Starfield is a “Very Good Game,” Says Former Skyrim Lead, “Just Not What People Expected It to be”

by

Bruce Nesmith, the lead designer of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, recently shared some thoughts on the future of popular game franchises. He discussed what he thinks Mass Effect 5 and the next Fallout game should focus on – suggesting the latter should be set in America. Having recently worked on Starfield before leaving his studio, Nesmith also commented on the challenges of meeting player expectations with such highly anticipated games.

So, Press Box PR asked if the hype for The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 was getting out of control, and honestly, I’ve been dealing with this ‘game of expectations’ thing for years. It’s tough for Bethesda because, let’s be real, the expectations are so incredibly high, it’s almost impossible to deliver something that will fully satisfy everyone. They’re in a tricky spot!

According to Nesmith, the most important job of a marketing team is to manage what people expect. He suggests that if a new, unknown studio had released Starfield, it likely would have been considered a groundbreaking game.

Despite being a well-made game, Starfield didn’t quite live up to the high expectations set by its developer, Bethesda. People anticipated something different.

Developing The Elder Scrolls 6 presents similar challenges, but the team benefits from their experience creating The Elder Scrolls 5, 4, 3, and 2. This gives them a strong foundation to hopefully deliver a game that lives up to fans’ expectations.

Following the success of Oblivion, Skyrim not only lived up to the hype but surpassed it. The same happened with Fallout 4 after Fallout 3 – the studio delivered again. They’ve proven they’re capable, but as Nate Purkeypile pointed out, they face a significant challenge ahead.

Whether Fallout 4 truly delivered on what fans hoped for is still debated. When it first came out, many criticized it for things like its simple conversations, the focus on building settlements, and repetitive quests. Although people’s opinions have softened since then, it’s generally not remembered as fondly as earlier Fallout games like Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and New Vegas.

Like some other recent games, Starfield initially received mostly positive feedback, particularly from reviewers, but player opinions quickly turned mixed. Currently, it has a “Mixed” rating on Steam, with only 58% of players recommending it. Bethesda is addressing issues and planning improvements, potentially in a major 2.0 update. However, these changes aren’t expected to be as extensive as the overhauls seen in games like No Man’s Sky or Cyberpunk 2077.

We don’t have many specifics yet, like what’s coming in the next expansion, but we’re hoping to share more in 2026.

Read More

2026-02-02 23:41