Just started replaying it, after waiting a while to get some more QoL features into the game compared to its release state. It's in a lot of better state, it's to the point where i can recommend it.

IMO Only one mod that's basically mandatory now - StarUI (Good Sort / Filtering of the inventory... that can get quite darn large)

For a bethesda softworks title its unusually stable, over 150+ hrs and zero crashes

I tried to give this game a fair shake but my god is it bad. Boring exploration, a million loading screens, poor NPC mapping although that's not unheard of in Bethesda games, Stealth mechanic is completely broken, does not matter how careful you are. 90% of planets are a wasteland. The ship building is frustrating, combat is just as dull as skyrim. I have a 4070 and to say this game is barely running at 60 FPS (WITH frame generation) in most places is an understatement. It takes a lot for me to truly hate a game but this one threw so much half ass garbage at me I was overwhelmed with how unsatisfying and frustrating it is to play this game. I wanted to enjoy it so much but I just can't.

So, you can play for story, or just roam a galaxy looking for interesting content.

I'd give it an 8 ish. Starfield starts out interesting enough, and there is a wide variety of neato stuff to encounter, but you gotta find it. After a while, it can get monotonous; another abandoned outpost, you know where all the guards are hiding, where to find the digipicks, etc..

If you just want to kill pirates and Scooby-Do, Mystery Machine, roam the universe solving crimes it is fun. Lotsa of content, but lotsa repetitiveness as well.

The companions all have their quirks, I wish there was a good way of identifying them in combat. Sometimes a nametag will show, sometimes it won't. Also, the tags for bad guy can sometimes obscure the target.

More Swarmlings please!