Well, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom reviews are in and this is quickly becoming a Game of the Year contender already! Sitting at a blistering 96 on Metacritic and 97 on Open Critic, Nintendo's latest Zelda adventure is seemingly one of the greats - and it's not even out yet for the general public.
No, this isn't Nintendo Life you've accidently visited here — we're still team green through and through — but a release like this is something you just can't avoid when you're plugged into the games industry. It's one of the most anticipated titles of the year, and so far, it seems to be living up to the hype.
Naturally, its reception got us thinking about what upcoming Xbox games could get close to delivering the sheer scale, scope and excitement that TOTK seems to be serving up, and you guessed it; Starfield came out on top. If anything can bring a vast open world full of wonder and intrigue to Xbox players, it's Bethesda Game Studios' first new IP in decades following years of work on The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.
It remains to be seen whether the team can deliver on the promise of 'Skyrim in Space', but the gleeful arrival of the latest Zelda and the unfortunate mishap of Redfall are both adding immense pressure to Starfield's launch. We don't want to get too hyperbolic here and claim that everything Xbox-related rides on it, but Starfield is starting to feel more important than ever for Microsoft.
Regardless of what Phil Spencer says about console mindshare, Xbox of course wants to be part of these kinds of 'GOTY' conversations and we reckon Starfield is the company's best shot at that for the foreseeable future. Depending on how you look at it, the game's September launch is a timely one - it gives Microsoft the chance to right a wrong and also stand toe-to-toe with one of the best games in the business.
And you know what, we have faith that the teams can deliver. Xbox will be acutely aware of the fallout from Redfall and will want to make amends for that, and surely Bethesda knows how important a brand-new IP is to their future as well.
It's also worth reminding ourselves that not so long ago, Xbox put out a steady stream of really high quality titles. The team was voted Best Game Publisher in 2021 thanks to releases like Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite and Psychonauts 2 all delivering fantastic review scores on launch. It's been a bit of a drop off since then, but the notion that Xbox can't deliver great games is nonsense.
Hopefully, we'll have a clearer idea of how Starfield is shaping up in exactly one month's time, at the Starfield Direct livestream on June 11th. We haven't seen much of the game at all since last summer's showing, and the team really needs to come out swinging as we ride the hype to Starfield's September launch.
We'll also add though, that if the game could do with a delay, it should absolutely get one. No game needs to launch on a specific date — especially one as important as this — and we've all seen how things can turn out if you decide not to delay your AAA launch. We truly hope Starfield is ready to go in September, but if not, give it the time it needs to be truly great.
Bethesda Game Studios is certainly under the microscope with Starfield, then, perhaps more than ever with its newfound position as one of Xbox's top first-party developers. We hope that the pressure of making up for Redfall and competing with Zelda can help form a truly amazing Xbox title come Starfield launch day on September 6th, 2023.
Do you think Starfield will deliver, even with the pressure? Let us know your thoughts down below.
Comments 66
Imagine the pressure they're under. This game has to be good. It's Bethesda's next game/big new IP and MS are dying for a 1st party home run.
They should know by now if they've got a winner though I guess. It'd still be a tense time though.
The biggest difference being Zelda has been going for years and this is based on one of the already greats, to expect a new IP to even reach those greats is quite a reach. Plus, the last great game Bethesda made was indeed Skyrim. I think too much pressure will crash this game, hype kills releases. Hopefully it at least is sitting close to a 8 or 9/10. That would be a success in my opinion.
Despite the rave reviews for BOTW and BOTW2, those games (and other first-party Nintendo titles) aren't alone in carrying the Switch. Microsoft should learn from that and license inactive/unused IPs to indie studios (with some reasonable oversight), prioritize games that offer local multiplayer, and prioritize games that fill out the genres that are somewhat lacking on Xbox.
Edit: As of typing this, there are "more than 5,000 games...and counting" available for the Switch according to Nintendo.com. A lot of it is shovelware of course, but that volume allows Nintendo to hit a lot of specific demographics regardless. Without a similar volume of releases Xbox needs a higher percentage of hits for each demographic, or a large number of demographics at any rate. And this is why Redfall was so perplexing to me, even if it were a smash-hit at release it would have catering to a demographic that is already well-supported by third-parties on Xbox.
Very glad that Zelda is getting great reviews even though it is not Xbox. A rising tide lifts all boats…quality wise anyways.
I'm a huge Zelda series fan.
I hated breath of the wild and tears of the kingdom is just more of the same.
