Summary
- Starfield's lack of graphic violence was an intentional choice largely due to technical issues.
- It also wouldn't fit Starfield's tone, said Dennis Mejillones, a character artist who worked at Bethesda on Starfield and Fallout 4.
Starfield was originally going to be much more violent, a former Bethesda artist has revealed. Bethesda's first-person shooters are no stranger to gore, but Fallout's blood and guts didn't make it to the studio's latest sci-fi adventure. It's now clear that the lack of graphic violence in Starfield was an intentional choice, even if it wasn't always going to be that way.
Bethesda certainly didn't shy away from violence entirely in its latest RPG. Gunplay and melee fights play a central role in the title, so much so that many players believe Starfield's combat is a marked improvement over Fallout 4, with a lot of thought put into its shooting and slicing. It almost toned up this violence, too, but the studio seemingly decided to roll back some of the more graphic details.
Starfield Developer Says Players Are Sick of Long Games
An ex-Bethesda developer, who also worked on Starfield, reveals that he thinks players are ‘fatigued’ of games that take many hours to complete.
Dennis Mejillones, a character artist who worked at Bethesda on Starfield and Fallout 4, elaborated on the game's violence in a recent interview with the Kiwi Talkz podcast on YouTube. Mejillones confirmed that the title was originally going to have decapitations and other kill animations, but technical issues stood in the way. All the different suits and helmets in the game make it difficult to animate such violence without it looking unrealistic or buggy. Considering how Starfield had persistent technical problems even following seveal large updates, it seems the team may have made the right choice in avoiding any further graphical complications.
Starfield Cut Decapitations for Technical and Tonal Reasons
The technicalities of animating decapitations weren't the only reason to cut graphic violence from the game. Mejillones also explained how Fallout's gore is part of its humor, which doesn't fit Starfield's tone quite as well. While the game occasionally references Bethesda's less serious and more violent titles — Starfield recently added Doom-inspired content, for example — it's largely a more toned-down and realistic take on the sci-fi genre. Over-the-top executions, while potentially exciting for players, may have felt out of place, breaking the game's immersion.
Fans have continued to speak out about wanting even more realism from the game. Some have pointed out how Starfield's nightclubs feel tame and unconvincing, especially compared to other gritty sci-fi titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Mass Effect. Tongue-in-cheek violence could have added to these persistent concerns by making the game feel even less grounded. All things considered, Bethesda seems to have made the right choice in toning down the game's gore, even if it breaks a trend seen in the studio's previous shooters.
Starfield
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.
The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 101 GB (September 2023)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
