Bethesda Game Studios released Starfield on September 6, 2023. It was the studio’s first new IP in 25 years. According to the game’s director Todd Howard, it was the dream project he’s been meaning to make since his earliest days as a game developer. And now that Bethesda finally had the technology to realize this vision, they brought us Starfield as the ultimate sci-fi open-world RPG.
The game was highly anticipated by just about everyone. Long-time Bethesda fans, sci-fi fans, open-world RPG enthusiasts, space nerds, and the general gaming audience were all expecting Starfield to become 2024’s Game of the Year.
But then Baldur’s Gate 3 happened. Released roughly a month ahead of Starfield, Larian’s D&D-based RPG skyrocketed in popularity due to the enduring popularity of Divinity: Original Sin II, a successful Early Access phase, and some viral bear-focused marketing. A combination of high production values, the console audience’s newfound preference for turn-based combat, and the rising popularity of Dungeons & Dragons all captured the public consciousness and kickstarted many a conversation about what a truly next-gen RPG should look like.
And then, after heroically saving the Sword Coast from a...
