Overview
- Bruce Nesmith, a longtime Bethesda developer and lead designer on Skyrim who left in 2021 after working on Starfield as a systems designer, said the game is good but not on par with Fallout or The Elder Scrolls.
- Nesmith attributes the shortfall largely to heavy procedural generation, which he says makes many planets feel too similar and undermines exploration.
- He adds that space traversal poses design limits, describing space as inherently unexciting and not where the game’s core thrills should reside.
- He believes the game’s reception was shaped by expectations tied to the Bethesda name, arguing it would have been judged differently if released by another studio.
- Bethesda, in comments reported by GamesRadar+, says part of the team is focused on space gameplay to make travel feel more rewarding.