Summary
After years of anticipation,Starfieldhas finally arrived, and now all eyes are onThe Elder Scrolls 6. WithStarfield, Bethesda has once again shown audiences why it is one of the biggest names in the RPG genre. Even though it has never tackled the outer space sci-fi genre before, it seems to have done it extraordinarily well. Now, it is set to return to its fantasy roots withThe Elder Scrolls 6, and while that’s a long time coming,TES6really needs to consider dropping one annoying feature.
Starfieldis often hindered by the sheer amount of loading screens players will encounter. They cannot go very far without running into one, and that can often hinder the experience.The Elder Scrolls 6is a ways off, yet there is a strong chance it also suffers from the same problem. Hopefully, Bethesda takes the time to address the issue, because players should not have to go through dozens of loading screens during their fantastical adventures.
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Starfield Feels Too Fragmented Due to Loading Screens
Starfieldmay be a great sci-fi RPG, but that does not mean it is perfect. One of the most annoying aspects of the game is probably its loading screens. Players will run into these constantly as they explore the universe They will see them when they enter their ship, when they take off, when they fly to new planet, and when they land. This problem is not reserved to space either, as each city seems to be filled with them as well. Players cannot even navigate cities like Neon without hitting multiple loading screens on their way in.
The sheer amount of loading screens slows down the gameplay experience and breaks down immersion. It makes everything feel a bit more fragmented as players cannot do anything without running into a couple of loading screens along the way. One or two would be fine, butStarfieldis filled to the brim with them.In the age of SSDsand virtually no loading screens in some of the biggest games, it feels strange thatStarfieldwould suffer from so many. While there is a lot going on within the RPG, it feels like there is a needlessly large amount of loading going on.
The Elder Scrolls 6is years away, and gaming technology will surely evolve by then. Video games will probably be doing new unique things, hardware will have gotten more advanced, and players will be expecting different things. Hopefully, that means that Bethesda will take advantage of that by limiting the loading screens. Already, games likeRatchet and Clank: Rift ApartandNo Man’s Skyseem to have done that, so there is seemingly no reasonThe Elder Scrolls 6could not as well.
The Elder Scrolls 6will likely be a very advanced fantasy RPG, so it will probably have to rely a bit on loading screens to deliver its experience. However, that does not mean that almost everything players do should involve one. This has beena problem for most Bethesda RPGsfor years, but it is definitely the most evident withStarfield, and it needs to stop. While it may take some work, the entire experience will probably be better for it.
Players want to explore these worlds as fast and efficiently as possible, yet they are unable to. They do not want to walk for a bit, wait for a bit, walk some more, and then repeat the entire process over again. This leads to slow and fragmented games, which is not really what RPG fans want. Hopefully, the future of Bethesda RPGs is a bit more forgiving when it comes to loading, but players will just have to wait and see.
Starfieldis available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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