Summary
While gunplay inStarfieldis insanely fun, one of its players shared a legendary dagger drop that highlighted how underdeveloped melee weapons feel in the latest Bethesda title. WhereasSkyrimobviously had more incentive to develop its melee combat, many fans feel thatStarfieldlacks melee variety or build support even when compared toFallout 4. As opposed to other weapon types, there is only one perk that supports melee weapons inStarfield’s skill tree, and melee weapons do not scale in quality the same way a rifle or pistol does.
Those whoreach a higher level inStarfieldover the course of a playthrough can expect to find Calibrated, Refined, and Advanced weapons as direct quality upgrades over the base version. Ranged weapons inStarfield,such as shotguns, come in these different tiers, and the quality level that players get is based on the level of the enemy wielding them. Unfortunately, melee weapons aren’t subject to this scaling system for some reason, which severely limits their viability the moreStarfieldplayers level up.
A player named lopar4ever reached Level 211 inStarfield, and shared a legendary Barrow Knife that they recently obtained for their character. Not only did the knife not scale to an Advanced tier, but it was also burdened with modifiers that are useless on melee weapons. While having an Extended Magazine, Handloading, or One Inch Punch on a ranged weapon can transform some guns to a whole new level, the Barrow Knife cannot benefit from either of these modifiers – yet they are still part of the loot system for melee weapons, to the frustration of many baffled players.
It’s a shortcoming that has seen extensive amounts of feedback from the community since launch, as they feel that Bethesda completely rushed theimplementation of melee weapons inStarfield. While Va’ruun Painblades and stealth can be a lethal combo, ranged builds tend to outclass melee builds fairly early on – both as a result of the weapon tiers only applying to guns and due to the lack of melee perks in the skill tree.
Though it is expected thatStarfieldmods will inevitably add more weapon variety, as well as improve the loot system for melee weapons, the impending release of Shattered Space could give Bethesda the perfect opportunity for an official solution as well. If it indeed turns out to be the DLC that focuses on fleshing out theenigmatic House Va’ruun faction, then fixing melee weapons on top would be a thematic fit.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
