As you know, some games undergo major changes during the development process, but the cancellation of a detail planned by Bethesda studio for Starfield may have radically changed the atmosphere of the game. Starfield, which adopts a more realistic tone compared to Bethesda productions such as Fallout 4 and Skyrim, could have been a much more violent and bloody game at the beginning. So why was this feature removed later? Here’s Bethesda’s confession…
Starfield was originally going to be bloodier!
In an interview with Kiwitalkz, Bethesda’s senior executive Dennis Mejillones revealed that Starfield had the same dismemberment and gore effects as Fallout 4 in early development. However, this system was shelved due to both technical difficulties and the game’s thematic structure.
Mejillones states that implementing the gore system we saw in Fallout 4 into Starfield faced many technical obstacles. ‘There were a lot of technical difficulties, such as cutting the different spacesuits and helmets that the players would wear, the correct application of blood effects,’ Mejillones said, adding that especially in scenes such as helmets ripping off, Bethesda had to model bloody sections called “meat-caps” and this caused a great deal of confusion.
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Another important reason for not adding the system is the tone of Starfield. In the Fallout series, gore and humour are intertwined. However, since Starfield is inspired by more realistic sci-fi productions such as The Expanse and Star Trek, Bethesda did not want the game to be too grotesque. Mejillones said, ‘Fallout’s overly stylised violence is in keeping with the humorous nature of the game. Starfield, however, aimed to deliver a more lo-fi and realistic sci-fi experience,’ Mejillones explains.
Starfield’s gunplay and combat mechanics are simpler and less cinematic than in Fallout 4. In particular, the lack of a VATS system left many players less satisfied in battles. If Bethesda had kept the bloody systems from the beginning of the game, whether the fights would have been more satisfying is a utopia we will never know…
So, do you think Bethesda’s decision is the right one? Would you like Starfield to offer more Fallout 4-style violent gameplay? Don’t forget to share your opinions in the comments
