Star Citizen vs Starfield
There is often a comparison between Starfield and Star Citizen, two video games set in space, with immersive and atmospheric elements and first-person camera perspective gameplay. Star Citizen is being developed and published by Cloud Imperium Games. Starfield was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Due to some of the similarities between these two games, they are often compared. In this article, I will display the similarities and the differences betwen Starfield and Star Citizen, and compare some of their aspects, a comparison which could be called "Starfield vs Star Citizen".
In this article, I will display the differences and similarities between Starfield and Star Citizen. Knowing and understanding these differenes and similarities is useful for players who want to discover which of these games is more suited to their preferences, or perhaps that both of these games are suited to their preferences. More importantly, it is noteworthy that Starfield and Star Citizen provide different experiences, as they are games that focus on different aspects of the gameplay, and these differences will be explained in depth throughout the article. For this reason, I suggest the readers of this article not to consider Starfield and Star Citizen as either one or the other, but rather, how different they are, and which unique experience each of them can provide.
While in this article both Starfield and Star Citizen will be compared regarding graphical differences, style differences and gameplay differences, it is important to mention that this is not an article about "which game is better?" or "is Starfield better than Star Citizen?" or "is Star Citizen better than Starfield?". These reason why these article is not about these specific questions is because I do not believe it is possible to objectively answer which game is better for all people, because each player has their own gameplay preferences. Some players may prefer a single player action RPG experience, and for these players Starfield could be a better choice, and some players may prefer a multi player sandbox MMO experience, and for these players Star Citizen could be a better choice. In this article, I will display the differences and similarities between Starfield and Star Citizen, and players can choose themselves which game is more suited to their preferences, and also see that both games offer unique experiences which can be enjoyed.
Star Citizen vs Starfield: What Are the Main Differences?
Players may wonder what are the main differences between Starfield and Star Citizen, considering that these two games also feature some similarities. While Starfield and Star Citizen are both video games set in space, in which players have the possibility to navigate the universe using their own spacecraft, as well as the possibility to adventure in different planets, there are also some important differences between these video games.
Starfield is a single player action RPG, featuring hundreds of planets in which to adventure. Due to its focus on action RPG aspects, Starfield features deep character interaction and character development systems, in which case the immersion in the game is achieved not only through visual and sound effects, but also through role-playing. Star Citizen, on the other hand, is a multi player sandbox universe, in which players have many possibilities of playing in different ways, as well as the freedom of deciding to play with other players or alone. In this sense, in Star Citizen, the immersion is achieved not only through visual and sound effects, but also through the freedom of the gameplay and how dynamic its game universe is.
Considering that Starfield is a single player action RPG and that Star Citizen is a multi player sandbox universe, some of the differences between these two games become clear. While both of these video games feature vast game universes in which to adventure, they focus on different aspects of the gameplay, providing different experiences to the player. Starfield has a greater focus on character interaction and character development through RPG systems, whereas Star Citizen has a greater focus on interaction with the game universe and with other players, and character development through sandbox game systems.
Some important differences to be mentioned between Starfield and Star Citizen are regarding the gameplay. This is explained more in the depth in the "Starfield vs Star Citizen: Gameplay" section of this article. In a nutshell, considering that Starfield is a single player action RPG, its gameplay is more focused on progressing through a storyline, completing quests for different characters and character development through RPG systems, while Star Citizen, which is a multi player sandbox universe, features a gameplay more focused on the freedom of adventuring in a sandbox game universe, different styles of gameplay and character development through sandbox game systems.
Starfield vs Star Citizen: Graphics
In my perspective, this is perhaps the aspect of these games in which the difference is the least. Both Starfield and Star Citizen feature quite realistic graphics and impressive visual effects, both on space and on ground, as well as impressive sound effects.
In general, both Starfield and Star Citizen feature photorealistic graphics and visual effects, as well as detailed sound effects regarding the sound of spacecraft engines, landing and other operations. Both games feature realistic and detailed spacecraft, spacesuit and weapons. Likewise, indoor and outdoor environments in both games are quite detailed and visually pleasing.
Considering that both games feature photorealistic graphics and impressive visual effects, there are not many differences to be mentioned regarding a comparison between these two games in the graphical aspect. After a thoughtful analysis, the only clear difference, regarding graphics, that I found between Starfield and Star Citizen is that Starfield seems to make greater use of visual filters. In other words, in the gameplay of Starfield, I often noticed the use of some color palettes in certain locations, whereas in Star Citizen it appeared to me that the game did not make use of such color palettes for each location, instead allowing a greater range of colors to be displayed. In other words, in Starfield, it seems to me that each location in the game world makes use of a specific color palette, possibly related to the experience that is intended for the player to have in that location, the intended feel. On the other hand, I did not notice Star Citizen making use of specific color palettes for specific locations. While this is technically a graphical difference between both games, in my perspective this is much more a difference in style than a difference in graphical fidelity or graphical realism. However, such a difference is noticeable in any comparison or analysis between the graphics of Starfield and Star Citizen.
