Following the Xbox Showcase on June 9, 2024, Starfield got a bit bigger. Now, in addition to its 1,000-plus planets, the endless potential of official and community mods are available directly in the game, all via the new Creations suite. Starfield already had mods on PC for sure, but the Creations are a little different: They’re easier to search and instantly install into the game. And it’s that ease that has me wondering if I’m about to lose another dozen or so hours to this game.
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When I reviewed Starfield last year, I was coming off a roughly 150-hour weeks-long binge with the game. I walked away with a mix of positive and negative reactions, but my perspective on the game has only soured with time. One thing’s for sure, the game that launched on September 6, 2023 is not the Starfield experience I probably want to have again. But using this enormous galaxy as a giant sci-fi exploration sandbox? Well, that might just be tempting enough for me to invest another run of evenings. I might even be inclined to leave the game installed on my machine, so I can regularly check in to see what new mods have landed.
Even just installing a few visual and gameplay tweaks have changed this game for the better. Removing the color filter and making environments dark pairs really well with the headshot kill mods, allowing me to land on the dark side of various moons, the beautiful galaxy looming overhead as I sneak into a pirate-occupied abandoned facility, taking them out from a distance. It has me wondering if it’s going to be possible via mods to turn Starfield into the galaxy-spanning immersive sim I’ve always wanted.
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Another mod I’m enjoying restores Earth’s biome to something less boring than an endless pit of sand, with actual trees and lifeforms. Sure, the endless misery of the desert that Earth becomes in Starfield’s story is an important beat, but that’s kinda the thing I’m looking to avoid. I’m really not looking for Bethesda’s vision of what to do with this enormous galaxy, which at best I found to be a mostly-boring space RPG with some neat premises scattered here and there.
Some of the best times I had with Starfield, after all, had little to do with the main quest or any side quest found in the game. And I certainly do not care about the starborn powers or the gear. Rather, I took pleasure in just vibing and sight-seeing, preferably with the soundtrack replaced by some choice electronic albums I enjoy (Lisa Bella Donna’s Moogmentum has proven delightful for that). I often find joy in just existing in digital spaces, wandering about without a direct goal, and letting whatever unfolds from my journeys be what the game is to me. And now that the Creations hub lets me do that in some new and experimental ways, yeah, I’m getting that starbound, digital wanderlust all over again.
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