Starfield is a sprawling RPG that promises cosmic awe, mysteries of the universe, and a vast galaxy to explore. Even though its narrative and scope are very large and philosophically profound, I find myself instead tickled by many of the small details and silly moments in Starfield. Bethesda RPGs have a certain jankiness to them that persists throughout all their titles, and Starfield is no exception.
For instance, players can be a roguish sort who is OK with stealing things from settlements. The problem is that nice things are usually surrounded by witnesses? Thanks to the game’s physics engine, the player can take whatever they’d like simply by using an object to knock it in a bucket, then carrying that bucket off to a quiet corner to claim their prize.
There’s also the old classic of putting a box over someone’s head, so they can’t see you steal things. That’s just a universal truth across Bethesda titles, and it’s a life hack that shopkeepers don’t want you to know about.
The game also generates unintentional slapstick comedy, and it gives me many a hearty chuckle. Fildo28 posted this instance of ragdoll physicals leading to a fate so grisly, it kind of wraps back around to being full Looney Tunes.
Another perfect moment is this clip of a UC Officer bugging out in a way that appears to give her a defiant last stand. It’s a little goofy, but also kind of touching. Something else that’s unexpectedly emotional is this rock that started following a poster named Ultimastar around. The rock even attended his wedding, which is beautiful.
Most of the bugs players are experiencing are relatively harmless. In fact, they’re part of the fun. There’s an inherent comedy to some of the situations you might encounter in a Bethesda game. It also makes for great montage material; these bugs often feel scripted in their own way, like an absurdist comedy bit let loose in this grand space opera.
This is part of the charm of Bethesda games — the NPCs. The player meets hundreds of people, and most of them exist to give a few lines of exposition. Starfield lends itself to unusual behavior — for me, that manifests in picking up every nailgun, shot glass, and picture frame I find.
Sometimes, when a bug kicks in, my immersion breaks a little. These characters feel like a Westworld cast, here to serve as set dressing for my journey. We really must wonder: What do we look like from their point of view? It’s comical, but that’s part of the secret sauce in Bethesda RPGs. These little quirks all combine to create a certain je ne sais quoi, and I’m here for it.