Drizzlehell
Banned
If you're anything like me, your knickers are probably flying off your hips at the mere thought of playing Starfield. Which means that in anticipation of the release of this game, you may want to look for something to fill the time and maybe scratch that itch of space exploration and combat.
I have a couple of my own suggestions but if you want to recommend some other, lesser known titles then knock yourself out!
1. The Outer Worlds
This will probably be the first result in Google if you search for something like "Fallout 4 in space." It's a pretty respectable action RPG that definitely resembles previous Bethesda RPGs the most, although its scope is much, much smaller than anything that we can probably expect out of Starfield. Plus there's no space combat. Nevertheless, it's a pretty solid action game overall. What falters it in my opinion is the story, which was so forgettable that I genuinely struggle to remember what happened in the game after I completed its first major hub area. Still, I enjoyed its gameplay and unique style which also somewhat reminded me of the show Firefly. The shipmates/companions is what contributes to that vibe the most, and as we all know, it's not about the journey - it's about the friends you make along the way.
2. Elite Dangerous
If you don't mind the fact that it's a sandbox game in the purest sense of the word, meaning that there's literally no overarching plot or characters to speak of, and the only stories that you can get out of the game are the ones that you can write yourself while adventuring through space, then this will be the perfect game to fill the void. It's presentation is still stunning, even after close to 9 years since the official release, and I could sit here for hours recounting all the amazing things that I managed to discover during one of the hundreds of hours that I spent flying around the Milky Way. And with the release of the Odyssey expansion, it's finally a complete space sandbox game that I always wanted it to be, featuring spaceship, vehicular, and on-foot locomotion and combat, and a bunch of different activities and professions that you can engage with. It's got a great potential for emergent gameplay and it's a perfect game to chill out to, especially if you can play it with a proper HOTAS controls and VR setup.
3. Subnautica
I mean, ocean depths are practically like the void of outer space, right? At least it's a game that managed to satiate my thirst for exploration of the unknown, and the overall sci-fi vibe does make the comparison even more appropriate in my opinion. Plus it's a really fun game.
I have a couple of my own suggestions but if you want to recommend some other, lesser known titles then knock yourself out!
1. The Outer Worlds
This will probably be the first result in Google if you search for something like "Fallout 4 in space." It's a pretty respectable action RPG that definitely resembles previous Bethesda RPGs the most, although its scope is much, much smaller than anything that we can probably expect out of Starfield. Plus there's no space combat. Nevertheless, it's a pretty solid action game overall. What falters it in my opinion is the story, which was so forgettable that I genuinely struggle to remember what happened in the game after I completed its first major hub area. Still, I enjoyed its gameplay and unique style which also somewhat reminded me of the show Firefly. The shipmates/companions is what contributes to that vibe the most, and as we all know, it's not about the journey - it's about the friends you make along the way.
2. Elite Dangerous
If you don't mind the fact that it's a sandbox game in the purest sense of the word, meaning that there's literally no overarching plot or characters to speak of, and the only stories that you can get out of the game are the ones that you can write yourself while adventuring through space, then this will be the perfect game to fill the void. It's presentation is still stunning, even after close to 9 years since the official release, and I could sit here for hours recounting all the amazing things that I managed to discover during one of the hundreds of hours that I spent flying around the Milky Way. And with the release of the Odyssey expansion, it's finally a complete space sandbox game that I always wanted it to be, featuring spaceship, vehicular, and on-foot locomotion and combat, and a bunch of different activities and professions that you can engage with. It's got a great potential for emergent gameplay and it's a perfect game to chill out to, especially if you can play it with a proper HOTAS controls and VR setup.
3. Subnautica
I mean, ocean depths are practically like the void of outer space, right? At least it's a game that managed to satiate my thirst for exploration of the unknown, and the overall sci-fi vibe does make the comparison even more appropriate in my opinion. Plus it's a really fun game.