Defining Duke, Episode 140 | Starfield's Controversial Reviews - Is It REALLY That Bad? (Video)
Added 2023-09-07 16:01:02 +0000 UTCFor your viewing pleasure.
Timestamps to skip ads:
0:01:42
0:32:10
Comments
Cog/Matty....hope you are both keeping as well as you come across in your conversations. Both of you mean a lot to all of us who listen, engage, and laugh along with you. Starfield.......you both speak with great passion, and this is understandable to me more than ever before because this game has me so engaged and immersed that it's like living a second life (gaming after all is a source of escapism from whatever reality we need to put behind us.) I don't think i have ever felt so connected to a game world, the stories, combat, environment, and companions. As i only have my wife to share conversation with it really means a lot to be able to sit back and watch you both actively discuss with real emotion Starfield, and other games that reach out to you and really pull you in. Your knowledge and enthusiasm is so very welcome. Stay safe and strong fellas.
Shadow Writer
2023-09-16 07:09:31 +0000 UTCI'm so glad Starfield is great. I don't have an Xbox, although I would if I could afford an extra console besides my PS5. But I hope Starfield will have chain reaction, where Playstation finally stops being cocky playstation.
Dennis
2023-09-13 08:35:32 +0000 UTCPersonally, the fact that the lowest scores are 70's means that the game is actually pretty solid deep down. When even your low outliers are 70, and the high scores reach all the way to 100, then it's probably worth playing eventually. Eventually though, I don't have an Xbox Series console, just an X1S, so I'll probably wait until I get one, or the Steamdeck 2 comes out and can run it at a decent level of quality.
Kaz Redclaw
2023-09-13 08:01:53 +0000 UTCI really want to like this game but the encumbrance system sucks so it's time to do away with encumbrance nobody likes it
Kc Wright
2023-09-09 01:43:34 +0000 UTCFar too many menus and having to go to menus but there is a good game underneath all of that. I'd like to know Cogs criticisms more, he seems 100% positive on it all, Matty seems to recognise its faults a bit more while still realising its a superb game
MERCHANT
2023-09-08 21:28:55 +0000 UTCOf course, Starfield is going to sell like hotcakes it’s “The Game” I would say completion rates matter most and trophies and achievements can provide insight to how well a game is liked.
Matthew Weinhagen
2023-09-08 18:25:30 +0000 UTCMy biggest complaints are navigating the maps and everything being too dark. I may just not be very smart though.
Jordan
2023-09-08 18:16:33 +0000 UTCIt’s better than 7 imo but how is a 7 considered bad?
Avery Abrams
2023-09-08 16:06:55 +0000 UTCPlease invite gene and jaffe for the spoiler cast!!!
Chris C.
2023-09-08 15:45:54 +0000 UTCReview scores have to be taken in the time they were written as well. Retroactively comparing a 7/10 from 4 years ago to a 7/10 now doesn't make sense. Admittedly, numbered scores tend to invite this linear comparison and that is the flaw of the system as you boys said. However, many games have come out since then, that raised the bar. The Bethesda formula was fresh when Fallout 3 came out. It was mid when Fallout 4 came out. Doing the same exact same formula now for Starfield in 2023 seems stale. Starfield's score can't be compared to Dead Island directly because the games are judged on their success of what they set out to do. Dead Island set out to be a fun but shallow zombie looter shooter and is a 7 at it. Starfield set out to be an expansive, immersive, RPG with deep systems. How much did it succeed in this regard? Especially in a world where No Man's Sky, Elite Dangerous, Baldur's Gate 3 exist? It feels to me that Starfield is touching on elements of each of these games made by indies, but never does any of them nearly as well. Hell, I never though Cyberpunk could punch down on a game but it is much better. Starfield is trying to be an immersive world to get lost in. Instead seeing Starfield's awkward smooth skin NPCs with their eyes rolled in the back of the head, while you move from loading screen to loading screen in order to travel to barren landscapes dotted with re-used caves doesn't sell the concept. Bethesda seems unreluctant to change anything about how they do things, even the commitement to the meme worthy game enging. However, on balance it has enough good qualities about it which is enough to push it to a 7, but it feels way overhyped. I hope everyone enjoys their time with it though. I am not hating it per se, but it seems a bit meh so far.
