The reception of Starfield, Bethesda’s much-anticipated space RPG released in 2023, has been lukewarm at best. Although the game boasts a sizable player base, the general feedback is divided. Nevertheless, there is speculation that the company may seek to address these shortcomings in a potential sequel. A former designer at Bethesda has expressed confidence that Starfield 2 would be an impressive follow-up, building on the foundation established by its predecessor.
Improvements Expected in Starfield 2
In a recent interview with Video Gamer, Bruce Nesmith, who departed from Bethesda in 2021, shared that a sequel to Starfield would specifically aim to tackle the criticisms voiced by players of the original game.
Nesmith expressed optimism regarding the sequel, stating, “I’m looking forward to Starfield 2. I think it’s going to be one hell of a game because it’s going to address a lot of the things people are saying, ‘We’re quite there. We’re missing a little bit.’ It will be able to take what’s in there right now and put in a lot of new stuff and fix a lot of those problems,” in comments made during a feature published on Friday.
The designer elaborated on the common challenges faced by new intellectual properties, noting that initial releases can fall short despite promising concepts. He noted that sequels often enhance and broaden the original gameplay experience. “If you look at the first Dragon Age, the first Assassin’s Creed, the first game in a lot of IPs, they tend to show off flashes of brilliance amid a lot of other things that don’t quite catch everybody’s eye,” explained Nesmith. “No, they’re not quite as hot and popular. It takes, sadly, sometimes a second or third version of the game in order to really enrich everything.”
Nesmith also referenced the development history of Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series, where each iteration has progressively improved upon the last. For example, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was a step up from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, while The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim offered significant advancements over its predecessor.
Although Bethesda has yet to announce any formal plans for a Starfield sequel, it is expected that the studio will consider one in the future. Currently, the developer is engaged in various projects, including The Elder Scrolls 6.
In September, Bethesda released Shattered Space, the first major expansion for Starfield. Set on a single planet, this expansion introduces new factions, weapons, armor, and other features. However, it has not garnered favorable reviews, with players expressing disappointment. Starfield currently holds a “Mixed” rating on Steam, while Shattered Space has been rated “Mostly Negative” on the same platform.
