Starfield, Bethesda’s latest RPG set in a spacefaring future, has won over fans with its vast open world and exploration opportunities. However, it introduced a peculiar change from previous Bethesda RPGs, one that pertains to the way looting and item acquisition are handled.
Traditionally, Bethesda RPGs like Skyrim and Fallout featured a looting system where, when players took items from NPCs, those items would visibly disappear from the character’s body. This created a sense of immersion and made the world feel more interactive and dynamic. If you took a character’s weapon or armor, they would appear to be stripped down to their undergarments. It was a small but meaningful detail that contributed to the overall experience.
Starfield, on the other hand, deviates from this practice. When players loot items from NPCs in the game, those items don’t visually disappear from the character. For instance, if you take an NPC’s spacesuit, they will still be depicted wearing it, even though you’ve effectively taken it. This small change affects the sense of immersion and can break the illusion of looting.
While this change doesn’t fundamentally alter the gameplay experience, it has been noticed and missed by some fans who appreciated the immersive quality of the earlier system. It’s a curious departure from the established mechanics in previous Bethesda RPGs, and it remains to be seen if future titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 will reintroduce this small but appreciated detail.
Despite this change, Starfield still offers an expansive and enjoyable open-world experience that blends RPG elements with a new sci-fi setting, drawing players into its vast universe.
