It was to be expected that Microsoft would crash Gamescom 2024’s Opening Night Live. World of Warcraft y Diablo IV Blizzard had their moment and Bethesda’s Starfield also surprised. What they had in store was an open secret, but it still surprised many fans.
The space adventure from the creators of Fallout and The Elder Scrolls did not convince everyone. It has been the victim of many comparisons with Elite DangerousStar Citizen, and even Star Wars: Outlaws. Even though it had (and still has) its flaws and shortcomings, it earned a very special place in my little heart.
I have pointed out one of these shortcomings on several occasions, including in my extensive analysis: the absence of vehicles. Exploration in Starfield It’s great, but it can get a bit heavy and long when you want to do activities like mining and/or trading. The inventory doesn’t really give you much room. A mobile star or rover would have been ideal.
The REV-8 is a year late to Starfield, but it is welcome
Imagine my surprise when Starfield appeared at Gamescom 2024’s Opening Night Live to present what we knew was an open secret: the REV-8, the first space car dedicated to exploration. And I say the first because everything points to Bethesda introducing other types.
The REV-8 has been introduced in Starfield It’s available through a free update, so there’s no need to go into the Creations menu to get it. I don’t rule out paid skins being included for it in the future. Getting it is very easy: just go to any ship vendor and pay 25,000 credits, a more than reasonable amount that can be obtained by selling some looted weapons or fulfilling some bounty hunting or transport assignments.
I must admit that I was expecting something much worse. Bethesda has surprised me with this rover. The design follows the line of the technology of Starfield: Futuristic, but very down to earth. It is functional down to the last detail and has no frills, which I really liked. It also has a small laser weapon that is very effective against wildlife and not so much against human enemies.
I have done tests in various locations with different gravities to see how the vehicle behaves. I have been to the Moon and Earth in the Solar System and Gagarin in the Alpha Centauri System. And it works very well. You can take advantage of the low gravity of the Moon to jump and overcome obstacles thanks to its rear and lower thrusters. On the other hand, maneuvering can be a pain.
As for the Earth and Gagarin gravities, which are relatively similar, the handling is as expected: good maneuverability thanks to the joystick control, although I think it lacks a bit more weight. The car tends to bounce too much when you hit bumps and rocks. It’s not something that will ruin the experience for you either.
The REV-8 is a very welcome addition to Starfield and should have been there from launch day. While it doesn’t revolutionize the gameplay experience, it certainly changes my perspective on the exploration aspect. In simpler terms, it makes it much more engaging. It’s a year late, but at least it’s here. It’s proof of Bethesda’s commitment.
Now, REV-8 isn’t perfect and I think it lacks some basic elements of functionality. This section is much more personal than the rest of the post, so I encourage you not to take it as a criticism of Bethesda but rather as certain things that I would have liked to see… or that I would like to see.
- It does not have an inventory system, despite having an open box at the back. I know that it is reserved for VASCO, but it could be used, expanded or other designs with load capacity could be introduced.
- There is no fuel system. I think it would have been nice to include this as an option in the difficulty setting menu.
- It cannot be edited at the vendor like ships. You can change the color, but not add modules or change parts to improve it.
- It doesn’t have a garage-shaped ship module and it teleports with us whenever we fast travel. There should be some penalty for leaving it abandoned and recovering it, or going back for it ourselves.
I hope the REV-8 is just the beginning of the era of vehicles in Starfield. They have a lot of potential. Personally, I think a ship module in the form of a garage and a system for upgrading parts for the car would be a great addition. For example: adding inventory and changing the energy weapon to a mining laser to have an exploration and mining vehicle at the same time.
The vehicles of Starfield They have a lot of potential. I think Bethesda should implement and improve this section because I’m sure many players will appreciate it. Not only because it makes exploration more attractive, but because it could lead to new transport missions in which we have to transport cargo to/from our ship with different vehicles.
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