Starfield Developer Justifies Bugs, Claims They're Somewhat "Intentional"

The studio behind Starfield has claimed that some of its bugs are "intentional" and embraces them. Bethesda Game Studios is one of the most acclaimed video game developers thanks to its work on the Fallout series and The Elder Scrolls games. They create incredibly rich worlds that keep players engaged for hundreds of hours in addition to giving players the ability to make really detailed mods. However, they're also incredibly well-known for having their games feel dated and very, very buggy or janky. Due to the amount of detail and depth given, compromises are made elsewhere and Bethesda has so much going on, that bugs are just impossible to completely squash.

In an interview with GamesIndusty.biz, Bethesda's Pete Hines spoke about the fact that the developer is very aware of the reputation it has with bugs. Hines noted that as a result of making games with so much freedom, things are bound to not work properly and can cause some chaos. He was keen to point out that a lot of them also spawn because of players' experiments with the game's systems. Hines also gave an example of a bug he really loved that allowed a shark to ride an elevator and then swim out into a city street, sending everyone running and screaming.

"Bethesda Game Studios has a reputation for things that happen in their games, yes. The thing people miss far too often is that there is some amount of that which is intentional, meaning we embrace chaos. We could make a safer, less buggy, less risky game if we wanted to. But what we try to lean into is player freedom. Yes, there's going to be some little things here and there where your companion might stand a little too close to you sometimes, yet the freedom you get, and the things that happen because of that, we absolutely love and embrace. Of course there are bugs. But does it take away from your experience? Or do you have a consistent, fun game that you just can't stop playing and experimenting with?"

How Buggy is Starfield?

Whether or not you like the bugs in Bethesda releases is subjective, but Starfield does seem to be the least buggy of all the games in the developer's history. Starfield still has some bugs such as enemies getting stuck, spaceships spawning inside of each other, characters doing things they shouldn't be doing, and much, much more. However, it's rare that it actually detracts from the experience, like Hines suggested.

Starfield Review

ComicBook.com gave Starfield a 4 out of 5 and noted that despite the fact it has some flaws and doesn't always match its ambition, it's still fun to play: "My opinion of Starfield is overall high despite what the many criticisms outlined here might suggest. It's a Bethesda RPG, and even Bethesda's middling options blow competitors out of the water when it comes to choice and freedom, so Starfield was always going to be a success. Whether it's enough of a success to uplift Xbox and make someone buy a new console is another discussion, but Starfield itself is perfectly competent and – dare I say it – fun, and even the most frustrating moments were unable to deter me from wanting more."