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 initially envisioned as a much more violent game, but a former Bethesda artist has revealed that the studio ultimately chose a different path. While Bethesda's first-person shooters are known for their gore, the visceral blood and guts of Fallout did not make their way into the studio's latest sci-fi adventure. The decision to minimize graphic violence in Starfield was deliberate, though it was not always the intended direction.
Bethesda did not completely avoid violence in its latest RPG. Gunplay and melee combat remain central to the game, and many players feel that Starfield's combat mechanics are a significant improvement over those in Fallout 4, showcasing thoughtful design in both shooting and melee interactions. However, the studio decided to scale back some of the more graphic elements.
Dennis Mejillones, a character artist who worked on both Starfield and Fallout 4 at Bethesda, discussed the game's approach to violence in a recent interview on the Kiwi Talkz podcast on YouTube. He confirmed that the game was initially planned to include decapitations and other kill animations. However, the technical challenges posed by the game's diverse array of suits and helmets made it difficult to animate such violence without it appearing unrealistic or buggy. Given Starfield's persistent technical issues even after several major updates, the decision to avoid adding further graphical complications seems justified.
Starfield Cut Decapitations for Technical and Tonal Reasons
The decision to exclude graphic violence from Starfield was not solely based on technical challenges. Mejillones also highlighted that the gore in Fallout contributes to its humor, which does not align as well with Starfield's intended tone. While Starfield occasionally nods to Bethesda's more lighthearted and violent titles — such as the recent addition of Doom-inspired content — it aims for a more subdued and realistic approach to the sci-fi genre. Over-the-top executions, while potentially thrilling, might have felt out of place and disrupted the game's immersion.
Fans have expressed a desire for more realism in the game. Some have criticized Starfield's nightclubs as feeling tame and unconvincing, especially when compared to other gritty sci-fi titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Mass Effect. Adding tongue-in-cheek violence could have exacerbated these concerns, making the game feel even less grounded. Ultimately, Bethesda's choice to tone down the gore in Starfield, despite breaking from the studio's tradition in previous shooters, appears to have been the right one.
