Why Bethesda Cut Gore and Dismemberment From Starfield

Bethesda's Starfield initially included plans for visceral gore and dismemberment effects, but these were ultimately scrapped due to technical hurdles. Dennis Mejillones, a former character artist who worked on Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Starfield, explained to Kiwi Talkz that the complexity of integrating these mechanics with the game's diverse spacesuits proved insurmountable.

The technical challenges involved intricate details, such as realistically rendering helmet removal and the underlying flesh beneath. Mejillones described the resulting system as overly complex, citing the need to account for various suit designs, hoses, and the variable character body sizes enabled by the game's advanced character creator.

While some fans expressed disappointment over the absence of gore and dismemberment—features present in Fallout 4—Mejillones argued that such mechanics fit better within Fallout's humorous tone. He stated that the gore was "part of the fun" in Fallout's context.

Despite this omission, Starfield, Bethesda's first major single-player RPG in eight years, has still achieved remarkable success, attracting over 15 million players since its September 2023 release. IGN's 7/10 review highlighted the game's compelling RPG elements and combat as its key strengths, outweighing certain shortcomings.

Recent revelations from another former Bethesda developer shed light on unexpected performance issues, particularly concerning loading times in Neon. Bethesda has since addressed some of these concerns, including the addition of a 60fps performance mode. The Shattered Space expansion also launched in September.