Star Citizen vs Starfield: Style
As previously stated in the article, the graphics of both Starfield and Star Citizen are photorealistic, and these games feature impressive visual effects. While I did not notice much difference in the graphical aspect of each of these games, perhaps the most noticeable difference in the visual aspect is the style. One example is the higher use of color palettes for specific game locations that I noticed in Starfield, while in Star Citizen I did not notice the use of specific color palettes for specific game locations. It is important to mention that the use of color palettes can be quite subtle, and for this reason, it is quite possible that Star Citizen also makes use of color palettes for specific game locations, but in this case, these color palettes would be more subtle than the ones of Starfield, which can be more easily noticed by the player. While this is a difference in style, and not so much in graphics, it seems to me that this subtle difference could be related to the objective in Starfield to provide a specific feeling to the player when adventuring in specific locations, whereas Star Citizen appears to choose a more unified color palette through the whole game, which provides a seamless experience. In other words, both the use of specific color palettes in specific game locations in Starfield, and the absence of these color palettes (or the use of much subtler color palettes) in specific locations in Star Citizen, are used to provide specific experiences to players. While Starfield makes use of these easily noticeable color palettes likely to provide specific feelings to players, Star Citizen makes lesser use, or no use, of specific color palettes in order for players to have a more seamless experience in the game universe as a whole.
Starfield vs Star Citizen: Gameplay
Perhaps the most important comparison in this article, the difference in gameplay between Starfield and Star Citizen. Before analysing the gameplay, it is important to consider the focus of each of these games. Starfield is an action RPG set in an open world, thus featuring a story-rich narrative and action gameplay. Star Citizen, on the other hand, is a space sim MMO (massively multiplayer online). Thus, each game aims at delivering different experiences to players. Although both of these games are indeed set in space, Starfield has the objective of presenting players with a storyline and an RPG experience, whereas Star Citizen has the objective of presenting players with an immersive first-person universe experience.
Besides the differences of each of these games regarding the gameplay focus, it is also important to consider the differences in one technical aspect. Starfield is a single player video game, while Star Citizen is an online game. To be more specific, Star Citizen is an MMO. Due to this technical difference, the experience of playing Starfield and Star Citizen could never be the same, as one is a single player experience and the other is an always-online experience. I would describe these gameplay differences of Starfield and Star Citizen, in a single phrase, as Starfield being a single player action RPG while Star Citizen is an online sandbox MMO.
Considering that Starfield is an action RPG, the experience of players in this game consists mostly of an RPG experience, in the sense of completing quests, interacting with NPCs (non-player characters), as well as character development. Star Citizen, on the other hand, due to being an immersive first-person universe MMO, provides players with an experience that consists mostly of an immersive sandbox universe, in which players immerse and choose their own way of playing. In this sense, Starfield provides player the freedom of adventuring in an open world, but withing a certain scope, similar to the gameplay of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, in the sense that players have an open world to adventure, and their gameplay consists mostly of completing quests, developing the game character and interacting with NPCs. Star Citizen, on the other hand, perhaps could be compared to other sandbox MMOs such as RuneScape and Eve Online, in which there are different gameplay systems, such as PvP, trading and factions, in which players can interact between each other in different aspects, and players can choose to either become traders, fighters, leaders and so on. This is not a comparison of which game is better, this is an analysis that seeks to explain the differences of focus of each game: Starfield focuses in a single player RPG experience, whereas Star Citizen focuses in an online sandbox experience.
Star Citizen vs Starfield: Character Creation
Such as other video games of the late 2010s and early 2020s, both Star Citizen and Starfield feature deep character creation systems. In these games, players are able to create, in great detail, their own game characters through multiple customization options, including facial features and hair.
While both Star Citizen and Starfield feature deep character creation systems, it seems to me that the character creation system of Star Citizen is more focused on facial features, offering a deep character creation system, while in Starfield, the character creation system allows players not only to customize the face of their game character during the character creation, but also the body, background, which has an effect on skills, and also customize traits, such as seen in Fallout video games.
As seen with the descriptions in this section of the article, while both Star Citizen and Starfield feature deep character creation systems, the character creation system of Star Citizen is more focused on appearance, especially the game character face, while the character creation of Starfield, while also allowing the customization of appearance including the game character face, features the choice of body, background and traits for the video game main character.
