Bethesda games like Skyrim and Fallout are known for being epic open world RPGs and for being a bit buggy, but these smaller issues in Starfield also allowed the game to be so grand according to one developer.
Speaking to GI.biz, head of global publishing Pete Hines said making a smaller, cleaner game is always an option for Bethesda but the studio instead chooses to push the limits of what’s possible, accepting the game might burst at the seams a little as a result.
“We embrace chaos,” Hines said. “We could make a safer, less buggy, less risky game if we wanted to. But what we try to lean into is player freedom.
“Yes, there’s going to be some little things here and there where your companion might stand a little too close to you sometimes. Yet the freedom you get, and the things that happen because of that, we absolutely love and embrace.
“Of course there are bugs. But does it take away from your experience? Or do you have a consistent, fun game that you just can’t stop playing and experimenting with?”
Starfield launched into early access today, September 1, ahead of its full launch on September 6. The game does run well on all platforms, including the Xbox Series S, but lacks some features like DLSS support and a field of view slider (that players have already modded in).
In our 7/10 review, IGN said: “Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