All the reviews are bogus and don't call out Nintendo on shoddy frame rate or barely any story and endless menus.
I don't know about y'all, but I'm gonna need a nap tomorrow.
A 9/10 would be a win for Xbox, an 8/10 would be a bit of a disappointment, and a 7/10 or less would result in people abandoning their faith in Xbox… until the release date of the next exclusive. Then the cycle repeats itself.
Too much pressure on 1 game. At this point it has to be nothing short of a Masterpiece to live upto expectations
There shouldn't be any added pressure on Starfield. It's not fair to those developers to ask them to overcome things outside the scope of their game. It should be treated like any other release.
Like the hi fi rush review that said given xboxs lack of other releases they couldn't go as high as it deserved. It was a clear example of bias that was not directed at the game itself. Any reviewer doing that should not be listened to. Games journalism doesn't have to be such a joke.
@Spider-Kev the reviews aren't bogus nintendo make great games same as Sony I do agree with the shoddy frame rate though
Todd most be feeling the heat and phil even more, but honestly this game is a guaranteed enjoyable game can be GOTY or not i love the worlds built by bathesda love starfield theme And love rpg elements in their games.... Im sure i will enjoy it, would crtics love it? Not sure would ps fans troll it? Yes even if it comeout great..
I am actually quite enjoying Redfall....and i wasn't really interested init before release
As for Zelda everyone knew it would get 10 regardless if it deserves it or not...some games just do ...like metal gear solid 5...and that defo didn't deserve it.....wouldn't know about Zelda as I haven't played one in a while....I doubt i would think they are a 10 though ..they used to be groundbreaking ..not anymore from what I've seen
@Spider-Kev I quit BoTW after like 6-8 hours. I found it very boring and lifeless. I hated the weapons breaking. The story was nonexistent to me. I honestly thought it was bad so good news is that Starfield will be better for me. 😀
Zelda Reviews & Redfall's Woes Put the Pressure on Xbox exclusive Starfield
Yes, and you fine folks at PureXbox can rest easy that you've done your bit by rising expectations even further 🙄....
@FatalBubbles I had a similar experience with breath of the wild. I eventually finished it after putting it down for multiple long stretches, didn't really care for it.
Add the way point to each objective and it is a 15 hour ubisoft game. But since they removed it like some ps2 era game, it was "revolutionary."
@Somebody That was one of the parts I disliked a lot actually. I felt like I was just wandering aimlessly. I probably should have followed a guide to at least finish it but I just wasn’t into it.
@somnambulance It's a shame that 7/10 is considered "bad".
I mean, I see the point you are making as most first-party games on other platforms score high, but 7/10 still isn't bad!
@Spider-Kev One has to consider the hardware and scope of what Nintendo has accomplished with those games though.
I mean, if the hardware was a Series X|S, then I can see where one could argue the tech side of things.
But then you look at the level of interactivity within the game world - you know, actually have the environment a part of the game rather than something to look pretty - then you have to applaud Nintendo. There is creativity there. It's not scripted Hollywood spectacle, but a chance for gamers to...you know...play.
There are play mechanics and world/physics simulation within both games that you just don't see on even more powerful hardware. There is also a playfulness to the world you don't see elsewhere..
There has been this whole conversation about how the PS5 and Series X|S hardware can enable developers to do things that previous-gen cames couldn't do before. All new game designs and new possibilities.
Nintendo has done that with a fraction of the hardware. That, alone, should be applauded.
Fast travel is 11 seconds. There is 0 load time between areas. This is without the bandwidth of the Series X|S or the PS5 - I think the Switch speed is a little over 100MB/s.
Sure, it's lighter on the graphical side, but it's a strong art-style that can still convey a beautiful and fantastical Hyrule.
To be fair though, has Todd Howard every really missed on his projects? Even Fallout 76 (which he wasn't as involved in), managed to salvage itself over time. And this game is his baby, that he's been working on for a very, very long time. I think he will deliver on it.
I can't imagine it will be better received than Zelda and I say that as someone who just liked BOTW, not worshiped it like the second coming of Christ many in the industry felt about it. There's definitely a bit of a bump Nintendo games get in reviews compared to the other two.
Bethesda has always been pretty hit and miss ever since Skyrim and if I'm being honest, I don't have much faith in Starfield to be better than just good. Would love to be wrong though.
Nobody in their right mind expects a Tears of the Kingdom-level product from BGS, lol.
The true rout would be stealing Spider-Man 2's thunder, since both will likely release near the end of the year.
