Executive producer Todd Howard responds to the criticisms levied against Bethesda Game Studios’ open-world sci-fi RPG, Starfield.
Highlights
- Mixed reviews for Starfield highlight divided opinions among players, with criticism directed towards design and lack of innovation.
- Todd Howard addresses criticisms, acknowledging disappointment but urging players to approach Starfield with fresh expectations.
- Bethesda is working on improving Starfield with upcoming patches, mod support, and an upcoming DLC.
Bethesda Game Studios executive producer Todd Howard addressed the criticisms of players left disappointed by Starfield. Since its release in 2023, the open-world sci-fi RPG has had trouble reaching the same level of universal acclaim as previous Bethesda titles, with longtime fans of the developer still divided on their opinions regarding their experience. While some enjoyed their playthrough of the title, other players found issues with several elements of Starfield‘s design and have not been shy of criticizing its developer for its perceived shortcomings.
At the time of writing, Starfield‘s Steam overall reviews are hovering at a “Mixed” rating of 61%, and its Xbox Games store page retains an average review score of 3.4/5 stars. Though the game is far from an outright critical or financial failure, scores indicated that Starfield players are nevertheless finding it difficult to fall in love with the IP in the same way fans did with Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls or Fallout series. The criticisms of Starfield focus on a variety of issues, but a sizable portion of negative reviews were directed at the game’s setting. Users claimed the title lacked a strong creative vision and engaging narrative, with some further stating that it failed to innovate on Bethesda’s established formula.
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Now, over half a year after its release, Howard discussed the polarized reception for Starfield during an interview with Greg Miller at Kinda Funny Games. When asked how the studio responded to some of the negative reviews, the Bethesda executive first assured fans that developers were listening closely to their feedback. He stated that they understood why some fans were disappointed that Starfield didn’t offer the same flavor of exploration as previous Bethesda games.
Todd Howard Responds to Starfield Critics
Howard additionally sympathized with players who were excited to land and explore Starfield‘s various planets but emphasized that the developers’ vision for a sci-fi video game necessitated certain trade-offs. He further encouraged fans to go into Starfield without letting their experience with previous Bethesda games color their expectations, claiming that they should let each of the franchises stand out in their own unique ways.
While Starfield is still on shaky ground, there is hope for Bethesda’s newest IP, with additional patches and content already in the production pipeline. Howard notably claimed developers were still working on adding official mod support for the title and hinted that more information would be made available soon. He also revealed a release window for the Shattered Space DLC, which is reportedly scheduled for release sometime in Fall 2024.
Starfield
Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, Starfield is a sci-fi action role-playing game where players interact with multiple factions, engage in combat, customize their main character and ship, as well as explore a universe that features over 100 systems and 1,000 planets.
- Released
- September 6, 2023
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- Metascore
- 86
