Summary
- Starfield's toned-down violence was a deliberate decision, primarily due to technical limitations.
- The style also wouldn't align with Starfield's overall tone, according to former Bethesda artist Dennis Mejillones.
Starfield, Bethesda's ambitious space RPG, initially envisioned a far more violent experience than what players ultimately encountered. While Bethesda's first-person shooters are known for their visceral combat, the studio opted for a less graphic approach in Starfield. This wasn't a spontaneous decision; the game's less graphic violence was a conscious choice.
Bethesda didn't shy away from violence entirely. Gunfights and melee combat are core gameplay elements, significantly improved from Fallout 4, according to many players. However, the studio seemingly dialed back on the more graphic details of these encounters.
Dennis Mejillones, a character artist who worked on both Starfield and Fallout 4, shed light on this creative decision during a Kiwi Talkz podcast interview. He revealed that initial plans included decapitations and other detailed kill animations, but technical hurdles proved insurmountable. The sheer variety of suits and helmets in the game made realistically animating such violence incredibly challenging, potentially leading to unrealistic or buggy visuals. Given Starfield's persistent technical issues even after multiple updates, this decision seems prudent.
Starfield's Reduced Gore: A Technical and Thematic Choice
The technical difficulties weren't the sole reason for the reduced gore. Mejillones also noted that Fallout's over-the-top, often humorous violence doesn't quite fit Starfield's more grounded tone. While the game includes nods to Bethesda's more violent titles (recent Doom-inspired content, for example), it generally maintains a more realistic and less satirical sci-fi atmosphere. Intense, graphic executions, while potentially exciting, might have disrupted the game's immersive quality.
Despite this, some fans continue to call for more realism. Criticisms have focused on aspects like the game's nightclubs, perceived as tame compared to titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Mass Effect. Adding tongue-in-cheek violence might have exacerbated these concerns, further undermining the game's sense of grounded realism. Ultimately, Bethesda's decision to temper the gore, while breaking from previous trends, appears to have been a considered choice.
