Former Starfield Artist Reveals Reason Graphic Violence Was Cut

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 Dennis Mejillones, a character artist who worked on both Starfield and Fallout 4 at Bethesda.

Starfield, Bethesda's ambitious space RPG, initially envisioned a far more violent experience than what ultimately launched. While Bethesda's first-person shooters are known for their visceral depictions of combat, the studio opted for a less graphic approach in Starfield. This wasn't a last-minute decision; it was a conscious choice, even though the game's development history suggests otherwise.

Bethesda didn't shy away from violence entirely; gunplay and melee combat remain core mechanics. Many players consider Starfield's combat a significant improvement over Fallout 4, praising its refined shooting and melee systems. While the intensity of combat is present, the studio ultimately chose to reduce the graphic detail of violent actions.

Dennis Mejillones, a character artist who contributed to both Starfield and Fallout 4, shed light on this creative decision during a recent interview on the Kiwi Talkz YouTube podcast. Mejillones confirmed that initial plans included decapitations and other elaborate kill animations, but technical hurdles proved insurmountable. The sheer variety of suits and helmets within the game made animating such violence realistically, without introducing glitches or visual inconsistencies, a significant challenge. Given Starfield's persistent technical issues even after several major updates, avoiding further graphical complexities seems a prudent decision.

Starfield's Reduced Gore: A Technical and Thematic Choice

The technical difficulties of animating realistic decapitations weren't the sole reason for scaling back the graphic violence. Mejillones also highlighted the tonal differences between Fallout's often humorous gore and Starfield's more serious, realistic sci-fi setting. While Starfield occasionally nods to Bethesda's more over-the-top titles—a recent update included Doom-inspired content, for example—its overall tone is more grounded. Exaggerated executions, while potentially exciting, could have clashed with the game's immersive atmosphere.

Despite this, some fans continue to advocate for greater realism. Criticisms have been leveled at the game's relatively tame nightclubs, contrasting them with the grittier depictions found in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Mass Effect. Adding tongue-in-cheek violence might have exacerbated these concerns, further detracting from the game's sense of realism. Ultimately, Bethesda's decision to temper the game's gore, although deviating from the studio's previous shooter titles, appears to have been a strategic choice to enhance the overall player experience.