Defining Duke, Episode 140: The Thread

Hi Dukes, I hope this post finds you both well, and Cog I hope your recovery is going well. Now for something new; a question/comment about Starfield. I have put in approximately 20 hours so far, and I am having a overall good experience. The fun is there but I definitely understand the criticism the game has garnered. The lack of seamless travel/exploration, the frankly abysmal menu/inventory systems and poor onboarding often get in the way of my enjoyment. My question/comment is a bit of a critique to what the Dukes have been saying for some time now...that Starfield is doing things no other game has done. Correct me if I make a mistake; you boys would often say "look at what this game is doing" in the context of being able to explore thousands of planets on top of the mechanics/physics that Bethesda games are known for and that some jank/frame rate issues and graphical fidelity could be forgiven due to the sheer scope and scale of the game. I would tend to agree with this statement, if that was what we got in the final product. But unfortunately I can't look past the closed off and limited nature of space exploration, it reduces the sense of scale for me, it makes me feel like I am loading in different levels of a sandbox vs exploring a vast universe. I think Starfield is a massive RPG with complex mechanics, but I also think for the most part at its core, it is another Bethesda style game in space set on multiple maps and personally I would have liked to see Bethesda show a bit more flair in the performance and fidelity of the game. Starfield is not a bad game, it is not an ugly game, and it is not a broken game. For me, it is a great game with 2010s energy. This has been my review in progress - check me again in 50 hours when I am probably singing a totally different tune. Marko (Australia)

Marko Krnic

Howdy there Dukes of Hazard! What’re your guy’s thoughts on the definition of reboot, remaster, reimagining, remake, etc.? What game would fall under each category? Thanks and have a accidentally-found-the-planet-Reach-in-Starfield kind of day!

Tacoyaki

Hey boys, hope all is well. Where do you lie with review scores? Gene recently said on Punching Up that Gamespot and IGN gave Starfield poor review scores, where both scores were a 7/10. Depending on who you ask, a 7 is a good score or an indicator of a game that, while solid, isn’t worth the time to check out. I know for me personally, a game averaging in the 7’s will take a lot for me to check out due to my already limited time available to play games. What are your thoughts on scores and if the 7/10 scores for Starfield are seen poorly due to the anticipation this game has generated, or are they an indicator that scores are doing a disservice to the reviews themselves. Thanks and have a “Bethesda made a pseudo-BioWare space RPG and I’m loving it” kind of day.

Stephen Forgione

Yo Dukes! I stayed up way too late last night playing Starfield, and I'm enjoying it a lot even though BGS isn't usually my style. So, in my sleep-deprived stupor, I decided to check to Xbox Store reviews to get a temperature check from the community. As of last night, the game was sitting at four stars, so I wanted to see why. The game is being dragged down by a blizzard of snowflakes giving 1-star reviews for an OPTIONAL pronoun selection during character creation. It makes me wish Xbox had some way to weed out brazenly bad-faith reviews from the store to better represent the games. I know there's the upvote/downvote system, but I still feel like it could be better. What are your thoughts? Thanks a ton, and I hope you're having a "simple text slider ruined a universe of possibilities" kind of day. - Coby

Hey Dukes, I’m probably submitting this too late, but what the heck I’ll send it anyway. Starfield has come out and the game seems very mixed amongst players. I’ve put about 8hrs into the game and I think I’m just going to take my L and walk away. I don’t think the games for me. I’m just not having fun with the game. I personally find it boring, but everyone is making me feel like I’m crazy for having this opinion. They say items better after 12hrs and I should push through. I just don’t see a world where after another 4hrs the game just changes to the point where I am enjoying it. My question is have you guys ever had a major title that people around you were enjoying, but you weren’t and you felt like you must be missing something? Thanks for the content and have a I hope the fans don’t kill me kinda day.

hey guys, since we're all playing now, im just curious about what class and traits y'all chose for your starfield characters. me, i went with cyber runner because i'm all about that incognito life, and for traits i picked just 2 with introvert and kid stuff, as such all my exploration has been solo that way i can maximize my sprinting with lower oxygen use. worked out great when it came time to level up that weight lifting perk! have a he/him kind of day.