@101Force Totally agree. Switch enjoys a constant influx of interesting exclusives primarily because they collaborate with other companies to utilize their IPs in interesting ways, giving them a level of published output that wouldn't be possible if they were simply relying on first-party developers.
Even Capcom and a prominent indie developer have made games for the Zelda franchise, for example!
Microsoft is everywhere and have more money than God. There's zero reason they shouldn't have a consistent conveyor belt of exclusive releases on their platform.
Well Zelda has set the bar high, it's the highest rated game ever on open critic and currently a 96 on metacritic with more reviews getting added so could end up higher. I don't think other game developers and their fans should be looking at zelda as a benchmark to reach as straight away they are setting themselves up for disappointment. As long as Starfield isn't a buggy mess, look great and has that trademark skyrim/fallout formula then it will be very successful, I fully expect it to rate between 80-90 on metacritic which I think is acceptable to everyone.
Starfield not being game of the year does not mean failure.
@UltimateOtaku91
"Starfield not being game of the year does not mean failure."
EXACTLY
This is BGS we're talking about here. Anything better than Fallout 4 should be celebrated.
I’m looking forward to both Zelda and Starfield, but I’m not going to compare them to each other. They’re two totally different games, styles, platforms, genres…. I get it, people are going to compare them. I just want them both to be the best versions of themselves that they can be. Congratulations to Nintendo on the high praises Zelda is getting. Hopefully I’ll find some time this weekend to check it out.
It doesn't feel reasonable to expect Starfield to be on Tears of the Kingdom level. TotK is a masterpiece followup to a masterpiece, in one of the greatest series in gaming history. Even if Starfield is a 10/10 game, it can't realistically achieve same amount of popularity and general acceptance.
Starfield should concentrate on delivering excellent Xbox experience, and the rest will come with time..
Honestly thought BOTW was one of the most overhyped games I've ever played looking forward to Starfield hopefully it turns out amazing.
Zelda will be game of the year. Not sure anything will even come close.
@Rangers420 Agreed.
I get where this piece is coming from, I truly do. But honestly, I think stuff like this only hurts Starfield (and thus Xbox).
Starfield is not going to compete with The Legend of Zelda. Few games ever could. At this point, the pressure is SO great on Starfield that it can't be a 9 or even a 10 anymore; people are expecting a once-in-a-lifetime-genre-breaking event. And that's not fair, especially to Bethesda who isn't responsible for Xbox's missteps (outside of Redfall).
Again, I get why this is a "make it break it" moment for Xbox to some people. I'm sure Bethesda and Microsoft are terrified; even if you believe the game's great, who wouldn't be? I just don't think we need to make the pressure on these devs worse by comparing it to one of the best-reviewing games ever.
Really can't wait for Zelda tomorrow, hopefully Amazon deliver it in good time!
@Wheatly You're right that it doesn't say it has to be as good, but it does compare by saying Starfield is the most likely to have "the sheer scale, scope and excitement that TOTK seems to be serving up." And then says Zelda is adding to the immense pressure on Starfield.
You'll find no argument from me though on the rest. I agree with your earlier comment as well; my PS5 and Switch get way more time lately, and that's due to the very strong cadence of must-play titles. I've been vocal for a long time that my Series X feels like a box of unfulfilled promises after all these years (and I'm still a little miffed that I bought 3 years of GPU on the promise that we'd get AAA first-party titles day-and-date...and then went over a whole year without any). Microsoft can't risk Starfield being anywhere near the mess Redfall was. It needs to be a quality game; a killer app/you-must-buy-an-Xbox-for-this game that MS has been needing all this time.
I'm just saying, at this point it feels like the pressure on Starfield is so immense that I question if it has any hope of meeting peoples' expectations. It's going to have to be a lot of great things to a lot of different (and demanding) expectations. I get why the pressure is there, but I still feel for the devs and designers who are probably sick with anxiety these days.
I didn't know Microsoft was competing with Nintendo. Learn something new everyday, thx purexbox.
@Sol4ris no offense to anyone, but i'm not sure enough people read this site to really do that lol
Redfall's terribleness has been overstated. it's not like the worst game in history or anything. They dropped the ball to be sure, but the main issue with Redfall is that it feels aimless and unfinished. there have been MANY worse games. the shooting feels ok (could be better), the exploration is fine (could be better), etc. it's a 6/10 or so, not great but everyone should calm down.
BOTW was good but for me isn’t the masterpiece many seem to think it is. Wind Waker is still the best Zelda game.
