I've flipped flopped my consensus about the game a couple times, but my conclusion is this...
Starfield is not going to be what you expected from Skyrim in space, at first. It will seem weird and claustrophobic and broken.
But if you give yourself a bit to acclimate to the world they've built, there is a surprisingly engaging game underneath.
I believe they've left most planets barren on purpose, so they can easily shove DLC wherever they want for the next 10 years.
"New facehugger planet, 20 hours of exciting quests and valuable loot! - $29.99"
That's 100% going to happen.