Considering the differences in the character creation systems of Star Citizen and Starfield, it is possible to notice that these different character creation systems are suited to different gameplay styles and experiences. It seems to me that the character creation system of Star Citizen, due to its heavier focus on appearance rather than on background and traits, is more suited for players who enjoy the freedom of gameplay of sandbox games, in which the player is able easily change the gameplay style on the go, being able to experiment with different ways of playing the game, focusing on different aspects. On the other hand, the character creation system of Starfield, while also allowing the customization of the appearance of the video game main character, allows a deep customization of the background and traits of this game character, a reason while this system is more suited for players who enjoy a role-playing experience. Indeed, while Star Citizen and Starfield feature different character creation systems, both video games feature deep systems that are very complimentary to the gameplay experiences provided by each of these video games.
It is important to remember that these are my observations about the character creation of Star Citizen at the time this article was written. It is quite possible that, in the future, Star Citizen features more options in its character creation system.
Starfield vs Star Citizen: Size of Universe and of Game World
Starfield features over 1,000 planets in which the player character can adventure in. In Star Citizen, at thet time I wrote this article, there were 95 star systems, with hundreds of planets, dozens of moons, dozens of space stations, dozens of asteroid formations. Of course, the number of planets in the universe of each of these games should not be considered out of context: a Starfield game planet does not necessarily have the same size of a Star Citizen game planet. Likewise, the gameplay experience of adventuring in a planet in Starfield is different from the gameplay experience of adventuring in a planet in Star Citizen, as Starfield is a single player action RPG whereas Star Citizen is an online sandbox MMO.
Star Citizen vs Starfield: Which Is Better for Beginners?
For a player who has not played either Star Citizen or Starfield, when considering which game is more adequate for beginners and new players, it is important to also consider the differences of each of these games, especially the gameplay differences.
Star Citizen is a multi player sandbox MMO, and for this reason, is a video game that provides players with freedom of gameplay, with different possiblities of how to play the game. This is a characteristic of sandbox video games and sandbox MMOs, in which players can adapt their gameplay style and playing style to their own preferences. In sandbox MMOs, each player is able to play the game differently, with some players focusing on economic aspects of the game, some players focusing on military aspects of the game, and some players focusing on adventure aspects of the game. For these reason, Star Citizen, as a multi player sandbox MMO, is an excellent choice for players who want freedom of gameplay and do not require a more streamlined and directed gameplay at the beginning. On the other hand, the freedom of gameplay found in sandbox MMO can overwhelm players who prefer more streamlined and directed experiences. For these reasons, Star Citizen is an excellent choice for players who are used to having freedom of gameplay, especially players who have previously played sandbox games or sandbox MMOs.
Starfield is a single player action RPG, and for this reason, is a video game that provides players with main story missions to be completed, character development to be achieved through RPG progression and RPG systems, as well as NPCs (non-player characters) to be interacted with. Considering that Starfield is a single player RPG, this game features a more streamlined and directed experience than a multi player sandbox MMO such as Starfield, although there is also freedom of gameplay in Starfield. For these reasons, for players who want a story-focused single player experience, Starfield is an excellent choice. On the other hand, players who want as much freedom of gameplay as possible and prefer their games to be a sandbox experience, may not enjoy the streamlined and directed experience of single player RPGs, especially at the beginning. For these reasons, Starfield is an excellent choice for players who are used to story-rich single player RPG experiences, especially players who have previously played single player RPGs.
Starfield vs Star Citizen: Which Is Harder?
Considering that Star Citizen and Starfield are both video games set in space, and with some similarities, players may wonder which of these games is harder and more difficult to learn and to play. It is important to consider that, in general, video games are often not objectively harder or easier. Instead, if a player enjoys and likes a game, then learning that game becomes a part of the gameplay experience.
Considering that Starfield is a single player action RPG, and that Star Citizen is a multi player sandbox MMO, in general, Starfield tends to have a more streamlined RPG experience, with main story missions, whereas Star Citizen tends to provide players with a higher freedom even in the first moments, due to its nature of sandbox MMO. For this reason, for players who prefer a more streamlined a directed experience at the beginning, Starfield may be a good choice, and for players who prefer a higher freedom of gameplay at the beginning, Star Citizen may be a good choice.
Which Games Are Like Star Citizen and Which Games Are Like Starfield?
Considering that Starfield is a single player action RPG whereas Star Citizen is an online sandbox MMO, there are some video games that can be mentioned as games that feature similar gameplay systems, although these are different gameplay experiences due to being different games.
Star Citizen is an online sandbox MMO. In this sense, some games similar to Star Citizen that could be mentioned could be RuneScape and Eve Online. Both RuneScape and Eve are online game experiences in which players have the freedom of deciding the way in which they want to play.
Starfield is a single player action RPG set in an open world. In this sense, some games similar to Starfield that could be mentioned could be The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4, as these are action RPGs set in an open world. Both The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4 feature deep character development, quests and interaction with different NPCs in an open world.
For these reasons, considering that Starfield is a single player action RPG, some games similar to Starfield are The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4, and considering that Star Citizen is an online sandbox MMO, some games similar to Star Citizen are RuneScape and Eve Online.
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