I’m looking forward to Starfield more than BOTW2, I hope it delivers but I suspect it won’t get the same favouritism that Zelda games are afforded by reviewers.
I think the redfall situation is overblown. The game is fine. It's not the best thing I've played, but im really enjoying it. Same with Hi Fi. It's potentially my 2nd or 3rd favorite game of the year so far. Starfield should be a great time. We just need 1 other big title this year aside from forza and I'll be a happy camper.
@GamingFan4Lyf 7/10 isn’t bad, but in Microsoft’s case, we need an absolute hit that justifies the purchase of Series consoles. MOR titles are fine, but Xbox needs a real win right now.
@Spider-Kev people simp so hard for Zelda games. I remember the fiasco over on Destructoid years back when Chris gave a less-than-desired-by-simps review score.
It was epic
For clarity, it was a 6.5 to Link Between Worlds. This happened 10 years ago
I don’t know how you compare a game that will be a game of the decade with any other game. Not saying we shouldn’t hold to Starfield to a high bar but maybe not one of the top games period?
@EquiinoxGII The pressure is absurd for Starfield. Sites and Youtubers are working overtime to amp up the notion that it must be a 10/10. Whatever that means. The criteria swings wildly depending on what game and system is being judged.
Everyone wants Starfield to hit 60 fps on consoles. Sure...it would be nice. I never imagined that was a one to hold onto. Has a Bethesda title (Fallout or Elder Scrolls) ever launch 60 fps on consoles? With all the systems running (people, towns, planets) cloud computing may have been of help. However, everyone balks at any notion of a constant online connection.
@Sakai You will enjoy it mate, been playing it today and it's been very good so far. Had to put God of War Ragnarok on hold for now.
Idk if I like this take.
@Dusk_Actual
I was writing for ZeldaDungeon back then.
I made a few articles there.
@Moonglow I'm with @Wheatly here.
Microsoft did a lot of things right with regards to making the Series X|S a very appealing machine. It all fell on deaf ears because the games just weren't there to back it up.
It doesn't matter how many great things Microsoft has done regarding supporting (and improving) backwards compatibility,
providing a robust game selection for a monthly fee, or adding great studios to their portfolio. The goodwill brought by those perks is all for nothing if the company can't justify it with great new first-party games (or third-party developed exclusives) to drive people towards Microsoft's ecosystem.
Now, I do think Microsoft will deliver, eventually. With as many studios as Microsoft has working on current-gen games, we are bound to be flooded with those games at some point, right?!
Perhaps Microsoft will have its "PS3 moment" where it will be more at the tail end of the console's lifespan that things turn around.
People will start to buy consoles and see all the other cool things the console can do and appreciate them.
One has to wonder that because so many are looking at Starfield as THE singular title to reestablish Microsofts brand /if it even stands a chance of fair and even reviews.
I'm not remotely a team green die hard, but it felt like a lot of Redfall reviews were impacted by the idea of it being that bridge to Starfield, and so it wasn't just a broken game " it was a horribly broken game"
The Zelda reviews just prove gameplay>graphics. I think other devs need to keep that in mind.
@Moonglow I would say Spring 2015 - Spring 2017 was by far the best part of the Phil Spencer era of Xbox. While there were some missteps from Xbox back then like the story of Halo 5's campaign being terrible, for the most part that time period had a really strong Xbox lineup and also got supported with stuff like the backwards compatibility program.
I think Spiderman 2 will be Starfield’s competition. Starfield is Xbox big exclusive of the year, Spiderman 2 is Playstation’s. Spiderman had record breaking sales an reviews, Starfield is new. Insomniac have said they want it to be the best game they ever made! An Venom’s in it!!
@Spider-Kev Your a huge zelda fan and complaining about story? Since when has Zelda ever been about story, their storeis have always been simple and rather straight forward. Zelda has always been about dungeons and gameplay.
Spiderman 2 will have a massive marketing budget. Something either xbox won't or can't do. Might see a Xbox commercial here and there and it will probably show the same thing they been showing since 2011.
@fizban3332 The hype is so large that they are competing with God. Totally unfair but it is what it is…
I don't know why Redfall and Zelda add pressure to Starfield. All three are separate, independent games not even in the same genres.
Yes, Redfall has received disappointing reception. but instead of talking about how horrible Redfall reception has been why are we not talking about HiFi Rush? MS releases a bad game and it is the end of the world. They release good games and they are quickly forgotten.
