When Starfield launched in 2023, it mostly received positive reviews. However, some critics and players took issue with the game’s space travel system and planet exploration. After spending over 120 hours with the Starfield PS5 edition, I can confidently say that the Free Lanes Update and Terran Armada DLC not only fixed all of those issues, but they have also made the RPG one of Bethesda’s best in decades.
Starfield Is An Underrated Masterpiece
To get it out of the way, I was a big Starfield defender when it originally came out in 2023. When I reviewed it for Siliconera, I gave it a nearly perfect score. While the game was by no means flawless, Starfield was largely weighed down by expectations that it was going to be the next No Man’s Sky.
As a result, I believe that Starfield’s greatest strengths were largely overlooked at the time. The Sci-Fi RPG easily has some of Bethesda’s best writing since Fallout 3, and some of their most fun side quests since The Elder Scrolls Skyrim. So for me, it didn’t bother me that most of the game’s vast planets at the time were repetitive, or that I couldn’t manually fly my ship across the galaxy.
Because most of my time was instead focused on side quests and engaging with the game’s excellent faction storylines. I basically treated it like a Fallout or Elder Scrolls game in space. So when I got the opportunity to revisit Starfield on PS5 with the Free Lanes Update and Terran Armada DLC, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the RPG years later. However, I ended up loving it even more.
Starfield PS5 Free Lanes Update Overhauls Space Exploration
From the very beginning of the story, Bethesda now relinquishes control to the player by giving them access to the new Cruise Mode / Free Lanes feature. At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of the mode, as I still preferred to just use Grav Jump or the fast travel feature to get to my next location. However, I quickly realized that this feature really starts to shine when you are doing quests in constellation’s that are close by.
Instead of being forced into endless load screens, you can go into the manual flying mode with the click of a button and just cruise over there. The new feature gives players a better balance to Starfield’s space exploration, as you can choose to use it when a quest is nearby, while still utilizing Grav Jump when you need to travel to a new star system. However, Cruise Mode really shines when you start to get into planet exploration to mine materials or create outposts.
It’s also just great to stumble upon random encounters with other ships or side quests that take place while in orbit. While I still used the game’s fast travel system extensively, the new Free Lanes Update really feels like the missing component that Starfield needed with its space travel system. Finally, Cruise Control is really cleverly implemented in the Terran Armada DLC.
The expansion has a new Incursion feature, where certain portions of the galaxy will be thrown into complete war and chaos. The first time I stumbled upon this, I was shocked when my fast travel was disabled. To get to the battlefield to clear it up, you now use Cruise Mode to manually fly to it, which I think is a perfect way to integrate the new feature.
Starfield PS5 X-Tech System adds Weapon and Exotic Upgrades
One of my favorite additions in the update is the new Starfield X-Tech system. The rare currency allows you to turn your weapons into Legendary and even Exotic items. The way it works is that if you find X-Tech in the overworld, you can then use it at a Weapon Workbench to add Legendary modifiers to your gun or melee items.
If you already have a Legendary gun, you can even re-roll the stats on your weapon. This is a pretty big deal as it gives you more control over your loot. Once you unlock the fourth Legendary slot on your weapon, you can then add an Exotic perk which completely transforms it with insane levels of power. For example, I had a Legendary rifle which did 600 damage per shot, but only had five rounds of ammunition.
I was then able to turn it into a one-shot kill machine by inserting an Exotic perk that changed its damage to 1.3k per shot. The trade-off? I now only have one bullet before needing to reload. As a result, it became my go-to weapon specifically for boss fights or higher-level enemies. These new Exotic perks are really cool. There is even a vampire one, where you gain health back every time you damage an enemy.
As someone who loved Starfield’s combat, this is a game changer for anyone who cares about loot. It also makes the RPG less punishing, as you can transform your lower-level items into Exotics. However, the new X-Tech system also adds so much more value to bounty quests, or pirate raiding. Now when you board another crew’s ship, you can find the rare currency in most captain safes. High level bosses can even drop them.
Starfield Side Quests Are Some of Bethesda’s Best Ever
As I mentioned at the start of my review, Starfield has some of the best side quests that Bethesda has ever crafted. What I really love about them is how they are effortlessly integrated into the game. As a result, some of my favorite story moments happened by just traveling to a planet or walking around a city. This could be something as simple as overhearing an NPC talking or meeting another ship while exploring the galaxy.
However, what initially seems like a small one-off Activity can turn into an hour-long cinematic storyline. For example, there was one quest where I went to help a Freestar Collective rancher who was getting attacked by criminal Spacers. The activity then turned into a multi-chapter mission, where I had to unite other ranchers in the star system and convince them to create a defense pact to fight back against the pirates.
All of this culminated with us raiding the Spacers’ massive ship up in space. Another favorite quest I discovered happened after stumbling upon a random ship floating in space. The craft had Earth travelers who had been cryo-frozen for hundreds of years. However, when they finally reached their planet, it had already been turned into a five-star island resort by a corporation. Of course, because I was playing a bad character, I helped out the corporation by rigging the ship to explode. Yeah, nasty work.
