Actually this makes perfect sense.

Starfield… is a bad cinematic RPG. It’s trying to be part Mass Effect with big-budget cutscenes, and it’s truly awful at it.

I’d argue it’s a bad “Bethesda RPG,” without the quirky, charming side areas Oblivion or even Fallout 76 have.

But it’s an alright No Man’s Sky-like. You want some crafting? A vast amount of chill exploration area? Reasonable “I’m in space” fidelity and some tasks to follow? Starfield’s got it in droves. BGS games scratched this “sandbox” itch for some, when there was no good alternative back then, and I think Starfield leans into it more.

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Hence my experience is that gamers who love No Man’s Sky like Starfield, those who are looking more for “Mass Effect 2” loathe Starfield. And you seem to be another datapoint supporting that.

The problem is Starfield’s expectation for most us internet dwellers was “Skyrim in space.” And it’s… not great at that. And it’s kind of Bethesda’/ fault for setting that expectation instead of leaning into Starfield’s real niche.