At launch Starfield was a mix of an excellent space based role playing game married to quite a poor space exploration game. This led to mixed reviews.
The recent introduction of the Rev 8 buggy has fixed the space exploration side for me. The planets seem more vibrant now that you can swiftly get around the points of interest. Halfway through my second play through I am finally exploring new worlds.
Looking forward to the Shattered Space expansion and beyond.