Starfield will allow you to punch dinosaurs with melee, but it’s not as thrilling as you might think

While Starfield is only a week away from launch, early access users have already managed to get their hands on Bethesda Softworks' latest ambitious RPG. With new clips of gameplay out there, one, in particular, has grabbed the attention of gamers. It depicts a player fighting off a large dinosaur-like creature on a barren planet. If that was not incredulous enough, the user is able to effectively melee the massive beast.

This has garnered much attention from players due to its hilarity as well as potentially divided impressions about the sci-fi open-world game's quality.

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The dino melee in Starfield has players split about its more over-the-top moments

The clip has been making rounds around the internet, which showcases the protagonist, a member of the Constellation, fighting fauna out in the wilderness of space. They begin shooting at a large reptilian monster, which swoops in for a bite as it seems to get agitated. The player activates what appears to be a slo-mo mode, triggered by a red gauge on the HUD to the left of the screen.

This allows them not just to line up shots as the beast closes in but also to hit it with melee attacks. Although, it does seem a tad bizarre as the dino ends up recoiling heavily from being attacked by the end of a gun. This has caused more than a chuckle out of denizens online. Many are calling Starfield out for being unrealistic and even criticizing its technical makeup.

On that note, the player's in-game character is able to strike the creature before it even gets close, which seems indicative of an unusually large hitbox on the monster. Frankly, combat has never been Bethesda Studio's strong suit, so this is not entirely surprising. While it is odd to see a large beast recoil so hard from a punch by a relatively smaller being, that is how the game is designed.

The studio is not known for incredibly polished titles, the most notorious example being Fallout 76, which was released in an unfinished state. However, many other players do not seem to have an issue with it. They seem to trust how things will turn out and chalk it up to the good old Bethesda jank.

Here are some notable comments:

While most players and fans have come out in support of Starfield despite its technical shortcomings, it is unlikely the game will perform poorly in terms of sales or popularity. After all, it is the studio's first original IP in 25 years.

Throw in an expansive new sci-fi world packed with extensive activities and mechanics, and it will be hard for players to be disappointed. Unless this is on the same level as Cyberpunk 2077's launch, that is.

However, studio members and industry insiders who have played the game suggest it will be relatively polished compared to past Bethesda offerings. So, it seems most complaints will boil down to other design decisions in the game. Whether this is intentional or due to technical limitations remains to be seen.

However, with any major release these days, it is best for players to have low expectations. However, that may not be realistically possible at this point, given the hype train following Starfield and how close we are to launch.

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Starfield officially launches on September 6, 2023, on PC and Xbox Series X|S.