Starfield becomes one of the best-selling games on Steam in 2023

Since its release, Starfield faced incredible difficulties. Initially, gamers encountered terrible optimization that made it difficult to properly experience the game. As is tradition with Bethesda projects, modders were the first to address and fix the optimization issues. Everyone could enjoy the game again, but many then encountered more problems. Starfield was hit by a wave of negative reviews.

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After optimization, the game's second issue became its lack of originality. The community criticized the developers for delivering not a new, unique project but rather a space version of Fallout 4. And the comparison was with the early versions of Fallout 4, which also had a rocky start.

Those who could overlook the lack of originality then faced the third and most critical problem for Bethesda games — boredom. This studio's projects have always been distinguished by interesting worlds and a spirit of adventure. This was missing in Starfield. The quests were monotonous and primitive, and the story failed to captivate. Hundreds of planets turned out to be soulless and boring.

The only hope was for space enthusiasts, as the project was specifically designed for them. But even here, Starfield faced criticism. It turned out to be a space game with very little space, and if desired, space travel could be almost entirely excluded.

Image credit: eurogamer.de

In the end, even some modders stated that they no longer wanted to work on improving Starfield, as the game was too boring. And despite all the aforementioned issues, this game became one of the best-selling on Steam.

How is this possible? This is the question the entire community is asking. By the end of 2023, the game's ratings had dropped from mixed to predominantly negative. Yet, the game is still actively being bought. Starfield is available on Xbox Game Pass, but regardless, players are spending money on it. Perhaps there is still hope in the community for modders and developers. However, it's not ruled out that a high percentage of sales occurred during early access.

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