Summary
With 15 months since the release ofStarfield, fans of the space exploration RPG are still wishing some of its locations felt a little more steeped in realism. One particular element ofStarfieldthat’s been drawing criticism since its early days is its nightlife, which fans feel doesn’t fit its Mature rating, and it’s an issue that still has players talking.
Prior to its release,Starfieldwas given a Mature content ratingfrom the ESRB and several other software ratings boards around the world. While these organizations weighed the game’s violence, language, and themes among their decisions, the issue that really pushed the game into the mature category was the presence of drugs, which are most prevalently on display in the game’s nightclubs. But these same nightclubs have drawn the ire of players, who feel they’re incredibly watered-down and unrealistic when compared to similar locations in fellow sci-fi RPGs likeMass EffectandCyberpunk: 2077.
The most obvious example is in theStarfieldcity of Neon, a bustling metropolis built on artificial platforms on the oceanic planet Volii Alpha. Regarded throughout the galaxy as one of its most corrupt major cities, Neon is home to a few bars and nightclubs. Unlike most of the galaxy, drug use isn’t frowned upon inside these facilities, but fans of the game like Reddit user SexySpaceNord are still finding them to be exceptionally tame when weighed against similar clubs in theMass Effectseries. In a recent post, the player compared the crowded, exotic dancer-filled Afterlife nightclub from theMass Effectgames to Neon’s Astral Lounge, which is much more sparsely populated and features non-interactive dancers clad in awkwardly shaped bodysuits that the player compared to children’s TV icons the Teletubbies.
Starfield Fans Still Want Neon to be Seedier
This is far from the first time that fans have complained aboutStarfield’s squeaky-clean image. Even before the game’s release in September 2023, some fans had been hopingStarfield’s nightlife would haveMass Effectvibes, particularly after a pre-release look at Neon in a showcase from June 2023. A lot of fans expressed their disappointment in the city after the game’s launch, and despite some major updates and the release of the game’s first expansion DLC earlier this year, it’s a problem that Bethesda still hasn’t addressed.
Although it’s certainly not a new complaint, the recent post has shown that fans are still wishing for a seedier Neon. The planet is run by Benjamin Bayu, one of themost evil characters inStarfield, and quests surrounding Bayu delve into his connections to organized crime, the drug trade, and even framing the player character for murder, which many fans feel makes it the perfect location for Bethesda to show a darker side of life in the 24th century.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
