Starfield Review: Jim Sterling's Brutally Honest Take

Politics, News Sept. 11, 2023, 2:02 p.m.

Jim Stephanie Sterling, a well-known gaming critic, gives Starfield a low score of 4/10. Their review criticizes the games flaws and compares it to past Bethesda titles.

Jim Stephanie Sterling, a prominent and unconventional figure in the realm of video game media critique, has expressed their disapproval of Starfield, a highly anticipated game release.

This reaction might not come as a significant shock to many, as Sterling has earned a reputation as one of the gaming industry's most vigorous and relentless critics. They are known for their unreserved approach to criticism, sparing no punches in their evaluations. Even when their overarching perspective aligns with one's own, there are occasions when Sterling's critiques may seem overly severe. At times, their content appears to be fueled by genuine anger, which can occasionally obscure their assessment, despite the fact that anger can also serve as a clarifying lens.

Such appears to be the case with Sterling's recent review of Starfield. While I concur with several of their specific points of criticism, I hesitate to assign the game such a low score. Despite its shortcomings, the game manages to excel in numerous aspects.

(Sterling, who publicly identified as non-binary in 2020, prefers the pronouns she/them. They open their Starfield review with a statement on social issues, asserting: "To describe Starfield as the least flawed Bethesda game is comparable to labeling any one TERF as the least embarrassing fascist. Nonetheless, given Zenimax and Bethesda's treatment of transgender employees, this comparison may hit uncomfortably close to home.")

Sterling's most compelling observation centers on the sensation that Starfield offers a "shallow ocean" of gameplay. Their final verdict is a score of 4/10, which is one point lower than Paste's less comprehensive review and over 2 points below the current user score on Metacritic, standing at a rather unimpressive 6.4 for Xbox and 5.6 for PC.

This score marks the lowest received by the game and the lowest recorded on Metacritic. However, whether this makes Sterling the most candid critic or simply a provocative provocateur remains a subject of debate.

While I haven't completed the game myself, my experience has been a mix of enjoyment and frustration. Given the game's vast scope, there are numerous issues that could and should have been addressed, many of which have already been remedied by modders working voluntarily in less than a week. There is simply no excuse for these oversights.

I can't definitively assign a final score at this point, but it's safe to say that Starfield, with its grand aspirations, frequently descends into chaos. I will provide further insights in the future, but for now, I'm curious to hear your thoughts. Do you believe Sterling's assessment is accurate, or does Starfield live up to the masterpiece everyone anticipated it to be?