Starfield features a diverse array of exquisitely designed consumables, yet players have noted their redundancy compared to past Bethesda titles. Unlike certain food items in Skyrim that offer various buffs, particularly those introduced in the Hearthfire expansion, food items in Starfield primarily restore only a minimal amount of health. While exceptions like the Jemison Wellington, which increases Carry Capacity upon consumption, exist, Starfield players primarily rely on Med Packs and Trauma Packs when their health is low.
Realistically, having food as the primary source of healing in a game might not be viable. However, this approach somewhat sidelines and underuses Gastronomy as a skill. Players also express concerns about Starfield's perk system, where essential mechanics like ship building and lock picking are solely accessible by spending skill points. Consequently, this detracts from specializing in combat perks like Marksman.
The community is divided on ways to enhance the system, with one suggestion involving splitting perks into two distinct categories.
OldCorkonian, on the official Starfield subreddit, highlighted another concern about food items in the game. The absence of an easy method to consume them before picking them up, combined with the fact that they generally restore a mere 5 hit points on average, renders food items in Starfield largely useless beyond their decorative aspects.
Bethesda has reassured players by confirming an upcoming Starfield update that will introduce an eat/drink button, addressing the issue surrounding food consumption. Certain mods for Starfield have already attempted to address this concern for PC players.
A notable improvement for food items in Starfield could involve making them percentage-based, akin to Med Packs and Trauma Packs. This adjustment would enable food items to scale with the player's level, ensuring their usefulness even in endgame scenarios.
Expanding on Gastronomy and food items, the addition of an optional Survival Mode to Starfield is suggested. This mode could introduce concepts like hydration, sleeping, and eating to regular gameplay, reintroducing a more significant focus on planetary hazards, a feature initially planned during Starfield's development.
As we await how Shattered Space will enhance Starfield in the near future, the modding community is expected to be quite active once the Creation Kit releases for the game in early 2024.
