Summary
Starfieldhas several features players would expect from previous Bethesda titles, such asFalloutorThe Elder Scrolls, mainly with regard to character creation or the relationships that can be built with companions. However, there were some features that weren’t carried over or werealtered significantly, from looting mechanicsthat adopted a Random Number Generation (RNG) setup instead of letting players remove items from characters in real-time to its lack of an option to scrap items for raw materials that could be used elsewhere.
Starfieldwas also notably less violent than the likes ofFallout 4, for example, which had some more realistic weapon impact on limbs due to itsVault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.). InFallout 4, players could pinpoint a specific area of an enemy to target, and depending on the weapons used, this could result in dismemberment or other displays of gore.
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Starfield Toned Down The Gore Significantly Compared To Other Bethesda Games
But Still Received A M-Rating
Earlier Bethesda titles such asThe Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowindweren’t particularly gory, having puffs of blood to signify damage, but since the release of its sequelOblivionandFallout 3in the mid-to-late 2000s which let players dismember enemies with well-aimed attacks, gore has been prominent in Bethesda’s more recent RPGs. Despite being given anM-for-Mature 17+ rating by theESRBfor “blood, strong language, suggestive themes, use of drugs, and violence,“Starfieldwas incredibly toned down in comparison to past Bethesda games, to the point that there was very little gore present, even when using melee weapons like axes, making players question why it didn’t receive a T-for-Teen 13+ rating instead.
The blood mentioned was likely in reference to some of the locations that can be visited, rather than the combat. For example, RedditorUnexpectedRantingpointed out on a thread discussing the game’s gore that one mission features an apartment with blood “everywhere,” although bizarrely, the body lying in the middle of it was “perfectly intact.“It’s likely that this decision was made to be more in keeping with the game’s cleaner “NASApunk” aesthetic, but considering some of the weapons that can be used in combat, removing the impact they would have does feel like a bizarre omission for those familiar with more recent Bethesda titles.
This omission did seem particularly bizarre when facing some of the creatures inStarfield, too, such as thesupposedly brutal Terrormorphs. While these creatures clearly look like they could literally rip their prey apart, they tend to just bat them around a little until they collapse to the floor.
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Modders Are Looking At Ways To Implement Gore Into Starfield
Blood Mods Exist, But Full Dismemberment Has Its Challenges
While mods such asCazanu’s “Improved Blood 4K” have been available since September 2023, very shortly afterStarfield’s main launch, and go a long way to create more realistic impacts and wounds when enemies get hit, fans such as RedditorJTM3030have been vocal about wanting to take this further with a dismemberment system more akin toFallout 4’s, stating that “Shooting folks in the head with a shotgun and not seeing any realistic results is sort of getting old.”
On JTM3030’s thread, there were several comments about wanting to portFallout 4’s gore intoStarfield, or what would be needed to create gore mods, with some discussion surrounding the “Deadly Mutilation” mod forSkyrim, and how it lets players slice enemies in half with their swords and added more visceral effects.According to this discussion, this kind of mod requires a lot of work with modeling and visual effects, as modders would essentially need to rebuild the character bodiesto come apart in different ways and then program them to interact accordingly with weapons to achieve the desired effect.
At the time of this discussion, Bethesda hadn’t released the official Creation Kit modding tool forStarfieldyet, so the only options were to use third-party resources such as Blender, and Script Extender, which would have required a lot of work.The Creation Kit was finally released for freein early June 2024, however, which gives players access to the same engine and tools Bethesda builtStarfieldon, potentially making it easier to amend the pre-existing character models from the base game to implement these gore effects.
Mods made in the Creation Kit can also be downloaded by console players on Xbox, making them more widely accessible than the previousStarfieldPC mods that didn’t have support from Bethesda. Therefore, if someone is finally able to add some of the gore effects players are requesting, everyStarfieldplayer should have the option to install this to get a combat experience more akin to other recent Bethesda titles.
Sources:ESRB,UnexpectedRanting/Reddit,Cazanu/Nexus Mods,JTM3030/Reddit
Starfield
Bethesda Game Studios presents Starfield - the first original IP from the studio in twenty-five-plus years. Set in the year 2310, the United Colonies and Freestar Collective are observing a shaky truce after a war set 20 years prior. The player will customize their character as a member of a space exploration team called Constellation while navigating The Settled Systems and the conflicts between the warring factions. According to Bethesda, players can explore over 100 systems and 1000 planets to find resources and build their ships, living out their own sci-fi journeys.
