When it launched last year,Starfieldset out to bring a thrilling story of space exploration to life. The wait leading up to Bethesda’s sci-fi adventure was filled with excitement, asStarfieldappeared to be one of the developer’s most ambitious projects yet. Unfortunately, the game has failed to capture the same love as other Bethesda titles. While there are strong qualities in the game, it can often lack the immersion that predecessors likeSkyrimandFallout 3offer.
The divisive reputation ofStarfieldcontinues to follow it a year later. Although there have been some great high points, like the inclusion of the game’s first vehicle with the REV-8, other updates have proven disappointing.Starfield’s first DLC,Shattered Space, was highly anticipated, but ultimately proved possibly more divisive than the base game. Now, an experiment conducted by Reddit user Cleobule showcases a huge immersion-breaking problem when it comes to the conflict betweenthe Crimson Fleet and UC SysDef. Despite the two factions hating one another, the Crimson Fleet doesn’t seem to react when players wear a SysDef unform.
Starfield’s Plot Hole With the Crimson Fleet and SysDef Highlights a Huge Missed Opportunity
A Chance to Elevate Immersion
Eventually, players are tasked witha big decision inStarfield. Choosing to align oneself with the Crimson Fleet or UC SysDef presents a moral crossroads. SysDef is a militarized police organization that many in the galaxy view as oppressive, while the freedom-loving Crimson Fleet can take that freedom too far by being okay with criminal activity, including murder. Both decisions have their pros and cons, but one thing is certain: the Crimsons Fleet despises SysDef and vice versa.
Naturally, one would assume if a player dressed as a SysDef member and entered Crimson Fleet territory, they would be met with immediate aggression. However, this does not seem to be the case. In their experiment, Cleobule attempts to infiltrate the Crimson Fleet while wearing a full SysDef uniform. Surprisingly, none of the Crimson Fleet NPCs seemed to notice or care. There has been a lot ofcriticism ofStarfieldsince it launched, and although some complaints can be trivial, criticism of the game’s immersion is more warranted.
The headquarters for the Crimson Fleet is The Key, a former United Colonies star station.
Bethesda Taking Tension Out of Potentially Exciting Conflict
With a huge selling point ofStarfieldbeing its immersive space exploration, it would only make sense forCrimson Fleet membersto address players wearing SysDef uniforms with hostility, or even violence. The outlaw nature of these space pirates would fully react if in a truly immersive world, butStarfieldunfortunately doesn’t take that leap. Missteps like the one Cleobule came across showcase whereStarfieldneeds to continue improving if Bethesda wants it to fully deliver on its pre-release promises.
Starfield Continues to Be Divisive, But There Is Still Room To Grow
Future DLC and Updates Hopefully Make Improvements
Despite thereception toShattered Spacenot being overwhelmingly positive, there is still room for Bethesda to offer stronger updates and expansions. With these updates, there will hopefully be changes that bring world immersion to a better standard, as trying to negotiate with the Crimson Fleet while decked out in full SysDef attire would be a really fun challenge.
UC SysDef stands for “United Colonies System Defense.” It’s a branch of the UC Navy specifically tasked with terminating the Crimson Fleet.
There are still manyfeatures thatStarfieldplayers are hoping to seeadded to the game sometime in the near future. As of now, there are still plans to expandStarfieldfurther, but it’s unclear if enhancing immersion is a priority with these changes or not. Until then, SysDef-aligned players can have a little bit of fun interacting with Crimson Fleet members with nearly zero consequences.
