather than tearing it down. People who are doing that do not understand how difficult developing games are. We need to stop criticizing Starfield so much and start appreciating it for what it has. We have a complete game and we should proud of the work that Bethesda did on this game. We should be hopeful that they will continue supporting the game and working to make sure that it appeals to everyone out there is willing to take a chance with it.