Although Starfield has a decent variety of weapons, one particular type of weapon feels like an afterthought compared to the rest – the melee weapons. Like other Bethesda RPGs before it, Starfield offers players the option to choose between a number of different melee or ranged weapons which, in combination with the game’s Skill system, should allow them to define a certain play style for their character. Unfortunately, Starfield’s melee weapons are monotonous, one-note, and unsatisfying to use, with different melee weapon types being hardly distinguishable from each other outside pure numbers.
Even in open-world RPGs with more of a focus on ranged combat, like Fallout and Cyberpunk 2077, melee options still tend to be a viable and potentially powerful option – in fact, games where most enemies will be fighting from range create the opportunity for a melee-focused player character to really stand out and feel powerful by rushing down enemies despite ostensibly being at a significant range disadvantage. However, whereas even past Bethesda RPGs offer some interesting, varied options for melee-focused character, the unarmed combat and melee weapons in Starfield end up feeling underwhelming compared to the guns, and is a big step back from its implementation in games like Skyrim and Fallout 4.
Related: “An Instant Classic”: Starfield Review
Despite technically having options for melee combat, with one Combat Skill, Dueling, devoted to using melee weapons and one of Starfield’s Physical Skills, devoted to barehanded combat, the game’s close-range combat ends up feeling underdeveloped, especially compared to using guns, for several key reasons. Even compared to past Bethesda RPGs, melee combat in Starfield takes several steps backwards, lacking in variety, customization, and moveset satisfaction, making it a poor choice for most players when using guns would likely be both better and more fun. A combination of lackluster animations, seemingly missing features, and a total lack of different play styles result in Starfield’s melee combat feeling like more of an afterthought than anything else.
In terms of animations, Starfield’s arsenal of melee weapons share a major problem – despite technically having nine different types of melee weapons, animation variety between them is practically nonexistent. The only real difference is that some of the game’s knives will start with a stab instead of a swing, but otherwise, melee weapons share the same general moves, creating an issue where something like a Rescue Axe doesn’t feel meaningfully different to use from a Wakizashi katana or a Va’Ruun Painblade.
2023-11-26 20:00:07
Article from screenrant.com
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