Xbox console exclusive Starfield is one of the most hotly anticipated video games of 2022. Set to release on the 11th anniversary of Skyrim’s initial release, Starfield looks as though it could signal in a new era of Bethesda games with an exciting new setting. For many years, Starfield had been eagerly awaited by Bethesda fans across all platforms, but its eventual release will come with a major caveat. For players on Xbox and PC, the hype train was allowed to continue, but PlayStation fans were left in the dark. Now with the release of Starfield scheduled for just under a year from now, PlayStation Bethesda fans are scrambling to find a way to play the exciting title.
The official announcement that Starfield is an Xbox console exclusive wasn’t entirely a surprise, as Xbox’s acquisition of Bethesda early this year was expected to have an impact on the availability of future games on other consoles. This makes a big change from the likes of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, which is renowned for being available on a broad range of platforms. This is the first and most obvious difference between Starfield and Skyrim, but Bethesda fans may be hoping that the differences don’t stop there, as Starfield could stand to improve upon a handful of Skyrim elements that frustrated fans.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has a lot of dungeons for the Dragonborn to explore and discover their secrets as well as their treasures. While the caves and dungeons of Skyrim offer a chance for some of the game’s best storytelling and gameplay, fans of the game do grow tired of them after a while. This makes repeated playthroughs of Skyrim drag a little bit and leaves the player wanting to explore more of the game’s overworld. It has recently been teased on the official Starfield Twitter account that the game will also have caves and dungeons of sorts, but long-time fans of Bethesda games may be hoping that the game will shake up the experience of exploring these locations somewhat.
Skyrim Dungeon Types
Some of Skyrim’s best dungeons stand out as the more memorable parts of the player’s experience of the game, but these are are few and far between. Much of the underground sections of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim are grounded in familiarity. Given their prevalence, the samey feeling that is often felt while exploring Skyrim’s dungeons is enough to make fans think twice before taking up certain quests. While many of Skyrim’s quests have great stories backing them, to enter into one of the game’s more lengthy dungeons is a large time investment and one that may leave players longing to breathe Skyrim’s fresh air.
This is one area where Starfield could improve upon Skyrim, making each dungeon that bit more unique. From the looks of the teased Starfield dungeons, they will function more like caves and will feature some interesting environmental aspects. The concept art of Starfield’s caves shows an expansive cave with large crystals stemming from each of its walls. If the cave type shown is just one of many, it could be an exciting part of exploring the planets of Starfield. Trying to imagine what lies beyond each cave entrance could be exciting in its own right, with the eventual reveal serving to compound this excitement. Each planet could hold its own geological wonders to discover, which would make caves that much more exciting.
Are Skyrim’s Caves Boring?
While they make up much of the gameplay of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, players may be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu while exploring the game’s caves and dungeons. Skyrim’s Dwemer ruins are notorious for being long and drawn out, and much of the content inside can be found in other instances of Dwemer ruins. However, these ruins are no exception, as many of the Nordic ruins can also come across as rather similar. For many players, upon entering a dungeon in Skyrim, they are simply looking to complete their quest so that they can get back to the open world.
Players may be hoping for a little bit more from Starfield’s open worlds and planets, and they may also be hoping for some more exciting dungeons. As Starfield is inter-planetary, it’s likely that each location will have its own unique flora and fauna. This could translate well to the caves of Starfield and its inhabitants. If players are regularly swapping between worlds, entering into some of Starfield’s caves could be a tense, yet exciting experience, where players never know what to expect beyond the cave entrance. In Skyrim, players know they will be facing endless armies of Draugr or Dwarven Spiders before they’ve even entered the dungeon, but this could change in Starfield.
Skyrim Has Too Many Dungeons
Exploring Skyrim’s lore-rich open world can make up some of the players’ best memories of playing through the game. However, far too often players are sent below ground to its caves and dungeons. Skyrim’s open world is fairly small by today’s standards, but if it were larger, players would no doubt aim to stay above ground as much as possible. While dungeons are entertaining aspects of many RPG games, the games they are present in may benefit from more overworld content. This is perhaps somewhere that Starfield could look to improve upon what can be found in Skyrim.
Starfield’s open worlds and multiple planets should include enough content to make its dungeons more of a supplementary element among the main bulk of its content. A big issue around Skyrim’s dungeons is that players simply grow bored of them because of the frequency with which they are asked to visit them. Starfield’s space-exploration theme could reduce the need for these dungeons. In doing so, this would increase the rarity of these dungeons, and make their exploration feel like a much more valuable experience.
Starfield’s release in November 2022 could be one of the highlights of the year, but in order to win over Bethesda fans, some improvements over Skyrim’s dungeons may be necessary.
Starfield will be released on November 11, 2022 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.