A recentStarfielddata mine revealed two potential upcoming vehicles to be added to the game and could be introduced with the forthcomingShattered SpaceDLC that releaseson September 30. While the prospect of being able to choose from more than one space rover initially got me excited, upon further thinking, itmade me realize what a missed opportunity the REV-8 isin its current state.
Don’t get me wrong, being able to drive a space ATV and boosting off a ramp to go flying in the air is a ton of fun; however, like many Bethesda things, is just a placeholder and distraction for whatcouldbe in the game. Like many other patches in recent memory, the REV-8 effectively solves a major problem with the game, but doesn’t go far enough to actually excite.
Starfield Datamine Reveals Two New Models
The Rev-9 & Rev-10?
As posted onr/NoSodiumStarfieldon Reddit, a recent datamine shows three vehicles inStarfield. One is the memorable frame of the recently added REV-8, but the othertwo designs feature sleeker frames with a less ATV-style body. That said, they also look remarkably similar to the recently added option in many respects, which feels pretty underwhelming. Bethesda has remained fairly closed-lipped at what these could be, so there is a chance this could be something entirely different, like concepts that became the REV-8.
InStarfield, though one can update the color of the REV-8, there are limited customization options outside of using mods, and though it is possible to upgrade the turret via allocating points into Lasers, Heavy Weapons, Demolition, and other skills, it doesn’t fundamentally change the way it drives. Although it would be nice to have a change in style, the leaked images for the new potential upcoming vehicles illustrate one major problem with just adding new versions of the rover.
Starfield Needs Vehicle Customization
Why Not Wait Till We Can Build Our Own?
The best part ofStarfieldfor me is the ability to build my own ship. Although I lament over the vanilla size limitations, visualizing and manifesting my own custom ship with its own color scheme and parts was one ofmy favorite parts of the game. When it was initially announced that the REV-8 was a thing, I got excited at the prospect of being able to build my own car, but sadly was let down on release.
Mods have already added a lot ofcool custom skins for the REV-8.
Don’t get me wrong, the REV-8 is a blast and is a huge upgrade over having to sprint and use a boost pack to get to POIs. Speaking of boosts, the boost on the REV-8 was a good idea, and it makes landing down in some random area to interact with other ship captains at landing sites (something I totally avoided before) actually fun. That said, the missed opportunity of being able to select different tires, frames, and different firepower — basically the same things I’d add to my ship — sounds like a much more fun activity to do.
10 Coolest Ship Designs Created In Starfield
Starfield has deep customization options when it comes to building an ideal spaceship, which has led many to fabricate pretty impressive creations.
Like a lot of things inStarfield,the REV-8 feels shoehorned in. It obviously wasn’t meant for the base game, so the time and effort that went into it is indicative of the final product. There are no cool animations showing it detaching from my ship, and it ultimately just felt like any other item I could buy from a vendor. Even the process of buying one from a ship technician, while in one respect feels convenient and straightforward, ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed as there was no mission associated with obtaining one, like there was for my first spaceship.
I Wonder If It’s Even Possible To Implement
The Creation Engine Seems Limited
As with most recent Bethesda games,Starfieldis built inside of the Creation Engine. Though it’s great at things like dialogue trees, relationships, and other gameplay mechanics Bethesda is typically praised for, it hasn’t always been the best for other gaming mechanics, namely shooting, movement to some degree, and driving. InFallout 4, the most recent mainline game beforeStarfield, cars were scattered around the Commonwealth but were used merely as materials and scrap.
The REV-8, in its current form, is likely just a placeholder to address a common complaint inStarfield.
From a gameplay point of view (though I admit I’m not a developer by any means), it would make sense to me that designing the physics of a spaceship moving in zero gravity would be an easier undertaking than developing a car that has to drive with a certain level of gravity on land. Navigating rocky terrain with the REV-8 can already be somewhat frustrating, and it has taken Bethesda just short of a year to release it. For those reasons, it’slogical to assume that enabling the customization of vehicles with wheels might be harder than implementing that same system in space.
The REV-8, in its current form, is likely just a placeholder to address a common complaint inStarfield. Not only are repeating POIs redundant and boring, but having to take the same trek over and over again for them makes it even worse. This was always one of my least favorite parts of the game. Combine this with the fact that the lame mini-game toobtain Starborn powersis the most redundant and pointless of all; I’m not complaining about the REV-8 being in the game — I’m just pointing out that it just feels unfinished.
Starfield’s Legacy Relies On Shattered Space
I’ve Given Starfield A Year To Get Better
Being a fan of Bethesda is like having thatone friend who continually messes up in the same way, but you expect them to change at some point in your life, almost miraculously. Perhaps it’s my love for some of its previous games, likeSkyrimor theFalloutfranchise, that create an unrealistic expectation that Bethesda will get better at updating its games faster or improve old habits. Or maybe it is the potential I see in what could be “Skyrim in space,” butStarfieldhasn’t really felt that way for me, at least yet.
There are a ton of reasons for this — from the procedural generation to the vastness of the universe, lack of meaningful sidequests, or repeating POIs,Starfielddoes not compare toSkyrimwhen it comes to certain elements of the game. That said, there is a version ofStarfieldin my head that is one of the best games ever, and with each update, it feels like it might be inching in that direction. However, each time I boot up the game to try out thenew Trackers Allianceor REV-8, it’s just not enough to keep me engaged in the game and wanting to go throughanother New Game Plus run.
And maybe that’s good enough. After all, I have invested hundreds of hours into the game at this point, and I feel like I’ve had a generally fun experience, even though I can see the flaws. With that, though, Bethesda is keeping me on the hook forShattered Spaceand what could be included in the first big expansion forStarfield. As much as things bug me about the game, and I try to get out, Bethesda just keeps pulling me back in.
