Starfield promised a grounded and vast space exploration adventure. Bethesda succeeded at this, but the realistic nature of the world can feel lonely. Since its 2023 launch, Starfield has struggled to garner the same reception as Bethesda’s past titles. There are many factors as to why this is, but one of the biggest issues is with claims that the world feels lifeless and barren. If a sequel ever comes to fruition, there is one easy way to fix this.
Granted, Starfield has managed to bring some solid updates, like the REV-8 vehicle. However, the game still has a long way to go if it ever wants to have the same legacy as Skyrim, especially if Bethesda is hoping for a sequel. There are many ways a Starfield follow-up could improve, but one of the most glaring features that could benefit from a rework is how the game approaches alien life. Creatures can be found throughout Starfield, but the lack of intelligent lifeforms is a misstep.
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A Potential Starfield Sequel Could Benefit By Opening Itself Up to More Diverse Aliens
Taking a Leap With Intelligent Life
The only intelligent life found in Starfield are humans. From Ashta to Terrormorphs, the alien life in Starfield doesn’t boast the same intelligence as their human counterparts. They can present plenty of danger if players come in contact with a hostile species, but they don’t have the same mental capacity as other humans. The future of Starfield could be strong if Bethesda broke its own rules with its depiction of aliens. On paper, a more grounded approach to alien life is compelling, but it unfortunately takes some personality out of a game that is supposed to be a thrilling sci-fi adventure.
After the disappointing feedback following the release of Starfield‘s Shattered Space DLC, future expansions could be another way the game could bring aliens into the spotlight. Unfortunately, there are currently no confirmed plans of aliens being a priority in future Starfield DLCs, so a sequel could be the next best place to revamp the world.
Shattered Space
explores the secretive House Va’ruun faction.
Starfield Should Take Inspiration From Bethesda’s Past Titles
What makes the lack of non-human intelligent lifeforms so surprising in Starfield is that previous Bethesda games fully embrace more otherworldly races. Whether it be the Khajiit in The Elder Scrolls or the Super Mutants of Fallout, Bethesda isn’t a stranger to more outlandish creatures that can be on par with humans. This background made the prospect of intelligent aliens in Starfield exciting, but once it was clear that this type of alien life was absent, it left the game feeling hollow for some players.
Creatures can be found throughout
Starfield
, but the lack of intelligent lifeforms is a misstep.
A Starfield Sequel Feels Unlikely, But It’s Not Completely Off the Table
The lukewarm reception of Starfield puts its future as a long-running franchise in jeopardy. There is still plenty of potential found within Starfield, whether it be through DLC or a sequel, but its divisiveness may keep the latter from happening. Thankfully, Starfield‘s passionate mod community has continued to bring some iconic aliens from pop culture to the game. While it would be more satisfying to see original alien designs from Bethesda, the many mods that are available bring an extra bit of personality and life to the sci-fi title.
Theories suggest
Starfield
‘s next DLC will focus on the Starborn.
If a sequel isn’t in the cards, then there could potentially be hope for Bethesda to change its stance on the base version of Starfield and allow some kind of alien-focused DLC down the line. Starfield has a lot of cut content, and as far as it’s known, intelligent lifeforms never played a part in these scrapped features. Only time will tell if Bethesda chooses to do a Starfield sequel or not, and if it does, bringing more exciting life into the story may be necessary.
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