Starfield players call out “boring” Obvlivion-style cinematics for ruining quests
BethesdaStarfield players are dissatisfied with the game’s Oblivion-style cinematics, claiming that they detract from the seriousness of many quests.
Like their previous RPGs, Starfield, Bethesda’s space-faring title, offers tons of interesting quests. The sidequests have received particular praise, with many considering them to be better than the main plot. With their distinct personalities and backstories, the game’s various characters and companions also have a degree of complexity.
However, many players aren’t happy with how the camera works during conversations, saying they make quests seem “boring.” Redditor ‘mangotango781’ explained on the Starfield subreddit how “the decision to go back to Oblivion-style cinematics of an NPC staring directly at the camera and nothing else happening was a mistake.”
As the OP explains, even during serious conversations, “it’s just a close-up on NPC1, then another close-up on NPC2, then the third, and so on.” They believe it drains all of the tension from the situation. One player added that the game does use different camera angles during certain moments, “like showing the Aceles in the Vanguard quest line. So it’s not like the game isn’t capable of it.”
Another accused Bethesda of “sheer laziness,” claiming that they rely too heavily on modders. ’21stCenturyGW’ shared their own awkward experience with Starfield‘s Oblivion-style cinematics. They were having a conversation with two NPCs who were arguing. However, the NPCs spent the entire scene staring at the protagonist rather than at each other, which seemed “very off-putting.”
Many players believe that Starfield took a downgrade from Fallout 4, where the cinematic camera would be “moving around from person to person.” Users on the thread also felt that Bethesda could’ve at least adapted Skyrim-style cinematics instead. There was no zooming in during conversations in Skyrim, nor were there any cutscenes; everything happened in real time.
While Starfield players have mostly enjoyed the game so far, there have been a few complaints from time to time. For instance, many believe Bethesda did melee players “dirty,” while others think a missing ship feature was a “huge oversight.”
