Summary
Though melee builds inStarfieldare in a rough spot, one player managed to complete a playthrough of the latest Bethesda title using only gun bashing. Given howviable ranged weapons inStarfieldcan be, not many players consider gun bashing as an alternate way of dealing damage when enemies get close. Blasting a Crimson Fleet pirate with a shotgun at point-blank range is a satisfying way to establish control in combat, as Bethesda fans largely believe that the studio delivered its best gunplay yet inStarfield.
By contrast,melee inStarfieldhas glaring issues, where not only does it lack adequate perk support compared to rifles or pistols, but it also does not scale in quality tiers like other weapons or even armor pieces do. WhileStarfield’s difficulty doesn’t punish players for attempting a melee build, the community generally considers it to be a step-down fromFallout 4andSkyrim, especially since ammo doesn’t contribute to Carry Weight.
These factors have ultimately given YouTuber Causal Loop an idea for a rather unorthodox challenge: completingStarfieldusing solely gun bashing. For the sake of fairness, certain restrictions were also taken into account:Starfieldcompanionswould only be used during mandatory sequences, the playthrough would remain on Normal difficulty, and the only source of damage would have to be from gun bashing – meaning no Starborn powers. The goal for Causal Loop was to take this highly impracticalStarfieldbuild, and attempt to enter Unity with it.
There were a few key components that made thisStarfieldplaythrough possible: a well-rolled Mantis armor set, the Brute Force shotgun obtained from Run the Red Mile, a maxed-out Wellness perk, and copious amounts of med packs. UnlikeSkyrimandFallout 4, bashing enemies doesn’t deplete Stamina or Action Points (O2 inStarfield), allowing a weapon like Brute Force to deal respectable damage at a consistent rate.
While the game was surprisingly easy, even with the limitations imposed by the gun bashing challenge, the final boss inStarfieldgave Causal Loop some trouble. Nonetheless, he was able to complete his playthrough and successfully enter Unity, bee-lining through the main quest with some choice side quests sprinkled in. Though it remains to be seen if Bethesda will expand on melee builds when Shattered Space releases, the modding community is bound to take an unofficial stab at it onceStarfield’s modding tools releasein early 2024.