Keith Huntington

Hello Captain Matty & Captain Cog, I had every intention of not getting the early access to Starfield, I even thought I would wait a month till I played the game, well low and behold I had nothing to do yesterday (Labor Day) so got the premium upgrade to give it a shot, and I gotta say I’m loving it. I sunk 10 hours in it yesterday and I can’t remember the last time I did that. It’s all I really find myself thinking about when I’m not playing it lol. This is quite surprising to me because Bethesda games never really gripped me 100% but maybe because of its space based tale I am just more accepting of the game in general. The way I am playing the game makes me want to go back and give Skyrim and Fallout 3 a fair chance now that my gaming palette has seemed to changed over time. Thanks for the feedback on the game last week, I probably would have not even bothered if not for y’all’s recommendation.

Justin Latham

Hello Jedi Master Dukes, So... Jedi Survivor is fixed on consoles. Nearly five to six months AFTER launch. I just don't get the whole idea of releasing games flat out busted at launch and fixing it later. If it launched in THIS state now, the game would be in Game of the Year talks. Now it's just a drop in the pan for most gamers, where the game's legacy is going to be that janky Star Wars game with the frame rate issues. Since you both loved the game a lot, how do you guys feel about this? Should they have delayed it until this fall/early 2024 where it was more polished?

RK128

Heya Definy Dukies

RobTheButcher

Hey Dukes, Simple question this week, has Starfield laid to rest all the hate for the “little man” series S since it seems to run it just as well as the series x? Have a “just got into the 30/60 club” kind of week!

Shadvegas

Hey Dukes, A lot of People rolled their eyes at Bethesda before starfield came out I believe based mainly on the reception of fallout 76 which I personally never put much stock in, since it wasn’t their usual single player experience and it was literally on the same exact tech and assets as fallout 4 which came right before it lol.. I always saw it as a little side game/experiment before it even came out and Todd Howard wasn’t even involved in it like that which I thought should have told you something. Why do you feel people were so pessimistic towards starfield leading up to launch when history shows Bethesda always makes great single player experiences. Hope cog’s feeling much better, thanks for taking the time, have a great day! - Joe Campbell

Joe Campbell

Hey Dukes!! What are your way too early predictions for a release date of the first Starfield Expansion? Also, what kind of things do you expect/want them to add? On a final note I think Gene would be an amazing 3rd chair if you are still considering it. See you in the stars! - Jason

J Train

Hey Dukes Now that you had a great amount of time playing Starfield, do you think that this is a system seller? For someone who has been playing since the early access period I would say absolutely. Cheers and safe travels space cowboys

Josh Correa

Hey Duke buds, Question for Matty: last week, you left Oblivion out of your BGS ranking, out in the cold!...because it was too old. Yet, it came out only two years before Fallout 3, your pride and joy. What changed in these two years to modernize BGS games for you? Have a "Fozzie's never played a BGS game, so time to start with Morrowind with no mods nor guides" kind of day

Fozzie Bear

Hey dukes, Could you guys explain how New Game + works for Starfield? Do I need to do multiple play throughs to 100% the achievements? Everyone keeps mentioning New Game + but really haven’t explained what it means. -Gob The Ghoul

Hey chaps, I'm always finding that there's an app or feature that would just make the Xbox (any of them really) even better if it were included. The one that jumps out at the minute is the lack of a dedicated YouTube Music app. I also kinda miss the Picture in Picture feature. What would you (or anyone on here) want to see come to the console? Have a "my kids are back at school just in time for me to play Starfield in peace" kinda day. Liam

Liam Marshall

Hello StarDukes, Ill keep this brief. Starfield is finally out for early access and soon for the general public. It is currently sitting at an 86-88 on Metacritic. Do the Dukes think that Starfield is the Series X/S killer app this generation, and if so, how much of a boost do you think Starfield will have towards console sales / gamepass subscriptions? Thanks for all you do for the community. Glad to see Cog back in action and wishing you further recovery. Have a “Starfield would be GoTY if it was a PS5 exclusive” kind of day 🌚

FoundWaldo

Hello Dukes of the Stars, While most of us are enjoying Starfield, PlayStation owners are currently enjoying BG3... or from the sounds of it, beta testing it for us Xbox owners for it's launch on Series X/S. Yet another game launching this year that's both next gen only AND having major performance issues. Do you guys think they could've held off the console port until next year when it could actually be optimized? Or should we expect all third party next-gen only games to be busted at launch?

