Starfield is officially compatible with mods, whether on PC or Xbox. But this new feature is the cause of poor reviews on Steam, because some projects are paid.
Starfield received a big update on June 9, 2024. It includes official compatibility with mods, promised since the launch of the game last September. The space RPG also welcomes a Creation Kit, as was the case for Skyrim And Fallout 4, Bethesda’s previous games. It allows everyone to imagine and design improvements or additional content to Starfield.
This novelty could have been unanimous. But, that’s absolutely not the case, judging by the Steam page of Starfield. When we look at the evaluations, we see that the most recent ones are “rather negative”. Since June 10, Starfield is the victim of review bombing, a practice which allows players to signal their dissatisfaction by slashing the rating displayed on a store.
Starfield’s paid mods don’t appeal to everyone
“ Nine months after a more than mixed launch, Bethesda had to keep a low profile and work hard to win back the hearts of fans. But, they end up adding microtransactions, it’s like giving the stick to get beaten », comments Aymdef, who obviously gives a thumbs down. “ Horrible game + they charge for mods, a shame!! », agrees KC Warmiy.
The presence of paid mods displeases many fans of Starfield, while the RPG is far from being free from all criticism. As neonoxia perfectly sums it up: “ They made a mediocre game and decide to monetize the mods that fix the game. » Note, however, that many mods are free and/or applauded by the community. So it’s not all negative. “ The game looks incomplete and now they’re asking me to pay more for things that should have been in the game from the start », adds Doopywoopy.
Paid mods are not new in the Bethesda universe. However, they have often been controversial. Already in 2015, during an interview with GameSpot, Pete Hines, former CEO of the company, tried to justify their existence after a first attempt which had proved unsuccessful. He notably highlighted the fact that modders received money (25%, at the time). It stated: “ Many people we spoke to were interested and supportive of the idea. Creators told us, ‘I’ve asked for donations for years and never received anything, and now I can make a lot of money in a single day.’ “. Removed after just 72 hours, paid mods returned in 2017.
When we browse the menu dedicated to mods in Starfield, we discover that Bethesda itself sells them. For 700 credits, one can purchase a new set of missions. For 1,000 credits, it is possible to obtain elements for your ship. Credits are a virtual currency: you get 500 for €4.99, and up to 5,500 for €49.99. In short, Bethesda hides microtransactions in paid mods of Starfieldwhile the core content of the RPG has often been singled out for its empty zones (there is nothing to do on a lot of planets).
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