Bethesda Removes Gore, Dismemberment from Starfield

Bethesda initially aimed to incorporate gore and dismemberment mechanics into Starfield, yet technical challenges forced them to abandon the feature. Dennis Mejillones, a former character artist who worked on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Starfield, disclosed to Kiwi Talkz that the complexity of interactions with space suits proved insurmountable.

"From a technical standpoint, there were numerous implications tied to the various suits," he explained. "A lot goes into cutting a helmet in a precise manner so it comes off cleanly. There are meat caps at the base where flesh connects, and we had systems in place for all of it. But it spiraled into a tangled mess. All these factors—crazy hoses on helmets, adjustable body sizes—we had to account for everything. The character creator evolved significantly."

While some fans expressed disappointment over the absence of these mechanics in Starfield, which marked Bethesda's first full single-player RPG in eight years, Mejillones noted that such features fit better within the context of Fallout's tongue-in-cheek tone. "It’s part of the fun," he stated.

Since its release in September 2023, Starfield has attracted over 15 million players. IGN praised its expansive role-playing quests and combat in their 7/10 review, acknowledging the game's appeal despite initial setbacks. Recently, another ex-Bethesda developer highlighted the unexpectedly high load times at launch, especially within the city of Neon. Post-launch updates have improved performance, enabling 60fps in performance mode. The expansion Shattered Space launched in September.