Dan P
2023-09-08 04:22:59 +0000 UTCA key consensus was that it sure is another Bethesda action RPG. Whether that’s more of a plus or minus to you is going to considerably affect your overall opinion on game.
Evan
2023-09-08 02:37:03 +0000 UTCSo can we all admit that Xbox is abandoning day and date for game pass? Selling the game before it is released on gamepass, kind of proves it isn’t viable.
DeucesBruh
2023-09-07 22:45:19 +0000 UTCIn my perspective, I find this somewhat disheartening. IGN employs multiple reviewers for their games, which makes it challenging to directly compare their scores. If they had a single reviewer assessing all their games, it would facilitate easier comparisons, but that's not the case here. I recommend taking a look at Dan Stapleton's reviews and forming your own opinion. It's also essential to remember that, for IGN, a rating of 7 is considered good, not bad. I have a lot of appreciation for both of you, but let's be honest; you both have your preferences, which is perfectly fine; just embrace it. As for my personal take, I believe the game is good but not exceptional. I've spent 70 hours playing it, and while the campaign is decent, space travel feels somewhat repetitive, almost like clicking through it. It's essentially a space-themed version of Fallout without introducing anything particularly groundbreaking. Of course, this is just my viewpoint.
Levelupbrady
2023-09-07 21:18:53 +0000 UTCHuge shout to the Duke boys. Love your content as always, and really happy to see Cog feeling better and getting that healing on lock. Much respect!
Eric Proffit
2023-09-07 20:53:32 +0000 UTCThe dukes are pretty sour about Starfield not being a 90+ on metacritic i see. Lol
Kevin
2023-09-07 20:44:29 +0000 UTCOne thing that I think is actually really important is to get outside your little bubble and read differing opinions. It is why I really dislike the idea of finding one YouTuber that just says exactly what you are thinking and agrees with your takes and tastes. How else are you going to formulate your own taste or ideas about something and find something new? That is why I think the whole review debacle with Starfield has shown a really bright light on. People want reviews to reflect what they want, not what the review thinks or experiences, which totally invalidates the point of a review. Also totally rubs me the wrong way when people are defending both Sony and Microsoft, these are multi-billion dollar corps that don't need you to defend their products. I really hope that maybe the Duke's can host a Starfield review roundtable with someone that thinks the game is a 7, and someone that thinks its a 10 to hear what systems or gameplay mechanics caused them to give diverging opinions. Thanks for the episode this week fellas and glad Cog is feeling better!
Cameron O'Neill
2023-09-07 18:46:53 +0000 UTCI’ve only played for about 15 hours but my only complaints so far are minor issues with menu navigation and clunky inventory management To each their own, though
Zeke the Plumber
2023-09-07 17:35:29 +0000 UTCStarfield is an 7.5 and I spent the extra money to get it for last weekend. Only for it to be so buggy to the point where “into the unknown” won’t start, so I’m just stuck til a patch comes out because I completed another factions story. Of course you guys want Starfield to be great because it makes your podcast money and it’s a disservice to not mention that fact. IGN and gamespot have nothing to lose if this game tanks, so I’d say they are far more honest than an Xbox podcast that might go under if the game falls flat. All the excuses of “oh it’s the reviewer” “oh it’s Xbox bias” just sounds petty and excuses to a once again kinda broken Xbox game. It’s unfortunate too because it be an easy 9 to 9.5 if the game came out complete
Michael Thew
2023-09-07 17:29:23 +0000 UTCEarly impressions for me on Starfield are quite positive. A cozy Space faring adventure, with surprisingly enjoyable Ship combat and Gun combat, I love the clean designs of the U.I as well and how seamless much of the space travel can be. But I am in NG+ on Armored Core 6 and must admit it’s holding majority interest at the moment. I’d still recommend Starfield to anyone with a hunger for something “Mass Effect in flavor but BGS/Immersive Sim in design”
DDTJOESTAR
2023-09-07 16:45:24 +0000 UTC
