I never in my life thought that I would write a negative review for a BGS game. The magic of BGS games is it makes you feel big in a big world. This game makes you feel small in a small world that is pretending to be big. That magic feeling of go anywhere, be anyone, do whatever you want, choose any side you desire is...gone. We love BGS games because the world, the freedom, and the lore makes up for whatever the main story lacks, nobody buys BGS games for the awesome story, we buy them for the awesome world, freedom, and lore. We get the games to make the worlds "our" worlds and that's the Bethesda magic this game doesn't have. This game just doesn't have any of that. It does in theory but not in practice. The story-line is very linear and forced. Your actions don't really matter at all. You can't help any faction win over any other in any kind of meaningful way, You cannot shape the game world.

The game world is small, pretending to be big. See big space, load screen into small area, but there are a lot of small areas, and load screens. The game somehow feels smaller than Fallout 4. In previous titles the story was an accessory to the game world. In this game the game world is an accessory to the story.

It's almost like they cared too much about trying to prove that they could write a better story and in the process lost sight of what people love about their games and lost the magic. This game is good for one, maybe two playthroughs and that's it. All of your companions are good guys, you're heavily forced into this constellation group, you're going to play the exact same story over and over, and over again with goody companions scolding you. The roleplay value of this game compared to Fallout or Skyrim is abysmal, like terrible bad. It feels like you're playing a poor man's version of Cyberpunk or mass effect. Is the main story better than fallout or Skyrim? Yes, a little in quality, but nobody gives a ---- about that in your games, you lose the freedom of shaping the game world to make it "your" world. It's a decent linear game set in a kinda open world with the illusion of choice and very little consequence.

Bethesda, you missed the mark and lost the magic big time. Give us back the open world setting full of conflict and warring factions where we have the freedom to be who we want and shape the outcome of the game to "our" liking, "our" way, making it "our" game. Nobody cares about your "artistic vision" of a mediocre, linear, repetitive story filled with cookie cutter nice person companions and no real consequences or world shaping. "I buy BGS games for the main story" said NOBODY EVER....and that, that never changes.

If this is the future formula for BGS titles then it's over everyone. RIP Bethesda magic.

I never in my life thought that I would write a negative review for a BGS game. The magic of BGS games is it makes you feel big in a big world. This game makes you feel small in a small world that is pretending to be big. That magic feeling of go anywhere, be anyone, do whatever you want, choose any side you desire is...gone. We love BGS games because the world, the freedom, and the lore makes up for whatever the main story lacks, nobody buys BGS games for the awesome story, we buy them for the awesome world, freedom, and lore. We get the games to make the worlds "our" worlds and that's the Bethesda magic this game doesn't have. This game just doesn't have any of that. It does in theory but not in practice. The story-line is very linear and forced. Your actions don't really matter at all. You can't help any faction win over any other in any kind of meaningful way, You cannot shape the game world. The game world is small, pretending to be big. See big space, load screen into small area, but there are a lot of small areas, and load screens. The game somehow feels smaller than Fallout 4. In previous titles the story was an accessory to the game world. In this game the game world is an accessory to the story. It's almost like they cared too much about trying to prove that they could write a better story and in the process lost sight of what people love about their games and lost the magic. This game is good for one, maybe two playthroughs and that's it. All of your companions are good guys, you're heavily forced into this constellation group, you're going to play the exact same story over and over, and over again with goody companions scolding you. The roleplay value of this game compared to Fallout or Skyrim is abysmal, like terrible bad. It feels like you're playing a poor man's version of Cyberpunk or mass effect. Is the main story better than fallout or Skyrim? Yes, a little in quality, but nobody gives a ---- about that in your games, you lose the freedom of shaping the game world to make it "your" world. It's a decent linear game set in a kinda open world with the illusion of choice and very little consequence. Bethesda, you missed the mark and lost the magic big time. Give us back the open world setting full of conflict and warring factions where we have the freedom to be who we want and shape the outcome of the game to "our" liking, "our" way, making it "our" game. Nobody cares about your "artistic vision" of a mediocre, linear, repetitive story filled with cookie cutter nice person companions and no real consequences or world shaping. "I buy BGS games for the main story" said NOBODY EVER....and that, that never changes. If this is the future formula for BGS titles then it's over everyone. RIP Bethesda magic.