Starfield, the most recent offering from Bethesda Game Studios, has launched into the gaming stratosphere with both its ambitious scope and the franchise’s signature quirks.
Despite being one of the studio’s more robust launches, Starfield isn’t immune to the sorts of bugs and glitches that the past games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4 both featured, much to the amusement of fans.
As critics and players alike delve into this vast universe, a lingering question remains: Do the minor bugs take away from the experience or do they actually add to the chaotic allure of a Bethesda game?
Pete Hines, the same guy that recommends a certain must-watch Netflix documentary and Bethesda Softworks’ man in the chair in terms of public relations and marketing, has a clear answer: “We embrace chaos.”
As revealed by Hines to GamesIndustry.biz, Bethesda could easily opt for a safer, less risky game. But to do so would be to sacrifice the freeing feeling a lot if not most Bethesda titles are celebrated for. Bestheda’s games are synonymous with freedom as well as exploration. Starfield, an RPG so expansive that reviewers are saying you don’t play it to complete it; you play it to live it, is not an exception.
With so many months – if not years – of discoveries to unearth, the game’s minor glitches seem almost inconsequential if it’s the price to pay for a universe that players can get lost in.
One could argue that the tendency for AI companions to stand a little too close or the occasional visual oddity adds to the fabric of a truly immersive, unpredictable world. A world where sharks can find their way into elevators on planets covered entirely in water, leading to frenetic battles that have players laughing more than lamenting. These are not just bugs; they’re inadvertent features, tiny slivers of chaos that make each playthrough uniquely yours.
At the heart of this design philosophy is an uncompromising commitment to player freedom, a tenet so sacred that the kind of streamlined and more stable game such as The Outer Worlds is a trade-off Bethesda is unwilling to make. This sentiment is not isolated to the developers; even Microsoft exec Matt Booty noted that if Starfield had shipped earlier, it would still have the fewest bugs of any Bethesda game to date.
Critics seem to agree. Starfield’s generally positive reviews laud its grand scale and rich, open-ended gameplay, pointing to bugs and glitches as mere footnotes rather than deal-breakers. Sure, there are some features still to be desired, such as DLSS support or a field of view slider. Yet, these missing elements haven’t stopped players from modding them into the game themselves, speaking volumes about the game’s engaging framework that keeps fans tinkering and exploring long after most titles would have lost their luster.
The studio’s decision to lean into unpredictability rather than iron out every potential wrinkle may not please everyone. There are players who would prefer to navigate a polished, meticulously fine-tuned universe. To players, these small and minor infractions on gameplay committed by bugs and glitches aren’t quirky features; they’re irritants. However, for the vocal critics, there’s plenty more players who welcome Bethesda’s quirks as part of the package – a chaotic but captivating landscape where the unforeseen is just another form of freedom.
Ultimately, Starfield is a testament to Bethesda’s ongoing gambit: that an untamed universe, rife with the potential for both discovery and disruption, holds more allure than a contained, predictable one. And while the game’s bugs may test this theory, early indicators suggest that, once again, Bethesda’s bet may have paid off.
As players continue to plunge into Starfield’s sprawling cosmos – guided by their whims and occasionally interrupted by a stray bug or two – one thing is certain: in a world where player freedom reigns supreme, a little chaos isn’t just expected; it’s celebrated.
If you need help about Starfield, you can check out our guides about the console commands, how exploring the planets work, the game’s fast-travel system, and how long it takes to beat the game.
