10 Things No One Wants To Admit About Bethesda RPGs

4. Building Isn't Worth The Effort

starfield game
Bethesda Softworks

Ever since Skyrim's Hearthfire expansion landed in 2012, building structures has become an increasingly large part of the studio's flagship titles. Although constructing houses in Skyrim was a pleasant distraction that players could sink dozens more hours into, this mechanic soon lost its sheen in later games.

Expanding upon this system in Fallout 4, players could now make parts of the postapocalyptic wasteland their own by making entire settlements. While the plethora of player-made creations that appeared online showed what could be achieved, the clunky controls made what should have been simple acts like placing a door a needlessly frustrating endeavour.

Starfield doubled down on the building mechanics by enabling players to craft their own spaceships alongside large outposts. Although the streamlined systems were easier to use, a steep learning curve meant that it would take a lot of trial and error to understand how it all worked. 

Throw in the headache that comes with setting up cargo links and ferrying junk to use in crafting, and building in these games becomes a lot more trouble than it's worth. Thankfully, it's all entirely optional, meaning it's possible to play for hundreds of hours without having to build a single thing.

 
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Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.