Summary
A former Bethesda developer recently revealed that he was surprised by how many loading screens were added toStarfieldlate in development. Frequent loading screens are among the most controversial aspects ofStarfield, so it’s surprising to see a former developer claiming that the game could potentially have existed without them.
Released in 2023,Starfieldwas a fairly controversial game at launch. WhileStarfieldobtained positive reviews, currently holding an average critic score of 85 onOpenCritic, the space exploration game was widely criticized by portions of the player base. Some of the most common criticisms against the title were aimed at its vast yet shallow open-world universe, and frequent, immersion-breaking loading screens.
FormerStarfielddeveloper Nate Purkeypile, who worked onStarfielduntil 2021, recentlytold VideoGamerthat the title had significantly fewer loading zones during his tenure. The most visible locations where this was a problem were in the game’s cities, such as Neon, a place that Purkeypile extensively worked on. According to Purkeypile,Starfield“could have existed without those [loading zones]. Like, some of those were not there when I had been working on it and so it was a surprise to me that there were as many as there were.” Unfortunately, Purkeypile was not able to explain why these loading screens were added in the final version of the game, but his arguments indicate that it’s all about performance. The ex-Bethesda dev explained that the heavy segmentation of areas is due to how Bethesda’s Creation Engine works, and that gating some areas is mostly done to improve performance.
Former Bethesda Dev Claims Starfield Did Not Have So Many Loading Screens During Development
It could have existed without those [loading zones]. Like, some of those were not there when I had been working on it and so it was a surprise to me that there were as many as there were.
WhileStarfield’s many loading screens continue to frustrate some gamers, Bethesda is continuing to work hard to improve the game over a year after its launch. InrecentStarfieldupdates, the performance ofStarfieldhas been boosted, with countless bugs being remedied.
There’s also no shortage of new content, especially when considering the Creation Engine. Earlier in December,Starfieldalso added newDoomcontent for free. To commemorate theDoomfranchise’s 31st anniversary,Starfieldreceived a newDoom-inspired quest called “At Hell’s Gate.” During the quest, gamers can snag a few unique items such as a Super Shotgun, Crucible Blade, and the Doom Slayer Praetor Suit.
Hopefully, the upcomingElder Scrolls 6will not have as many loading screens asStarfield.The Elder Scrolls 6was announced in June 2018, but it still seems far away from release, with gamers attempting to be patient while waiting for a development update.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
