Highlights
- Fans eagerly anticipate multiplayer being added to Starfield, enhancing the immersive space experience and allowing for endless opportunities for bonding, alliances, and romance among players.
- Item trading would alleviate potential grind and provide an engaging way to showcase character builds, giving players the chance to trade rare weapons and items with each other.
- Co-op multiplayer would not only add another layer of fun and engagement to space flight and ship raids, but also change the interactions and encounters between players and enemy AI, creating a more dynamic and exciting gameplay experience.
As Bethesda's Starfield edges closer to its release, fans continue to anticipate what adventures lie in wait for them after the appealing showcases and deep dives. Players have been longing for an immersive space experience amid the mixed receptions of Star Citizen, Elite Dangerous Odyssey, and No Man Sky's gradual progression to positive feedback. With each of these titles maintaining its own levels of multiplayer, fans are hoping the same can be replicated in Starfield.
While Starfield is set to be a single-player experience only at launch, the chance of multiplayer being implemented at a later date is one that fans should keep their eyes open for. Given the presented features of Bethesda's upcoming title, there are a plethora of ways Starfield could be massively enhanced with the introduction of co-op.
5 Extended Runtime/Multiple Playthroughs
Despite the likelihood of players currently holding the intention of fully immersing themselves in the world of Starfield with a long runtime, there is no denying how much co-op can increase this. With single-player, players will have much to do traveling to multiple different planets, meeting new characters, and forming bonds and alliances with NPCs which can also delve into romance, but multiplayer would make this far more interesting.
While it would take a great deal of developer work to implement, bonding mechanics, alliances, or romancing features being replicated within multiplayer would be a treat for players to experience. Not only would this create another endless pool of opportunity if multiplayer was implemented in a lobby-type format with multiple players in one world, but it would encourage fans to experience multiple playthroughs.
4 Item Trade
Assuming that the weapon and item rarities that will be present in Starfield contain some that are extremely rare, item trading would stand as a huge factor. Aside from vendors or NPCs in-game that players can trade with for particular weapons or items, players would be subjected to a long search or grind for them. While this is not a dealbreaker for many players, some are accustomed to trading with other players in other titles such as Remnant 2 or even Elden Ring.
An addition of multiplayer later down the line may help alleviate any potential grind present in Starfield that some players may dislike, and it would also stand as an engaging and entertaining way to showcase character builds to other players in-game. While it is important to mention that Bethesda should include this feature in light of multiplayer standing as an addition, developers must ensure it does not fall into a repetitive grind that many players of Destiny 2 have gripes with.
3 Space Flight/Ship Raids
One of the most appealing aspects of Starfield's deep dive was the confirmation of players having the ability to invade enemy ships. Players can potentially take the ship for themselves or steal some of the resources on board, and this has the potential to include multiple layers of variety within each sequence to avoid monotony. While this is most certainly set to stand as an engaging experience, a co-op addition can take this up another notch entirely.
Leading with the idea of multiplayer containing its own elements of companions and alliances, space flight and raiding other enemy ships could be far much more fun and engaging alongside a friend. Whether this would be on the same ship or separate ships, it would be interesting to see how this would change interactions or encounters between players and enemy AI.
2 Importance Of Outposts
Players who are familiar with No Man's Sky will be aware of the mechanics and components that are present for creating outposts and bases to return to at any time during gameplay. This is set to be present in Starfield, with the options of companions and NPCs helping while players are away in free roam or amid a mission.
If co-op was implemented, this would serve an even greater purpose, and serve as a way of showcasing bases and outposts for friends to visit in-game. While it would not necessarily change any main fundamental features, it would be a great way for players to take some time away from main or side missions and spend some downtime with fellow players.
1 Combat Backup
When considering potential difficulty options, if players are not well-equipped or do not have any backup from companions, combat encounters could turn out to be much more difficult. Typically, with RPG titles, builds are incredibly important, especially coming up against different enemy types, and the same is set to be the case here with Starfield. Since different areas will feature multiple environmental changes, such as the zero gravity locations, combat will be challenging.
With multiplayer in the discussion, this would give players a better advantage when coming up against a plethora of foes at once, or entering areas with enemies that are more formidable than usual. Besides backup, co-op combat would lead to an overall entertaining experience, diving into encounters with friends, which would come with the opportunity of tactics and deep preparation before each fight.
Starfield is set to release on September 6, 2023 on Xbox Series X/S and PC.