Has *Starfield*'s Reputation Rebounded After the Update—Does It Actually Feel Better This Time?

When I opened the news on the subway, my first reaction was that Starfield finally seemed to be warming up a bit this time. For someone like me who just scrolls through things during the commute, the worst thing about a big RPG is when it feels too heavy and too tedious. If an update doesn’t feel noticeable, it’s really hard to click back in. Thankfully, this time the feedback on Steam is at least not the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to back out at a glance.

Starfield is the space sci-fi RPG released by Bethesda in 2023. On the evening of April 7, the official team launched the free major update “Free Routes,” along with the paid story DLC “Earth Fleet.” According to Steam store data, the game received a total of 141 reviews on April 7, with a 73% positive rate for the day, earning a “Mostly Positive” rating. One thing to note here is that since the update went live in the evening Beijing time, a small number of reviews from that day may still reflect pre-update content. But judging from the review trend over the recent period, most of the feedback is still closer to the actual post-update experience.

The reasons players are leaving positive reviews are actually pretty straightforward. This isn’t the kind of overhaul that turns everything around overnight, nor is it like the later updates for Cyberpunk 2077 that pushed the whole experience up to a completely different level. But quite a few people feel that it has, at least, polished the original formula a bit more smoothly—like a pair of shoes that used to rub your feet, but after wearing them long enough, finally don’t feel quite so awkward. For more casual players, this kind of change—“not amazing, but more comfortable”—can sometimes feel more meaningful than loudly advertised “major upgrades.”

That said, it’s not like there are no negative reviews, and the complaints are actually fairly concentrated. Some players bluntly said this update “does nothing to help,” which shows it hasn’t managed to erase the dissatisfaction longtime players have built up. Others mentioned stability issues, and that’s especially annoying, because what open-world RPGs fear most is stuttering and crashes. Once the experience gets interrupted, immersion drops off immediately—like when your screen suddenly goes black right in the middle of a show.

As for the new DLC, “Earth Fleet,” it had received 79 valid reviews as of publication, with a 74% positive rate, also rated “Mostly Positive.” That suggests it hasn’t dragged things down, and may even have helped make up for some players’ unmet expectations. Quite a few positive reviews mentioned that players who bought the Premium Edition could get this DLC for free, which really does earn some goodwill—it’s like when you order takeout and the owner casually tosses in a small extra side dish. It may not be decisive, but it definitely puts you in a better mood. Some players also feel that this DLC brings Starfield closer to what it was originally described as before launch.

Still, the opposing voices are just as direct. Some think the DLC content is bad and boring, while others pointed out errors in the localized voice acting. For story-driven content, problems like that can really hurt—especially when you’re just starting to get immersed, only for one line of dialogue to yank you right back out of the atmosphere. It’s seriously jarring.

If you’ve never touched Starfield before, I’d give a fairly light recommendation: wait and see how word of mouth continues to develop before deciding whether to jump in. The current reviews show that it is getting better, but not yet to the point where it’s a no-brainer buy. If you already own the base game—or especially if you’re a Premium Edition player—then this update and DLC are worth trying on a whim. You might find them easier on the eyes than the launch version was. Overall, this isn’t Starfield pulling off some miracle comeback; it’s more like slowly taking its reputation out of the freezer and letting it thaw. It’s still a long way from a full resurgence, but at least it’s not quite so cold anymore.