When it comes to western RPGs, there are few titles quite as iconic and beloved as The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. By far the most immediately accessible entry in the Elder Scrolls franchise, Skyrim shot to stardom back when it first launched in 2011, managing to bring in a gigantic audience of both long-time fans and newcomers, many of whom have continued to purchase the game time and time again with every new re-release. It seems safe to say that Skyrim has one of the largest fan-bases of any RPG, and trying to outdo it is a near-impossible task, though Bethesda has given it a good go with Starfield.
Released in early access a few days ago, Starfield has received a strong reception from most critics. While there are differing opinions, of course, Starfield reviews and burgeoning opinions praise the vast ambitions, the storylines, the activities, the sheer immersion, and more, but another constant is how much slower Starfield is than other games. It's one that requires investment and it rewards it tenfold, but there's still something to say about a game's opening hour - especially in comparison to Skyrim.
Starfield Has a Much Slower First Hour Than Skyrim
By all accounts, Skyrim has one of the most iconic introductions in all gaming, and it's a major reason why so many players have happily restarted the game countless times over the last decade. Though it's an infamous meme now, Skyrim's opening moment sets the stage for the rest of the game perfectly. After waking up in the back of a moving cart, the player essentially has Skyrim's whole political landscape and recent history exposited to them through well-executed dialogue, and while this can be tedious on repeat playthroughs, this intro does a great job of setting the game's darker, mysterious tone immediately, along with providing all the vital bits of information they need about the world.
After arriving at their destination of Helgen, players are then given access to a phenomenal character creator that still stands the test of time. And then, right before they get executed, Helgen is attacked by a dragon, which begins an intense escape through the burning city's streets. Escaping through a dungeon, players are given an intuitive and subtle combat and gear tutorial that gives just enough information without feeling like it's holding the player's hand too much, and then they're given access to the whole open-world. Iconic, exciting, and informative, Skyrim's opening hour is pretty much perfect as far as RPGs go.
Unfortunately, Starfield just doesn't quite live up to Skyrim's beloved first hour. Starfield opens up with the player walking through an underground mine, slowly following two characters as they give some exposition about the game's universe. After touching an artifact that gives them mysterious visions of the universe, players are then given access to Starfield's character creator, which is arguably just as good, if not better in some ways, than Skyrim's. After another little walk, players are given the opportunity to gun down some pirates, acting as a brief combat tutorial, and then they're given their first spaceship, given a very brief space combat tutorial, and then they're left to their own devices.
While Starfield's introduction is technically over quite quickly, it doesn't really feel it, with the pacing feeling quite slow, and the minimal set-pieces likely leaving players feeling a bit underwhelmed. Though shooting down pirates is fun, it's no Helgen dragon attack. The remaining hour of Starfield's opening will then likely revolve around players trying to learn the game's many different menu systems and mechanics, a lot of which aren't explained all that well to the player. But while Starfield's opening hour may not be as exciting or informative as Skyrim's, Bethesda's latest RPG really lifts off and becomes something special once the game gets going.
Starfield launches September 6 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.