Dialogue systems are often the backbone of western RPGs, which is why they are scrutinized so heavily in games likeStarfield. WhileStarfieldmay be an improvement over Bethesda’s past gameswhen it comes to robust dialogue trees, it’s also sadly limited and shallow in a lot of ways, and future BGS titles ought to work a bit harder to push the envelope.
When discussing dialogue systems in Bethesda titles, it’s impossible not to mentionFallout 4. For many players, the stripped-back and streamlined dialogue features of the fourthFalloutwere emblematic of the game’s most fatal flaws: dialogue is basic, undermines player choice, and fails to function as a meaningful role-playing device. CRPGs precedingFallout 4, likePlanescape Tormentor even the older games in theFalloutseries, show just how pivotal a good dialogue system can be. They allow players to mold their character to their whim while interfacing with a world that feels alive; advanced, multifaceted dialogue trees that lead to impactful consequences can be the difference between a mildly entertaining game and an unforgettable, infinitely replayable experience.Starfieldmight get closer to this ideal than a game likeFallout 4, but Bethesda Game Studios still has a long way to go.
Fallout 5 Needs To Double-Down On Good Dialogue
Starfield Moves In the Right Direction, But Its Dialogue Is Still Shallow
One of the biggestcriticisms ofFallout 4’s dialogue optionsis how they can boil down to a selection of one-dimensional options. More often than not, talking to NPCs inFallout 4can be more a matter of deciding whether the player-character is going to be nice, rude, or inquisitive, rather than sifting through more nuanced and believable approaches. Instead of having to actually think about what they want the protagonist to say, factoring in variables like the personality of the NPC and their relationship to the objective at hand, players are funneled into a particular outcome, and their only real choice is what “flavor” of conversation they want to have, not the content of the conversation itself.
It would be nice to say thatStarfield’s dialogue reverses these underwhelming design choices, but reality is unfortunately much less satisfying. WhileStarfielddoes away withthe four-option dialog system ofFallout 4, and the removal of a voiced protagonist allows for players to use their imagination when it comes to essential aspects of conversation like tone and inflection, the decisions posed by the game are still rather simplistic. Specifically, dialogue options still lack the impact of a game likeDisco ElysiumorBaldur’s Gate 3: what players choose to say doesn’t often have real consequences on the outcome of a certain quest or interaction, but only on the next line of dialogue from the NPC in question. Once again, it’s a matter of selecting what “flavor” of conversation a player wants to have, not influencing what the meat of the conversation actually is.
Fallout 5 Desperately Needs a More Revolutionary Dialogue System
Thesepoints apply toThe Elder Scrolls 6’s dialogueas well, butFallout 5will be under a closer microscope thanks toFallout 4.
In a word,Starfield’s dialogue options can be described as outdated. At their best, they arereminiscent ofSkyrim’s, but never an evolution of them. Bringing back theBaldur’s Gate 3comparison, RPG players are coming to expect dialogue that meaningfully and unexpectedly alters the outcome of interactions, story moments, and character relationships—something that can’t be said aboutStarfield’s more inconsequential system. Dialogue takes up a lot of real estate in Bethesda games, soFallout 5,The Elder Scrolls 6, and, god willing,Starfield 2, will need to get a bit more ambitious and experimental to justify such heavy inclusion.
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.