Starfield Has Bethesda’s Best Factions Since Skyrim
The standout feature of Starfield though is its factions. I could write for days about how awesome they are. The Crimson Fleet storyline, for example, has you going undercover to infiltrate one of the galaxy’s most ruthless space pirate organizations. From searching for space treasure to robbing an elite cruise liner banquet 007-style, it’s just so much fun.
When playing Starfield on PS5, however, I realized just how much content I had missed in my initial playthrough. For example, you could easily spend hours just doing the Freestar Rangers bounty board. Rescuing hostages to draw out unique criminal leaders is almost its own game in itself.
However, for me, the best new addition to Starfield is the Trackers Alliance storyline. While the Starjacker bounty was previously available last year, the faction now has five additional contracts. And these aren’t just typical side quests, they are full-blown storylines with incredibly interesting characters and compelling narrative choices.
I actually think this faction has some of Bethesda’s best level design in years. The Starjacker bounty is a great example of this, as it’s pretty much a mini-dungeon. Seriously, there is even a really cool puzzle you have to complete to solve the levels final secret area. You are then rewarded with one of the game’s coolest antagonists and plot twists.
Starfield Space Battles Are Still Incredible
Another under looked aspect of Starfield when it was released in 2023 was its space battles. While much of the focus was on its lack of manual galaxy exploration, I thought its space battles was a feature that deserved to be talked about more. Two years on, I actually feel even stronger about this with the Starfield PS5 edition.
Whether it’s taking on space pirates in a head-to-head dogfight, or shooting out a craft’s engine so you can board it, the ship system in Starfield is incredible. I love how you have to make choices in the heat of battle to push yourself over the victory line. For example, you might be taking on a lower-level ship, so you can turn down your shields to allocate resources to your firepower.
However, if you are facing a tough enemy, you might want to take some of your missiles off and put everything into your shields. I can’t tell you how exhilarating it is to boost your thrusters and do a loop to fly directly behind an enemy to unleash on them.
With all the quality-of-life changes made in the new Terran Armada DLC, ship building has also become even more addicting. I genuinely spent hours just trying to build my own ship configurations and power-ups. And all of this really pays off once you get into the Terran Armada DLC, which completely overhauls space battles to insane levels.
Starfield Terran Armada DLC Review: New Endgame and Incursion Battles
Without getting into story spoilers, the new Starfield Terran Armada DLC is worth the price of admission alone. For players who have already beaten the game, it now gives you an endgame mode that puts all of your skills to the test. For new players, while it’s recommended that you level up, you can technically jump into the DLC fairly early on.
As a result, it adds an interesting dynamic to the game’s overall worldbuilding. My jaw actually dropped the first time I encountered an Incursion. The sheer scale of the expansion’s new space battle feature is stunning. So even if you’ve already beaten Starfield, the update is worth experiencing. Although, with how many changes Bethesda has made with the Starfield PS5 launch, I recommend just starting a new character.
Starfield PS5 Review Verdict: A Complete RPG Overhaul
The amount of content in the Starfield PS5 release is so staggering that it would take pages for me to go into all of it. But what really stands out to me are all the little quality-of-life changes Bethesda has made to really push Starfield into a complete experience. When exploring space, you now encounter more unique NPCs and questlines.
Planets now have more diversity and aren’t as repetitious. The new X-Tech system not only gives you complete control over your weapons, but you can even use it to upgrade your ship to improve it in space battles. Did I mention the game even allows you to add a terminal on your ship itself now? Yes, you can upgrade without having to stop off at a planet every time!
Starfield PS5 Free Lanes Update and Terran Armada DLC is truly an impressive overhaul of what was already a great RPG and largely fixes its flaws. However, I think it pushes Starfield into masterpiece territory and easily makes it one of Bethesda’s best game’s since Fallout 3.
Verdict: Best In Its Class (5/5)
Pros
- Incredible side quests that reward you for exploring the game’s vast world.
- Bethesda’s best Factions since Elder Scrolls Skyrim.
- Space Combat is not only tense, but incredibly fun and rewarding.
- The New Cruise Mode/ Free Lane update largely fixes Starfield’s biggest flaw.
- The X-Tech system is a game changer, as it makes loot and ship building infinitely better.
- Many quality of life changes make Starfield feel like the complete and polished experience that it was always meant to be.
Cons
- Starfield’s opening hour can still feel a little slow. Seriously, leave New Atlantis and get exploring as soon as possible!
- Starfield can still sometimes have slight performance issues. But I only encountered this in dense cities, or when there were heavy weather effects happening at the same time. Overall, it actually runs well most of the time and feels really polished.
- I still don’t enjoy the Starfield Outpost system. But this is purely a subjective thing, and more so on me and my own personal tastes. I also didn’t like the Settlement Building in Fallout 4, and many love that feature.
Verdict: Best In Its Class (5/5)
Starfield is now available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. A code was provided by Bethesda for the sake of review. Reviewed on PlayStation 5 Pro.
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