incredibly expansive setting that Starfield rectifies a particular plot annoyance present in Skyrim and Fallout 4.
While the stories of the Dragonborn in Skyrim and the Sole Survivor in Fallout 4 are vastly different, they both put their main stories on a timer. There is no literal timer à la The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, but the circumstances of their main quest lines are urgent enough that they should, diegetically, take precedent over any other task the main character might come upon. In a way, Skyrim and Fallout 4's main stories are antithetical to Bethesda's signature gameplay, which encourages players to interact with every little thing they come across, taking time to explore the meticulously arranged world.
Starfield's Main Story Doesn't Have Any Urgency
The earliest main missions in Starfield have players grav jumping through the Settled Systems in search of certain artifacts – companions to an artifact the main character touched in the intro, subsequently having an inexplicable vision. For this, the main character has been inducted into Constellation, a guild of explorers. Constellation, however, only has leads on where artifacts might be found, and they don't know anything about the mysterious objects either. Even Constellation's leader, Sarah Morgan, will accompany the player as a companion, offering a disclaimer that she doesn't really care what sort of adventures the player gets dragged into, as long as they reach the artifacts eventually.
It's a wonderfully refreshing premise for a Bethesda game. Shortly into Skyrim, the Dragonborn learns of their destiny and the apocalyptic implications around the return of the dragon Alduin, aka the World Eater. Fallout 4's dire circumstances are even more immediate, with the Sole Survivor emerging from cryogenic stasis in Vault 111 to find their spouse being murdered and son kidnapped. Both games' urgency makes their main objectives paramount, which causes friction when the rest of the game is designed to waylay the player down numerous rabbit holes.
Starfield Leaves Room For Side Missions & Exploration
An emphasis on exploration in Starfield lets the player wander without feeling like they're shunning some emergency. The artifacts are certainly important, but the Settled Systems are massive, and no one knows exactly what they are anyway. Constellation definitely wants to learn more about them, but there are many ways to go about the organization's primary directive, exploration. Certain quests, like becoming an agent of corporate espionage for Ryujin Industries in Neon, may still feel at odds with the main story, but collecting survey data, building outposts, upgrading ships, and even ing the United Colonies Vanguard feel like worthwhile endeavors in the interest of Starfield's impetus.
Comparatively, climbing the ranks of the Thieves Guild in Skyrim or hunting down the Silver Shroud's duds in Fallout 4 feel like tasks better left for after the world has been saved or a missing son has been found. Starfield feels as though it has a main story that fits more naturally with the rest of the game, giving players an end goal but not making it urgent enough to warrant rushing through other aspects. Bethesda's games really shine when their sandboxes are given room to breath, and Starfield's main quest promotes exploration to a degree that does just that.
