Cyberpunk dev calls out ‘harmful’ Starfield comparisons
Fans are comparing Starfield to Cyberpunk 2077 in attempts to prove that it's outdated - and one developer isn't having any of it.
06th Sep 2023 17:05
CD Projekt Red | Bethesda
Cyberpunk dev calls out ‘harmful’ Starfield comparisons
Fans are comparing Starfield to Cyberpunk 2077 in attempts to prove that it's outdated - and one developer isn't having any of it.
06th Sep 2023 17:05
CD Projekt Red | Bethesda
There are an awful lot of space games on the market right now. We saw it coming from a mile off last year, with Dead Space and The Callisto Protocol threatening to launch in very close proximity, with other space-faring adventures coming up the rear.
With Starfield finally here, it felt like a world (or worlds, if you like) of choice was about to be served up. But now players are starting to compare Starfield to games that aren't really that similar - and their developers are pointing out that it isn't a good look.
Cyberpunk 2077 dev pushes back on Starfield comparisons
Many game fans have taken to the internet to complain that Starfield feels, in many ways, outdated. This is probably due to Bethesda maintaining a very particular style, but some claim the game just doesn't hold up in the modern gaming world - but their comparisons don't help to fix anything.
Pointing out shared similarities in a video, one user caught the attention of Patrick K. Mills, a creator who had a hand in bringing Cyberpunk 2077 to life, and had a few choice words for them. The video criticises Starfield's water physics and the way NPCs react, seemingly calling out the AAA release.
Mills called out the "fake" criticism, reminding us how Cyberpunk was compared to older games and called out for not being "modern" enough. He has a fair point, as every game has a different list of priorities. Developers of gigantic RPG titles won't always focus on swimming animations and NPCs reacting to gunfire.
Fans react to Cyberpunk dev's defence
"This post is now full of replies from mental infants and I regret violating my rule against qrt dunking," adds Mills. "No slight to those of you who are normal."
He's quite right, as the threads have devolved into arguments. One critic said, "I think the point being made is a little lost though. Cyberpunk never really went out to offer "unparalleled" exploration of a galaxy (It had problems though certainly).
"Starfield not having any attempt at swimming/submersion while exploring planets is extremely questionable..." Another added, "I love how they are comparing newly released games to patched and fix versions of notoriously bad released games. Show vanilla cyberpunk. Or NMS."
A third concluded, "It's honestly very funny to see as a Cyberpunk fan, because half of this stuff is exactly what was criticized about Cyberpunk, so seeing the stark differences in reception is amazing." No matter what you think of Starfield, your snarky videos likely won't fix things.
It's a shame that we're still doing this, and are trying to prove to ourselves that some games are better than others. It ultimately doesn't matter in the slightest, and yet here we are.
About The Author
Joseph Kime
Joseph Kime is the Senior Trending News Journalist for GGRecon from Devon, UK. Before graduating from MarJon University with a degree in Journalism, he started writing music reviews for his own website before writing for the likes of FANDOM, Zavvi and The Digital Fix. He is host of the Big Screen Book Club podcast, and author of Building A Universe, a book that chronicles the history of superhero movies. His favourite games include DOOM (2016), Celeste and Pokemon Emerald.
