One of the most prolific Western RPG developers, Bethesda has amassed quite the following over the last few decades, and though the studio has definitely made some big mistakes, many fans are willing to turn the other cheek. Before jumping into a new Bethesda RPG, many fans already have a good idea of what they're getting into, with many mechanics and systems remaining consistent across all Bethesda RPGs. And while Starfield certainly has plenty of its own unique features, it's still very familiar for long-time Bethesda fans.

Starfield is an absolutely gigantic game. With over 1000 planets to explore, countless quests to engage in, a slew of companions to hire and interact with, and a plethora of weapons to fire, Starfield offers just as much content, if not even more than any previous Bethesda game. And that's not even mentioning all of Starfield's novel mechanics, encompassing ship combat, space exploration, and multiple forms of progression. But hidden among the complex systems is one of Starfield's most rewarding but simple mechanics, and that's its lockpicking feature, which is a natural evolution of a Bethesda staple.

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Starfield's Lockpicking Is a Natural Evolution for Bethesda

Lockpicking has become an expected feature of just about any modern-day Western RPG. Whether it's a safe filled with money, or a weapon chest containing a legendary gun, RPGs have a tendency to lock away valuable loot behind some kind of lockpicking minigame. It's often the case that these lockpicking minigames can feel like an afterthought, like a system put in place simply as an obstacle to keep the player from being too overpowered right away. But sometimes lockpicking in an RPG can actually be incredibly satisfying, directly rewarding the player with valuable gear or items for taking the time and effort to solve the puzzle.

Bethesda's lockpicking mechanics have definitely usually belonged to the latter category, rewarding the players for solving a challenging but fair and engaging minigame. With Morrowind not actually having a picklocking minigame, the first real instance of one in a Bethesda RPG can be found in Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. Oblivion's lockpicking minigame was fun, but a tad too challenging, requiring players to manually set each tumbler of a lock one at a time, which could get pretty tricky when each tumbler has its own dropping speed.

Fallout 3 introduced a much simpler lockpicking minigame, where players simply need to rotate the two thumbsticks in tandem to find the lock's biting point. This system would go on to be used in both Skyrim and Fallout 4, where players found them to be equally enjoyable as they were in Fallout 3. At the end of the day, an ideal lockpicking minigame should be simple to understand and easy to control, but throw in additional curveballs to keep players on their toes, and that's exactly what Fallout 3 and Skyrim's lockpicking minigame do.

But for the first time since 2008, Bethesda has switched up its lockpicking minigame quite a bit. Having a more futuristic look to it, picking locks in Starfield sees players rotate a circular puzzle piece to try and get its designated lines to fit in with the slots in the background piece. This may just be Bethesda's most accessible and easy-to-understand lockpicking minigame yet, but it still has some tricks up its sleeve for more experienced players. As players begin to access higher-level locks, they'll be given more puzzle pieces to choose from. Players must look at the layer in front of them, and select the right puzzle piece for the job, planning ahead to make sure that it isn't needed on a layer further down. Simple, accessible, but complex, Starfield's lockpicking minigame might just be Bethesda's best to date.

Starfield is available now in early access launch for PC and Xbox Series X/S.

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