RK128

Hello Fellow Dukes, I am playing Starfield on PC, and after about 40 minutes I start to get a headache and sick. Has this happened to either of you? I believe the answer is to mod the FOV. I have tried that but I don’t think that has been helping. Have a “we love you. even if you, and gene, have a different viewpoint on mac-n-cheese :)” type of day -AstroParrotKing

AstroParrotKing

Hello Matty Ice Ice Baby and Beefy Cog! Been playing Starfield OF COURSE like so many others. It’s impressive that the game has been selling very during this soft launch, do we expect every future first party to have a “premium upgrade” version to buy early? PS are yall getting as excited as me thinking just how big and expansive ES VI will be after playing this game?? Much love, Jose

Jose Vera

Hey Dukes! Love both your work and your extended friends and network in this gaming blender right now…I had a thought and while this is by no means a fix…I’ve taken to doing my “no many sky” thing in Starfield while listening to amazing podcasts from Lex Friedman to “TheWhyFiles”…when that subject goes cold…I switch up to Bill Burr…or any of my favorites for levity. My point being is that this game offers so many ways to play, I felt my least favorite ways were easily populated with other mediums to make the mundane less of a pain…we all know how much the radio helped us in the wasteland of fallout…so instead of falling off or out of the game…access more of your tech to make the shittiest/emptiest parts of space…be more ace, instead of waste. Who’s going to discover the first black hole…or something on the other side? Cheers!

Benjamin Amouroux

Matty, just want to point out that baked Mac & cheese can have both creaminess and a crust. The last time I made it I followed a recipe that layered the macaroni with custard and cheese after the boil. The pasta was cooked within 35min in the oven and not only were the noodles al dente, but the egg and heavy cream from the custard imparted enough fat to keep the filling moist and decadent while the top layer was a golden brown crust. In this case you can have your cake and eat it too. regards Dukes,

Dan Sing Izzy Rae Lee

What’s up Doo Doo’s, I gotta say welcome back to Cog, stop scaring us with all these health issues. For me it didn’t take me 5 hours to get into starfeild. Pretty sure I started enjoying my time with it from minute 1. What is something from the game you honestly were not expecting that you ended up really enjoying? For me it’s the house customization. It’s purposeful and simple in a way I was not anticipate from a game with such deep systems. I love finding random trinkets/ armor and having a way to display them. I set up a room for all my upgrades and decked the room out with junk everywhere so it feels lived in to me. As always love what you all do and have a “please do the Mantis side quest asap kind of day.”

Davy Sueppel

Hey Duke Men Has anyone been able to try Starfield on Xcloud? As BGS fan and someone without an Xbox or powerful game PC I would like to try it out once I get some feedback. Have a terminated, with cause, kind of day….

FullMetal McCoy

Gents, Your Starfield Review is a fantastic entrance point for new listeners. I've been a longtime supporter of all things LSM but with PlayStation and Nintendo being the only two console brands in my house - I've always leaned toward Sacred Symbols and Punching Up content instead. With all the buzz around Starfield, I wanted to hear the analysis from your team specifically and man oh man was I not disappointed. While the analysis was great - it's when Cog is explaining to Matty and Gene, how to use the power pack to leap up and over buildings - that I experienced one of the most authentic moments of gaming joy I've heard in years. I was listening, but could still clearly see Cog smiling from ear to ear and Matty and Gene thinking of all the ways they could've used that in their recent play-through as he explained it to them. I couldn't help but smile while I drove around listening to the episode. While I'm never going to spec out a PC or buy an Xbox to experience Starfield myself, this episode made me a huge fan of the work ya'll are doing over here on the Xbox side and I'd recommend it to anyone curious to hear how you all roll. Keep up the outstanding work! - Devon

Devon McCarty

Good day Dukes, Wondering if either of you had a chance to check out the recently announced Lenovo Legion Go. It's sporting some pretty cool ideas including detachable controllers like the Switch, AR glasses, better batteries, and also a stand for the controllers that turn it into a vertical mouse. That last feature will apparently make playing FPS games easier than ever on handheld. While the rumored price ($699) is a bit steep for me, I can't help but appreciate how good handheld enthusiasts are eating these days. Between the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Logitech G Cloud and now this, consumers have more choice than ever. Thanks, as always, for being the best Xbox podcast on the internet!

Meatball