"Ex-Starfield Artist Explains Cut of Graphic Violence"

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 envisioned to be much more violent, as revealed by a former Bethesda artist. While Bethesda's first-person shooters are known for their gore, the level of violence seen in Fallout did not carry over to their latest sci-fi adventure. The decision to tone down the graphic violence in Starfield was deliberate, despite early plans to the contrary.

Bethesda did not completely eliminate violence from Starfield. The game features robust gunplay and melee combat, which many players consider a significant improvement over Fallout 4. The combat mechanics in Starfield reflect a lot of careful design and attention to detail. However, the studio chose to dial 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 an interview with the Kiwi Talkz podcast on YouTube. He revealed that the game was initially intended to include decapitations and other detailed kill animations. However, the variety of suits and helmets in the game posed significant challenges for animating such violent scenes without them appearing unrealistic or glitchy. Given Starfield's ongoing technical issues, even after multiple updates, the decision to avoid these complications seems justified.

Starfield Cut Decapitations for Technical and Tonal Reasons

The decision to remove graphic violence was not solely based on technical challenges. Mejillones also highlighted how the gore in Fallout contributes to its humor, which is less fitting for Starfield's more serious and realistic tone. Although Starfield occasionally nods to Bethesda's more whimsical and violent games, such as the recent addition of Doom-inspired content, it generally adopts a more subdued approach to the sci-fi genre. Over-the-top executions could have disrupted the game's immersion.

Fans have expressed a desire for even more realism in Starfield. Some have criticized the game's nightclubs for feeling tame and unconvincing, especially when compared to other gritty sci-fi titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Mass Effect. Including humorous violence might have further undermined the game's grounded feel. Ultimately, Bethesda's choice to reduce the gore in Starfield aligns well with the game's intended tone, even if it diverges from the studio's previous, more violent shooters.