Starfield players claim Bethesda did melee players “dirty”
BethesdaStarfield players who enjoy melee battles are dismayed as Bethesda didn’t include the ability to upgrade melee weapons in the game, calling the game’s melee combat “unfinished.”
Starfield is a typical Bethesda RPG that works like so many other games from them have in the past. You can buy or scavenge new weapons and armor, or upgrade existing ones. However, the melee weapons in Starfield seem to have not received the same amount of attention as their ranged counterparts.
Starfield players are now feeling let down after learning that they can’t upgrade their melee weapons. A Redditor named ‘CannibalRed’ made a post on the Starfield subreddit, asking, “Wait, there’s no melee weapon upgrading in the whole game? For real?” They added, “I don’t know why (Bethesda) did you dirty like this.”
The majority of players agreed with the OP, as evidenced by the massive amount of upvotes. They found it unbelievable that a futuristic RPG that has laser and particle beam weapons doesn’t have a single futuristic melee weapon.
One user added that it “doesn’t even have to be a full energy sabre or something, even just a kinetic blade with a heat-edge, or some kind of stun baton for non-lethal takedowns” would’ve been enough. They added that “melee and unarmed combat are some of the most unfinished-feeling aspects of the game.”
Another Starfield player claimed that even “Fallout has more futuristic melee weaponry in comparison.” There were also players who defended Bethesda and said that melee weapons should only be used as a “last resort/conserve ammunition option.” However, others jumped in to explain why this shouldn’t have been the case in Starfield.
One user claimed that “you being able to shoot everywhere is the unrealistic part of this game.” They said there could’ve been many sections in the game where shooting would be disastrous. Another player agreed, saying that a “sword is the only thing that makes sense in space. A high-powered rifle shooting in a tin can that’s surrounded by a giant vacuum is what’s truly insane.”
Starfield also has a character background specifically meant for melee, called the Ronin. However, despite the name, this class might have been intended solely for stealth.
If you want to read more about Starfield, check out how a player used The Lodge as “unlimited storage.” Or, read about the Starfield companion mechanic that’s so useful it’s now in Skyrim thanks to mods.