The blame for 'Starfield' not succeeding lies with Bethesda itself, according to the creator of 'Skyrim'

In a recent interview, Bruce Nesmith, former designer at Bethesda and known for his work on Skyrim, addressed the mixed reception of Starfield, the ambitious space exploration title released by Bethesda Game Studios. According to Nesmith, the lukewarm reception of the game could be attributed to the inflated expectations created before its launch, a heavy burden that seems to accompany all of the studio’s projects. “Bethesda is in a bad position by having such high expectations that cannot be met”, he noted.

The blame is being too good

Nesmith suggests that if Starfield had been developed by a different studio, it might have been considered as “the second coming of Jesus Christ”. This perception is likely due to Bethesda’s followers, who are used to the grandeur of titles like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, expecting a similar experience. “Starfield is a good game. It’s a very good game. It’s just not the game that people expected it to be”, he added.

Despite leaving the company halfway through the game’s development, Nesmith shares an optimistic vision about a possible sequel. He believes that the team could enhance the experience based on what they learned from this first installment. “I would bet that a sequel would leave it all on the field”, he stated, highlighting that, despite some concerns, playing Starfield to the end is a triumph for Bethesda.

Additionally, Nesmith commented on how the development of Mass Effect 5 could benefit from learning from experiences like those of Baldur’s Gate 3, suggesting that it could adopt a style more aligned with Bethesda’s approach. This exchange of ideas suggests that the evolution of RPGs may be at an interesting crossroads, where lessons from various studios could influence key future releases.