Zelda is almost universally a great game always. Is anyone surprised with its reception so far? No one should be.
As for Starfield, we still next to zero about it. Until we see more it is hard to judge.
NeoRatt wrote:
The trouble is every system needs system sellers, giant AAA tentpole titles with marketing behind them, that make people want that console over another. While XBox has some good games overall it is severely lacking in this area.
Typically these are the reasons most people will choose one console over another, it's one major reason so many people still buy a Switch despite it's hardware being from the neolithic age, relatively.
For reference Nintendo's last AAA System seller on Switch was Tears of the Kingdom, Sony's was God of War Ragnarok, Microsoft's was Redfall... hardly a good showing. And the previous one, going further, back was Halo: Infinite in December 2021 - there was nothing of this scale in 2022. Xbox series X is a great console but it is missing great AAA exclusives, games that sell the system to the masses. Hence why Starfield is so important.
All that means is like Nintendo, Xbox needs to find its own groove and master it. Nintendo keeps pulse on the industry and acts like it doesn’t. And it tries to pivot from mistakes. Welp tomorrow is Zelda day. Be back in six months!!!
There’s no denying it - games like Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom are system sellers. Phil Spencer has it so wrong.
When it comes to the reviewing of Starfield, I think the game has the potentially be judged to a higher standard than other games because there is so much riding on it. Reviewers will nit-pick to bring the score (and Xbox) down, by which I mean that the game will be judged differently to other releases. Things that would be overlooked in other games, will be viewed through a microscope for Starfield. When someone is going through a rough-patch (in this case, that someone is Xbox), people like to pile-on and give them a kicking. I think this will happen with Starfield, and it will be reviewed somewhat unfairly. Held to a higher standard than its peers. The pressure on Bethesda and the Xbox bosses, must be immense...
@Spider-Kev you're clearly not a Nintendo fan if you think those things matter.
@Spider-Kev at the time BotW was a weird game to get into. Everything else in existence was going for a tailored, limited, and directed experience. And here came BotW, a game with almost no limitations, no "invisible walls".
Also, story was told similar to how "kaleidoscope" series works, there is no "correct" order to consume it through. All of that brought on a choice paralysis to many gamers, myself included. It took me about 10 hours to get properly oriented in that great world, but once I did.. man. I played that game for 200-300 hours (which for me is about 6-8 times more than usual).
@UltimateOtaku91 just got delivered, cant wait to play it after work, Il be playing it alongside Ragnarok
Epic !
https://youtu.be/_F_F7iUjAKY
@themightyant
I don't disagree with you, but we are still only a year and a half out of a pandemic and to be when I look at Sony who released their console at the same time I haven't seen them do much better then releasing a bunch of sequels to existing games.
Typically, the system sellers are new games that take advantage of the new hardware in the generation. Neither company has really put a lot of new games out this generation that truly take advantage of the new hardware.
I do place pressure on Starfield to be a great game. Bethesda made two of the best RPG IPs ever in Fallout and Elder Scrolls. I expect this space RPG to be nothing short of incredible. But, neither Redfall nor Zelda has anything to do with that pressure.
Cannot wait for ToTK! But I doubt Starfield will ever match to the quality Zelda delivers. Bethesda just aren't on the same level, however it still doesn't mean Starfield won't be a great game.
Btw all this pressure is good. Should hopefully force them to try and deliver something that isn't broken.
@Fenbops Exactly my thoughts. BoTW was OK, but it didn't strike as the GOAT...
WW is one of the main Zelda games I haven't played yet, and is a shame because I always wanted to
@NeoRatt Playstation exclusives are also universally great games, that’s what Xbox needs!! Games like TLOU 1 an 2, Uncharted 4, God of War Ragnarok, Horizon, Ghost of Tsushima, Spiderman, etc.
Spiderman 2 will 💯 be a GOTY contender, we already know this. Starfield, we live in hope.
@TheArtfulDodger
I don't know about "universally"... They excel at the action adventure genre. Outside the action-adventure genre their games are not always all that universally great. All the games you listed are from the action-adventure genre.
I do agree that their games are great, but frankly I am a bit tired of them releasing action-adventure after action-adventure. All great games, but would like to see them have a broad list of genres where they excel.
@NeoRatt i get ya point but these are my fav type of games, i’d like Xbox to make a few!! There’s the upcoming Naughty Dog online game set in TLOU world so that might be different for a PS exclusive game.
the GOTY conversation wrapped the day TOTK launched.
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